Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-13
JOHN BULL DIsoUEErED.

The Effects Of d7sserica:, Competition OF.
English Manufacturers Ghost oJ
Protection.
The London correspondent of the New
York Times writes: The journalists of En-
gland are only just beginning to awaken to
the Importance of the change which has
taken place in regard to the commercial re-
lations of England and America. Even
now they touch the subject lightly, and with
tendency to make it a peg wherein to hang
general discourses on free trade and the in
furious consequences of strikes. The Globe
glanced at it yesterday in note, chiefly in
tended as a warning to English workmen,
not to strengthen the hands of foreigners
by renewing the disastrous struggles be-
tween labor and capital, (which have
done SO much of late years to paralyze
our native industry So long as the United
States sent to Great Britain the sur
plus OF their cereal produce all was well.
Not only did such an arrangement offer no
ground for alarm, but this supplementing OF
local and European supplies was an I'M
mense advantage to England. When, in
addition to corn, we received bacon, beef,
and meats of all kinds in this, only the
English butchers grumbled. The general
public welcomed the imports which helped
to keep down the price of the necessaries of
life. But now that America takes her stand
on a level with us in those manufactures in
which we have hitherto been supreme, the
competition is one which may well excite
the gravest anxiety. Among recent imports
from America are boots and shoes, perfu-
merry, jewelry, and piece goods. "We have no
right to complain of these invasions,'' saws
the Globe, "but 1t certainly behooves us to
endeavor to meet the Americans by produc
Ing, If possible, better manufactured articles
at equally moderate prices" Easily said,
my friend. How is it to be done? This is
the problem of the time. If England can
not solve it, and there is only that one solu-
ton, her manufacturing supremacy is clean
gone. In the ordinary course of things, the
day must come when the old country must
take back seat, or at all events admit to the
front rank with her the young and busy
republic which has sprung from her
loins. There are old-fashioned com
mercial men who would at this iuncture
partially revive the old days of protection:
but the liberal spirit of the country is
altogether opposed to such retrograde
movement. That England has q right to
look for mere reciprocity at the hands of the
older countries is certain. On the face of
1t, nothing seems more absurd than the free
export to Belgium of raw materials which
come back to rs in the shape of manufac-
tured goods, to undersell us in our home
markets. In regard to America, the day will
come when she can afford to indulge in the
luxury of free trade. Politicians of the Man
chester school blame the United States that
she has not altered her tariff long ago, but
even severe political economists must admit
that in the early days of nation manu-
featuring enterprise must be fostered and
encouraged. Protection gives the first basis
to industrial operations. The wonderful
progress of American manufactures during
the last twenty years is the best answer to
men like Jacob Bright. England cannot
blame America for following in her own
footsteps. There are certain English staple
commodities which even far-seeing and
broad-minded politicians say we should pro.
tect, even in the present day, and it would
not surprise me to see the question of free
trade once more on it's trial in theory, in
fact, and in practice before American com
petition is many years older.