Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 120, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1911 — '50 YEARS OF PROTECTION, ACHIEVEMENT AND PROGRESS. [ARTICLE]

'50 YEARS OF PROTECTION, ACHIEVEMENT AND PROGRESS.

History of Conatry Shows That Frotoettve Tariff has Developed Both Farm and Factory. The present discussion of the tariff question in Congress leads the LaGrange Standard to review the tariff record of the republican party for the past fifty years, and in so doing it states only the facts of history. It says: Fifty years ago the men of the United States were preparing to vote in November on this proposition, aifiong others, whether the exports of the United States should be agricultural products or manufactured goods. Every intelligent farmer could answer in a minute whether he should on his farm sell off his grain or feed It to live stock and sell those manufactured products. No farmer would hesitate a moment about what is the right thing for him to do about that. But people did not know that the laws of farm economy and political economy are just the same. That is to say, some people did not know. The leaders of one party knew. It called Itself the republican party. Its enemies called it the black republican party, and they raved and spit white about it This party met and nominated for president Abraham Lincoln, and adopted this platform: “While providing revenue for the

support of the general government by duties upon imports, sound policy requires such an adjustment of these iir ports as to encourage the development of toe lndastiial interests of the whole country, and we commend that policy of national exchanges which securr to the workingmen liberal wages, to agriculture remunerating prices, to mechanics and manufacturers an adequate reward for their skill, labor and enterprise and to the nation commercial prosperity and independence.’’ That was the republican platform in 1860—development of , industrial interests by a protective tariff, and “to the nation commercial prosperity and independence.” The democratic party was absolutely controlled by importers of English dry goods. The democratic party split and the most of it subsequently refused to submit to the election of Abraham Lincoln, a new government devoted to the slavery of labor, and adopted a constitution in which it was expressly pledged tftal there should never be any tariff for the protection of home manufacturing. Well, the republican party carried that election 60 years ago. Furthermore, it made that election good with the grandest army that ever walked the earth and the mightiest navy that ever sailed the seas.

What has that republican platform of 1860 accomplished in 50 years? Wa were then a young nation. We are yet a young nation —in our infancy. Fifty years are nothing in the presence of the antiquity of England and Germany. But today, just 50 years from that announcement of the republican platform, which has ever since ruled America, the United States has achieved that commercial independence which the republican party promised. _ Now, for the first time in the history r cf the nation, we export a greater value of manufactures than we do of farm and plantation products. No longer arc we dependent on the inarkets of Liverpool. The world shall come to Chicago for its market reports. The center of the world is no longer at London. It is here among the great lakes of North America. The republican party has, in 50 years, achieved the commercial independence of the United States, acountry which, 50 years ago, England, France and Spain were getting ready to divide up as a Colonial possession to be skinned and robbed by “free trade." They say this protective tariff has corrupted the nation. Fifty years ago the public life of the United SUtes was unspeakably rotten. Peop •* have moved to a higher plane of responsibility since that republican tariff plank was written in 1860. They say the protective tariff has built up monopoly. It destroyed th * most shameful monopoly in the woild, human slavery. It has destroyed the English manufacturing monopoly. Ii can be used now to destroy every home monopoly as it has been used to destroy other monopolies. What we ask of statesmanship now Is to use the protective tariff schedules and discriminations to destroy and prevent home monopolies. It can be done by conservative statesmen who will address their efforts to the problems of today.