Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1891 — WHY I AM A PROTECTIONIST. [ARTICLE]

WH Y I AM A PROTECTIONIST.

BY PROF. R. H. THURSTON

OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY I am a Protectionist because I can see very clearly that the political independence which every patriot would sacrifice his life to preserve to his country can only be safely assured, when we are industrially independent, and I am glad, if it requires that lesser sacrifice, to forego a few pennies of my savings to do my part to secure that assurance. I am a Protectionist because I can see, I think with equal clearness, that the greater the diversification of our industries, the greater the prosperity of our people. I am Protectionist because it seems to me evident that a carefully arranged Tariff—arranged, I should say, by a special commission of honest, disinterested and

wise men—must be kept up, to preserve us from industrial crises and disturbances due to foreign industrial changes and crises. lam a Protectionist because I think that, ultimately; we shall insure the most uniforms, moderate and satisfactory markets when the manufacturing and the agricultural classes are most thoroughly itermiugled, so that we shall have a minimum expenditure for transportation and maximum labor applied in actual production. I am a Protectionist because I find my views confirmed by the practice of the whole world, with the single exception of Great Britain, where I see that the principles just enuciated are violated by excess of productive capacity in manufactures, and, naturally, to relieve her people from their difficulties, open markets and Free-Trade must be sought by that nation, Great Britain in this respect standing alone.