Back when Paul Ryan was still holding out on endorsing Donald Trump as the GOP nominee, he referenced “free trade” as a pillar of the Party of Lincoln. In response, Pat Buchanan put the lie to that claim. Thanks to my client Kushro Ghandi for sending this post along for a look back. Readers very much enjoyed Kushro’s view on this issue posted at Richardcyoung.com earlier in the month.
Pat Buchanan writes:
But when did free trade become dogma in the Party of Lincoln?
As early as 1832, young Abe declared, “My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman’s dance. I am in favor of a national bank … and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles.”
Campaigning in 1844, Lincoln declared, “Give us a protective tariff and we will have the greatest nation on earth.”
Abe’s openness to a protective tariff in 1860 enabled him to carry Pennsylvania and the nation. As I wrote in “The Great Betrayal: How American Sovereignty and Social Justice Are Being Sacrificed to the Gods of the Global Economy” in 1998:
“The Great Emancipator was the Great Protectionist.”
During his presidency, Congress passed and Abe signed 10 tariff bills. Lincoln inaugurated the Republican Party tradition of economic nationalism.