THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF. 



307 



circumstances of the particular nation in which action is pro- 

 posed or resisted. As shown below, tlie necessity of preparing 

 for war by making ourselves industrially independent is a 

 common argument, but war, in its usual sense, i^ infrequent in 

 modern times, and at any rate its losses, both of life and prop- 

 erty, are insignificant as compared with the casualties of com- 

 mercial war in which we are constantly engaged. More people 

 have starved as the result of commercial war than were ever 

 killed in battle. A common argument for protection is its 

 effectiveness as a weapon in commercial wars. 



Political writers, however, do not concede that, even from 

 any economic standpoint/, the free trade arguments can not 

 be met. The economic arguments against protection, and 

 those for it, as commonly employed, are as follows: — 



In behalf of protection it is urged that — 



1. Protection establishes and maintains a great number 

 of industries which otherwise, either from our inferiority in 

 natural advantages, or lower standard of life in competing 

 countries, could not exist here. 



2. That these industries are both manufacturing and agri- 

 cultural. 



3. That these industries furnish profitable employment for 

 a great number of people who would otherwise necessarily be 

 engaged in the production of commodities for which this 

 country may be best adapted under existing circumstances, 

 but in which, so far as they are exported, we must compete in 

 the world's market with those of an inferior standard of life. 



4. That whenever a reasonable protection will maintain 

 such industries, those engaged in them are more profitably 

 employed than if engaged in producing for a more strongly 

 contested market. 



5. That the employment of large numbers in protected 

 industries supplies a home market for great quantities of 

 products of other industries whether directly protected or not. 



6. That this diversity of industries renders the nation 

 better able to endure the stress of warfare, whether commercial 

 or military. 



7. That a home market saves expense not only in trans- 



