The early advocates of the system
proposed it only as a temporary ex
pedient to aid in the permanent es
tablishment of certain industries, and
insisted that after a few years of .de
pendence upon the bounty of the
government and people they would
be strong enough to stand alone and
compete successtully with their rivals,
not only in the home market but in
all others. Under the influence of
this argument the first protective tariff
was enacted in 1816, and yet, after
seventy years have passed, many of
the same industries which then asked
temporary assistance only are now
demanding more than double the
rates of duty then deemed sufficient,
and their accredited committees and
organs unanimously declare that un-
less, mcsc CUUIUIUU3 uuunuw
indefinitely continued the industries
must cease to exist
According to
their own showing, the policy in
augrated nearly three-quarters of a
century ago for the purpose of ren
dering them independent and self
sustaining has had exactly the oppo
site effect. Its constant tendency has
been, and is now, to impair their
ability to compete with the products
of similar industries elsewhere, and to
make them more and more depend
ent upon bounties and special legis
lation for support. It has added large
ly to the cos,t of production by in
creasing the price qf machinery and
materials and the necessaries of life ;
it has confined the products of the
so-called protected industries to the
home market exclusively, so .that the
amount of production must .be ;reg
ulated by the domestic demand alone,
and operations must Le suspended
when that demand is satisfied ; ,it has
obstructed international exchanges,
thus partially excluding the products
of our other industries from profitable
markets abroad, diminishing their
earnings and arresting their growth
and prosperity ; it has provoked other
governments to resort to retaliatory
measures, discriminating against our
products and trade in their own ports
and markets and giving preference to
the products and trade ot our most
formidable rivals ; and here at home,
by encouraging capital and labor to
rely upon legislation for profits, rather
than their own capacity, it has greatly
impaired that spirit of independence
and enterprise which is absolutely in
dispensable to the successful prosecu
tion of business in this age of im
provement and progress. Hon. John
G. Carlisle in BelforJ's Magazine
for September.
