The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-04


into Great Britain from the United States
would always be in excess Of the exports
because the United States have boundless
resources in the supply Of raw materials
and articles OF food which the United
Kingdom much requires. In return the
people Of this country, from the density
OF Ia population, are well able to send the
products OF their workshops, II they were
only allowed 10 do so on fair and equal
terms. Protection Is considered by The directors
of this chamber 10 be tIlSOtiRd IN theory and TN
sllcce&f,h In practice; The immense increase Of
he iredih and pyUgreSs Qf Grtdt Britain since
1915, u,en ne principle Of protection iSdS
partially abandoned, and aW further since
1850, uhen Il traS entirely diScdrled, u The oct
proof ertant Ofuie success Of free trade. The
total foreign trade OF Great Britain In
1910, under q protective tariff not un.
like that now existing In the United
States, was only Ell33i2,74O. The great
free-trade measures OF Sir Robert Peel, In
1916 gave an immense impetus TO trade,
which increased 10 ELL 1891, 052in 1880. In
1860 the foreign trade was ESQ ,052, 224
in 1870, G542, 33S, OIL; 1877, e640, 765, I02.
A similar policy would no doubt be sue
cessiul II adopted BY your country. The
abolition OF taxes OH materials used by
your manufacturers would enable them to
produce ut a decreased cost, and above
all, would afford them facility for prose.
cutting successfully those branches Of in.
dustry for which your country may hap
pen to be especially fitted. One result
would DO q large interchange between
your country and ours Of those articles
which the one could produce more adyan.
tageously than the other. Another and
To you more important result would be
that in foreign markets generally your
manufacturers would become most formid.
able rivals OF Great Britain. Still, the
advantages OF an augmented trade through
out the world would, in the opinion OF this
chamber, fully compensate every interest
affected thereby"
II seems to US that our British friends
might have framed n stronger argument
than the above for their side OF the tariff
question. We do not say this by way O.
advocating a high tariff, but simply as {
question OF statement. For instance, they
refer to the increase Of American exports
to England, and the decrease of imports
from that country to this, from 1850 tc
1877, as II the figures were an argument OF
their side, whereas they are only calculat
ed to strengthen the tariff sentiment ii
this country. Americans will not be SLOW
to believe that the British view is who'll!
selfish, and based solely on the fact tina
England is not a country like GU
own where raw material abounds, bu
one to which raw material must be brough
from all parts Of the world. She depend
on other countries for market for he
manufactures, whereas Americans depenc
mainly on their own country. England
must have American supplies. sheadmit
them free in order to avoid taxing her owl
people, andin order to produce cheap good
for export. Her policy IS the best one TO
her own interests, but she must not reason
from her interests to those of other coun
tries II she wishes to make converts.