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Show The Ensign. PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE- - A this is a subject agitating the njinds of the nation and especial v of our portion of it, more just now tfiai) any other of a national interest, a cleat and weJI I written discussion o( it wij) probably be acceptable to ouf readers, for the same we cull tout a treatise we obtained while at school a a student not accessible to the general reader. . - well-bein- well-bein- Tiie fiercest economic debate of modern times is that between the advocates of a protective tariff and the champions of free trade. After a hundred yeais of conflict, the battle still rages w ith all its old violence, yolumes have been written, interminable musses o! statistics iave been arrayed, and speeches and rewithoutend have been made on port both sides: on the one hand, to prove that a protective tariff is a wise and useful measure of national policy; and, on the other, to demonstrate its public folly.and its personal hardships. On the one side, in thjs controversy, stand most of the economists; on tlje other, are found the apparent majority of peoples and statesmen. But the economists are not unanimous; nor indeed are statesmen and people, The tariff battle Has been rendered fiercer by the vast amount of capital, invested in greaf industries, and th,e armies of laborers held to be concerned in the result. National prosperity, independence, and power are claimed to be at, stake, and the work and wages of labor are affirmed to be involved in the issue. The impossibility, thus far, of reaching a conclusion to which all can assent, proves the difficulties of the problem, and rebukes the assumptions on both sides, of its simplicity and its ca9y solution. After allowing for all partisanship of politicians, apd all mercenaries of manufac turers who participate in the debate with selfish motives, there remains a widse and honest divergence of opinions among thousands who wish for light and anx-- i usly seelt the truth. It must be patent 9 all their minds that there are difficulties in the questions involved, beyond those ordinarily stated by the economists, ft would not take the civilized world a century to settle a question so simple and easy as tfiey assume this to be. It may be necessary to explain in this treatise, that' t A Tariff is a tag, or system of taxes, laid on goods imported from foreign .countries, and collected commonly at the port of entry, where such goods are landed. The tariff taxes, commonly called .duties, or customs, belong to the class of jijd jrect taxes Ptotechon This word is used to breadth. It is not needful here to enumerate all express some public aid or favor to home manufactures to defen 1 them from losses the iigerests which belong to a civilized ,which might arise from the competition people; but we may name, as involved in f foreign manufactures of the same sort. the present discussion. 1. An abundp . 3 A Revenue Tariff is one laid for the ance of work for all workers, and wages sole purpose of collecting revenue lor the furthe r woik. a. Ami Helen, citrsity p?es of government, and is properly made of industries to utilize natural resources up of duties on goods not produced at and give employment to all talents. 3 home, as the tax on these will be paid An abundance of wealth to meet withwithout interfering in any way with the out hardship, all necessary taxes for the of donrfetu: foods. public iioqd and safety a.. A. sufficient 4 A Protective Tariff &ys its charge Common intelligence and civilization to ,on foreign goods competing with home properly enjoy and maintian the form of manufactures, and, by adding to the government chosen by the state. 5. An naprices of such foreign goods, prevents equality of condition wjth confronting Jheir underselling and crowding out the tions, that may protect from their hostility, and prevent them from imposing undomestic manutactures. 5 ' Free Trade means, literally, trade due burdens, or winning undue advan.with foreign countries untranuneled by tages from age or position. The rival taxe i; restrictions. But most advo- nation is a factor that can never be left cates of free trade lavor a tariff for reveri-- . out in any complete estimate of our na.us as a convenient mode of national tax- - tional interests and concerns. And as tion. . nations, like corporations, are soulless, and are generally actuated by selfish The Dqi'hle Question. The protectionist regards the tariff as a motives, it is all the more necessary to patioual question. At the bottom of take their conduct and condition into ivery argument made by him, lies the as account in studying our own. If wa sumption that ,there is a national interest, have national interests, they have nabroker and qleper than the individual tional interests also, and it is not impossinterest, and Wat the promotion of this ible that the one shall not conflict with natioiUjd interest is of importance to all the other. The conquest of arms is not the members of society. He perceives, the only form of national aggression. piore or less clearly, the unity of the 11a. There is a conquest of commerce more jtional organism, and feels in his own life Irequent and nearly as fatal to the subjtnd business the pujsheat of the nation- jugated nation. al life. If fie seems to be pleading the Second Postulate, Diversification tpau$e of someliuuted grodp of manufacof Industries. tures. it i$ becsuA he wishes to perserve national The importance of a variety if nation. the His to that industry error, jje is in error, comes from his point of of industries among the people does not view anf it must be answered' from the need argument, In a general sense, all parties admit it, however they may dif.same poijpt qf view. The free trader, on the other hand, fer as to its desirable extent, or as to the means of securing it. To give the larjocks at the tariff as it affects individuals, amount and variety of employments gest as .either producers or consumers. Ije .claims that whatever is good ior indi- to the people; topropeih utilize all the resources of the country, and to furnish vidual citizens wity fie good for the that the private interests of the peur at home the markets for the several proso palpable ductions ol labor, are pie are identical V,th their public inter- that no one will deny objects them. The higher tariff' as a simple jests. He considers tfie of diveisity of employment on tax effecting taxpayers and their influences If any pfpnufacture cannut national civilization, and on national business. live without protection against its for-ig-n power and wealth, may not be so obiv-ioubut they are equally true mid imporcompetitor, be questions whether jt tant. is live him the tariff at To 4th to ought tax laid upon the upany for the benefit of of In a savage state, and in the first stages colonial life, the industries must be the few. It tnav easily be seen that the issue is few and simple. The savage contents not lairlv joined in this debate. The himself with lew gratifications; the colanswer of each party to the other is, in a onist imports most of his from older Manufactures require both countries. large measure, bivalent. Hence, the and skill; and there is usually a argument of neither convince the other. capital The economists, as students of Economic dearth ol botfi of these in a new settleIncrease of population usually Sciepce, affirm the Vjdiclity of the great ment. increase of wealth and of intellinatural laws of tiaife and deny that spec- brings ial manufactures can be wisely, if even gence, inand so industries in naturally advance quality, multiply amount, and successfully, built up in opposition to these laws, Tfie protection ists haying divide into separate blanches. Hut hisshows that new populations are slow and jpeeds, believe tory jfi mind social in- introducing new industries widely ake natural laws qf trade are insufficient, and claim the importance of public in different from their own. It shows, also, that the migrations of manufactures have fgtietgpcc to seep re results which laws would never bring about or more frequently been due to some foraccident, than to natural causes jyoiijd effect in time for the national tunate 99$?.' The two doctrines of protection or the hVs of trade. England owes her tif industries by tariffs, and ol freedom of silk and woolen ofmanufactures mure to Flemish aiul Hugueimmigration .exchange or trade, are not exact con- the tradictories since they are not answers to not fugitives than to any natural giowth of the in her industries. jhe same question, hence the truth It is possible that all the form of inone does not prove the falsity of the oth-pand the falsity of either does not dustry to which any country is natuailly adapted might in time come in by the affirm the truth of its opposite. but generations and cenThe subordinate questions, of the ef--. laws of trade; turies must ol elapse before the refa cts of tfie tariff-upopriqes, present and sult would be ten reached. Tlie assumption future, u.iiaJ of the distr bution of the burden of tfie taxation, on which sq much of of tlie protectionist is in keeping with the o'l history; the national interest dethe debate is ordinarily expended, can facts mands diversificawider a earlier and d'acn-'never be d properly evidegtly the industries than the natural or wisely settled till the great 91am tion of laws of trade would produce. questions are definitely determined,Home The 4ctrine of the protection of Third Postulate. The Tariff Power. industry by means of a tariff- on foregn The third assumption is by no means so goods rests upon three principal assump- clear, and so nearly as the tions, or postulates, as follows: two former. A tax upon imported goods way of producJirst Postulate, National Interests. is at orbest only an indirect promoting new industries, A? I may be admitted tfiat the common ing t , sense of mankind, as shown by the history of aU peoples, recognizes such a thing as national interests distinct from, and overtopping, individual interests. Everywhere and in all communities, men have felt that there is a common safely, which includes indeed the individual safety, and for which ttyey may rightfully be called to fight and die if necessary. Tltey fiave also recognised a common welUbging ol society, higljer than any to which all may personal justly be required to contribute of their personal wealth and service. This comg is made up 0. the common mon security, the public order, morals, and intelligence; the general suppjyof prodnets and of work, the public improvements and conveniences, and the national power, reputation, and independence. All this is something more than the sum total of private and personal qualities, possessions, and condition. It is true that public intrests are made up ol private interests, but not of merely personal interests. To the interests and rights belonging to the man as a living being, must be added those which belong to hint as asocial being and as a member of society. These latter often lie outside of his personal possesions and immediate surroundings, but are nearly as necessary as those to his developement and happiness. In trade and industry all things may seem personal, but the interests of industry and trade can not be separated wholly Iron; other personal or public interests. The whole man enters into society, and must be protected and considered in his pntirety. Vyijat we call public interests belo'ng to separate groups, or rather, to different concentric citcles of different diameters. The man has certian interests in common with his village; other interests in common with hi township; others still in Common with his county and his state; and, finally, otfiers which belong tb the nation. Wise men recognize all these, and seek to promote them in some proper way. The villager often strives to increase the prosperity of his village, by seeking to secure immigrants or by offering a bounty to manufacturers. He Dromises himself both personal and public advantage from the increase of population and wealth. It is true that the smaller community sometimes needs protection from the other communities united with it m the large community of which they they form part. A tariff" between states, or even between counties, would sometimes defend one against the overmastering competition of the other; but this ratner increases than invalidates the force of the argument for national protection. The clear recognition ol the narrower public interest which every man can see and appreciate, opens the way for the admission of the wider national interests which only a few are intelligent enough to see in all their pa-fio- te s, naL-dtr- ul r, - self-evide- shown many years ago by President Way-lan- bet than he can raise wheat or rear a tariff does not directly and nec- cate; Bfit who will say that it is best and essarily increase the .capital or the moi profitable for him to follow his old ower and skill of a couutiy, and these savge ways, and continue forever to are the immediate and only indispenshui and fish? Every advance made by able conditions of founding a new manu- anmation in its arts has been achieved facture. Such a tax may stimulate and by'eaving the things it could do best, sustain a manufacture already started, an learning to do something it could by securing it a better price for its goods, noformerly do at all. Certainly, there but it will not cer'ainly lead to the estab- is sacrifice which always accompanies a Indilishment of new manufactories. chnge of employment; but the question rectly, by raising the prices of goods of is.vhether the final gam does not for the immediate loss? If there the sort taxed, it may induce capitalists to import or employ capital-i- n their pro- ar in any country more hatters than duction; and such is the way in which thre is market for hats, the change of the tariff is expected to accomplish its erployment may be a necessity for some results. It is claimed that the silk of hem. however well they may know and some others, were introduc- thir trade, ed into this country by this means. Turd Postulate The Best National Whenever unemployed capital is suffIndustries. iciently abundant in the country, it may The third postulate is only an exten-si- n be assumed that it will seek investment of the second; but it seems to have in new industries as fast as they become additional force from the known at profitable and safe. So far as the tariff and productions of of climates secures tq them safety and profitableness d ferent countries. It affirms that nat-uit promotes this investment. causes, found in environment or Is The Protective Tariff Wise? claracter, determine the industries of To judge of the wisdom of the tariff peoples and that these causes, of the as a means to the desired end, it must n.tural laws qt trade, will introduce new be compared with other means available industries as required. China raises tea, for the same end. Three other methods aid Brazil coffee. Why not leave tea have, in different cases, been employed aid cotfee to these nations, and we tol-kour natural industry, if we have one, to secure the establishment of new industries: 1. A direct donation to the aid exchange its products for tea and capitalist to induce or aid him in the cftee? Our rich prarie land mark us for founding of his manufactory, j. A boun- africulture; is not England equally mark-e- l out for manufactures? Ought we not ty paid by government for each given amount of goods manufactured. 3. A re- tlen, tfl sell the English people our corn lease from all taxes upon the capital or aid buy their cloths apd crockery? labor employed in the new industry. The answer has already been given in Each of these three methods has an prt. What has been said of the individadvantage over the protective tariff in ual is true also of the nation. But a furcertainty of result, for nothing is paid till ther answer is required to the new featrhe result is assured. Under the tariff" ures of the inquiry. It is true that clithe tax must be paid upon all goods im- mate and soil determine the territorial ported, whether it induces home man- limits of some of the agricultural indusufactures er not; but no one is pledged tries. It is useless to plant cotton in by it to introduce or maintain any new New England or maize in Great Britain. The character and habits of peoples, also industry. It is a second advantage that all the seem to adapt them to certain special money paid under either of these three classes of industry. The makers of the is given directly , for the purpose tn view. Persian carpets, of the Indian shawls, of Under the tariff-- all the money collected the Flemish laces, and of the Chinese by the tax goes to the government, and porcelain seemed for centuries to have no the manufacturer gets his aid by impos- successful rivals. France still claims a ing a similar tax upon his customers in supremacy in certain cloths, silks, and the higher price of his goods, gloves; Russia in its peculiar iron; Japan A third advantage of these methods in lacquer ware, and England in a score lies in the definite amount of the taxa- of articles. tion imposed by them. As we have just The tuth seems to be that agricultural seen, the tariffimposes a tax upon all im- industries depend largely upon soil and ported goods for the benefit of the gov- climate, and a lew hand arts are special ernment, and allows the imposition of an to certain countries and peoples, either equal or greater tax by the manufacturer by natural characteristics, or by long use upon all the goods produced by him. and the skill resulting therefrom. But This may greatly exceed the amounts the great part of manufacturing indusactually required to secure the establish- tries are cosmopolitan in character, and ment and support of the home industry. may be prosecuted successfuly by any peoOn the other side the protective tarrff ple whose situation allows the necessary has some advantages over the other accumulation of capital, and whose civilmethods proposed. 1. As an indirect ization favors the acquisition of the needtax lor the support of the national gov- ful skill. Nearly all of the arts ate now ernment the tariff-hastrong claims; and spreading themselves through out the to make it protective, needs only to dis- world, and scores ol peoples are now tribute it upon the goods competing vith contending for markets futmeily possesshome manufactures. 2 The maemnery ed exclusively by one. for the assessment and collection is a The introduction of new industries, it common andpecessaiy part of the mach- is cla med, will be bought about by naCustom-housetural causes and the laws of trade. New inery of government. officers belong to the mamTlactuies, it must be admitted, do and custom-hous- e in all civilized lauds, whatordinary arrangements for the manage- gain foot-hol- d ment of the commercial intercourse with ever be the commercial or governmental foreign nations. The use of this common olicy of those lands. In some cases, old and adventurous artisans or capitaluay of a protMiliv system for the promotion of domestic ists undertake the introduction, and, afmanufactures, d..es not compel the estab- ter more or less of disastrous iailures. lishment and nuiuUiinance of any new succeed in naturalizing the new art. Litsystem. 3. , The operation of the pro- tle by little, the art is improved; new tective tariff-- though uncertain in its re- processes and machinery are invented; sults, is simple and easy in its working. new capital and skill are gathered around The other system though 4 more direct it, and the small beginning becomes, in and definite, would involve great practi- time, a great national industry. As cal difficulties in their operation, and be the wealth and population of any country liable to great abuses. It is doubtful increase, the industries ol that country whether more serious complaints would necessarily divide into brandies and mulnot be raised against the direct donation tiply in number and extent. The natural to capitalists from the public funds than desires and cultivated tastes of men defihve ever been made against protective mand higher gratifications with every intariffs. crease of means; and the imitative spirit The advantages and disadvantages of the protective system being so nearly balanced, the decision as to its wisdom niust rest finally upon its efficiency. If facts prove that it is effective, it must be approved; but if it can not be shown to be efficient tq the end proposed, it must At the last, therefore, it be condemned becomes a question of fact, to be settled by statistics. WHOLESALE AND To complete our fundamental view of the principles involved in this discussion, it is necessary to inquire what are the postulates on which the arguments of the tree traders rest. These postulates are as follows: d, labor-p- com-pesa- manu-facture- te s, 1 al w of mankind impels to the borrowing of the arts of neighbors near or remote. Rut it is obvious, from history and from contemporary observation, that the adopted policy of some nations favors the introduction of new forms of industry while that of others repeis it, In earlier days, new manufactures were often looked upon as inovations to be feared and watched; in modern times, they are sought for as new sources of wealth and power, and are welcomed as advantages to citizens and to state. Protective tariffs grew out of this modern spirit, and are attempts to give government aid to the introduction of new arts. Looked at closely, the conditions of the establishment of any manufacture will be seen to include: 1 Capital. 2 Skilled labor, and 3 Market. Capital sufficient to provide machinery, buy materials, pay labor, and meet all expenditures till a market can be reached, is a first requisite, and this capital must be created by other industries, or it must be tempted from concealment, from other investments, or from foreign lands. Skilled laborers to build and run the necessary machinery, and to perform all the processes of the art with sufficient expertness, must be imported lrom abroad or trained up at home. But goods will not be made without a market; and where the competition is large and serious, it is sometimes very difficult for a new manufacturer to secure a market against the rivalry of old and well known competitors. A market also implies an adequate demand, and remunerative prices; tor no one can continue to manufacture if only half of the product of his mills can be sold, or if they must be sold without profit. All of these conditions are costly at the outset, and tfie burden of this cost must fall upon the manufacturer; or upon the public. The progress of trade ttnd wealth doubtless tends to lighten all, and might, in time, overcome them. The protective tariff proposes to throw their weight upon the people at large, and thus secure a much eariler victory. Such are the answers that science is bound to give to the postulates of free trade. As in the case of the postulates of protection, they leave some qustions of fact to be settled by statistics, and, therefore, fail to end the debate by a final and conclusive answer. Continued on 4 th page. THOSEWBO HAVE . s Fan Pnprfe City or FOR SALE s, RAILROADS. TIME CARD. will leave daily, Sundays excepted, as Joi -'ows : Going North Leaves at 8:25 a. nt Chester Moroni Fountain Green , 940 " iioo Arrive at Nephi going south Leave JTM Passenger Trains leave Nephi daily as follows: Qoing North at 5:48 a. m. and 2:25 p. m. 8:18 South 11:35 Arrive at Salt Lake 10 a. m. & 6:40 p. m. Leave Salt Lake City at 7:30 a. m. and 4 p. m. Passenger Trains leave Salt Lake daily, for the North, to connect with the U. P, Ry.and the U.& N. Ry.,at 8;2o a.m. & 4:10 p.ni. and arrive in Salt Lake City at u:io a. m, and 7:20 p. m. Freight trains leave Nephi for the North at 6:35 a.m. and for the south at 7:30 p. n Francis Copp, Gen F, & P. Agt John Sharp, Gen. Supt. General Offices. Main Street, Salt Lake Citv. DENVER AND Rio Grande "Western RAILWAY, East Bound Trains No. 8 No. 10 Lv, 9.20 a. in. 840 pm. Ogden Salt Lake City Lv. 10.50 a. m. 10.10 p.m. Provo Lv. 12.50 p.m. 11.50 p. tn. Denver Ar. 845 p. m. 7.00 a. m. Wbst Bound Trains Provo Salt Lake City Ogden 24 S. Main tie WirlS! i SHOULD PLACE THEM WITH St. Salt Lake City. PEOPLES MEAT MARKET Bingham No. 7 No. 9 Lv. 4.10 p.m. 640 a. ni. Lv. 555 p. m. 825 a. m. Ar. 7.20 p. m. 9.50 a. m. and alta trains Leave Salt Lake City, 7.25 a. m. Return- ing, Arrive Salt Lake City, 4.30 p. m. D. C. DODGE, . J. H. BENNE1 T, General Manager. Gen. Pass. Agt. RETAIL BUTCHERS Dealers in all kinds of Liv Stock Is EljlRAL Scenic Line of MARKS & GAS AD Y m i2.-o- TIME GARDo . First Postulate Free Trade at Nephi " 1:20 p. m Fountain Green Moroni 200 Arrive at C hester 2:30 Stages connect at C hester for all par of Sanpete and Sevier. THEODORE BRUBACK, Gen.Manager. H. S. KERR. Gen. Superintendent. 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This postulate implies that human in. dustries have no other barriers than those imposed by the restrictions on trade and that if men are left free to buy and sell when and where they please, they will be free to change their employments as they may choose. To this it must be replied that the P. 0 BOX 46 NEPHI. great hindrances to the changes ol employments are found in the immobility of labor and capital. It is well known that laborets, in general, move reluctantly and with difficulty Irom one locality to another, and that the passage from one employment to another is still more difficult So, also, capital is not easily shilted from one investment or industry to another. it feats loss in untried channels, and Head-stone- s, prefers safety to uncertain profits. No freedom of trade can increase the moAll Kiiils of stone bility of labor or the confidence of capital, The industries love beaten and faMen follow easily the miliar paths. EXECUTED.IN THE NEATEST STYLE AND FROM THE BEAUTIFUL WHIT! & CO. J. employments of the.r fathers and predeOOLITE STONE OF SAN PETE. cessors. Restrictions' upon trade may force them into new labors to secure the goods they are not allowed to buy; but MANUFACTURERS OP removal of the restrictions will only leavt them free to go on in the old ruts. SHOE. LARIGO and SKIRTING Second Populate What Men do to mall paid, Prompt atontiqn Orders. & Wright l Co., B ill! B W 10BEN9 deai.es in Tablets. Monuments, Gotti W. BROWN MAIN STREET MANTI. Best. P O.Box 9 THE DRUG STORE LEATHER The second postulate affirms that there are things which each man can do best, Which thgy offer at Chicago Prices and that he ought to be left free to do The purchaser thus saving freight. those things instead of others which lie can do poorly, if at all. it assumes that at fhe low rate of $4.50 Plastering if men are permitted to exchange their per cwt. products freely, they will drift naturally to these best and most prolilable employTannery, SyuthrWest part pf Nfph Toilet Soaps, Face ments. Thus, a hatter can make hats Carries a full line of Patent Medicines, Drug?, fin well, but he can make boots only poorly, if at all. If left free to follow his own rushes, Sponges, Syringes etc. etc, Perfumes Powders, Tooth good sense, he will spend his time in JOHNSON By the ounce or bottle. Imported and Domestic Cigars, making huts and exchange them for other boots and the Essence of lifJ? products which Tobaccos au,d Cigaretts. it is not But Perscriptions ,car-fulhe miy need. always true that mens old and SUMMER COMPLAINTS. wonted employments are the most proCompounded. discovery ol the day for the THE greatest fitable in the long run, even if it is true cure of Colio, Osamps. Qholera that they can, for the time, do that best Morbus, D.arrhcea, etc. oMitrfaut! TkyI 60c all stores. C. . Johnson mjr Salt Lake City which they have best learned to do. The . , FOR SALE AT 7 HE NEPHI wild Indiau can doubtless hunt jmd fi$h Mam .Street, v epm. MINER & CO. ly MINES $awk.lns Building & GO. CO-Of- f, |