Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-11-23


rent action of the two houses of Con-
gress.
Philadelphia and Germany.
From the Illinois Stats Zeitung.
The reader who piods bis way
through the dreary volumes OF the
more prominent journals OF Or
many, finds them greatly changed in
spirit, On account OF the reports Of
Herr Reuleaux, the Ge' man Commits
soner at the Philadelphia Ezposi-
tior. Although within the last few
years, in consequence of the fnan-
cial crisis, the belief in tho infalibllity
Of the English doctrine of free trade,
advocated by the so-called liberals,
had become somewhat shaken, the
viclent outbreak Of the discomfort
with this doctrine is due alone TO the
observations made in Philadelphia.
The reports of Mr., Rouleaux de-
stroyed with che stroke the coarse
tissue of falIaces and fal3ehoods
with which the thoughtless masses
of Germany, swearing upon the
empty name Of free trade, have been
hoodwinked. That the protective
tariff led to the sure. and Inevitable
destruction Of every country that
ii was simply q relic ct antiquatod,
barbarian viows tending to cripple
The industrial activity Of q people and
10 impo7erish it, and that By keep
ing off all competition il would lead
to mis- rable degradation of the
products Of industry, were doctrines
which had been inculcated into the
mind IF the s'liberai' German PILLS.
tine is firmly IS . religious tenet.
Persons wbo have Travelled in Ger
mauy within the last ten years and
found opportunity TO discuss With
somewhat educated people questions
OF political econemy, can bear evil
dcnce Of the truly childish conceit
with which such questions were
then treated. 1t was as If one would
attempt TO explain to bigoted Ty-
roleso peasant the questions Of the
Immaculate conception and the in
fallibility Of the Pope. All facts and
figures about the high standing of
our American Industry and its won.
derful performances were simply an
swered by pitiful smile, accom-
panied by the blunt statement:
"Why, We know all these things bot
ter; that is simply Yankee humbug;
protective tariffs bound TO destroy,
instead Of aid, the industries Of
country" And an attempt at earnest
argument and logical refutation Of
such statements would generally
draw an answer like this "No, but
permit me, that free trade is the beet
y stem, is beyond dispute; this every
educated man must coucede.' Those
wgro he "reasons" with which the
orthodox liberal ffee-trader in Ger
many disposed of all evidences based
on figures.
AS if by stroke of lightning this
mental cloudiness has been dispel!ed
by the discoveries made at the Phil
adelphia Exposition. Not only the
letters Of Reuleauz, but also those Of
a considerable number Of experts
and educated laymen, havo opened
the eyes Of TIE people in Germany
And now q good many clamor jnst
as thoughtlessly and inconsiderately
for 8 protective tariff, without bear
ing in mind that the question Of free
trade or tariff is not to be answered
for all the nations and countries in
tho same way, but is TO be solved
according to tho peculiar relations
and conditions Of labor prevailing in
each. What may not only be useful,
out an actual condition Of life for
one people. may be exceedingly per-
nicious for another, and vice versa,
But the charge is so violent that
nearly the entire free trade press of
Germany has sounded the retreat.
Thus, the North German 1Ageme ne
Zejtuag, which was formerly the
mouthpiece Of the chief of free
traders, Delbruck; so also the Ber~
lin Post, the Democratic Voiks lei
tang, the progress-iavoring Burger
Zeitunq. and even the commercial
journals like the Berlin B0rSen-Zej-
tang, the German Handelsbl1tt, and
Germ Rejchsglocke, founded espeo~
tally in opposition TO Bismarck and
Lasker. Even the heretofore strong
free-trado papers. National Zeitung,
Tribune and Tdgeblatt, have already
poured goodly quantity of Henry
G. Carey's wine into their Manches-
ter dish water, whlIe- what is almost
ineredible-the Cologne Gazette has
even stopped to declare that under
free trade it really never understood |
anything but a m dera.e protective |
tariff Now, this is wholly untrue,
but q confession like this, wrung |
from one of the most iovetorate free
trade journals Of Germany, VII tend |
to show how strong the current Of
public opinion is alre .iy SET in that
country against the falacy Ct free
trade.
1t admits of no doubt that the
changes in tho views Of the German
people will exercise great Influence
at the ensuing election for mem ber-
of the "R aich-t,g." The political
Determinations which have hereto
fore prevailed can scare. i longer
be maintained, and the aim 81 f0r-
goLten "KuIturRampf," which is