Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-22

Some of the high tariff journals in
this country appear to find satisfaction
in the incidents connected with the re-
newed agitation on the part of the pro-
tectionists in England. The London
Quarterly RecieaO recently had an article
on the subject in which an attempt was
made to show that British manufactures
are declining, and that foreigners are
competing successfully. even in English
markets. The Morning Post has also
taken up the question, an editorial arti-
Gle on that subject concluding as fol.
lows:
'The Quarterly RetEet0's array of facts
deserves the most considerate attention
of every man having the future pros
perity of the country at heart. The
United States, under the system of pro.
lection described by some of our politi-
cal economists as suicidal, have paid
during sixteen years over 50,OO0, 600
of their debt, and paid ego, 900, 600 last
year under it. The United States have
passed by leaps and bounds into con-
dition of prosperity which before long
will enable them to cancel
the enormous debt incurred on &C.
count of the civil war. England is by
no means in the same hopeful condition.
We grant that free trade has done much
to benefit the country, but we doubt
whether it has not been pressed too far;
whether it has not become imperative
that some resort to retaliatory duties
shall be made in order to show that the
advantages we offer to foreign States
should be met by equivalent concessions
on their part"
There is nothing new or startling In
the statements here made and there
would be no excuse for reproducing
them were it not that they show in them
selves how little connection they have
with protection tariffs. The London
Times shows that the figures presented
by the Quarterly ReOieao are erroneous,
but this is immaterial, except to show
the unfairness in the disposition of the
protectionists. The Times reiterates
what it has often affirmed before, that it
is a fallacy to regard excess of i'm
ports as sign of weakness. Says the
Times: even with an excess of i'm
ports amounting to e1s4.0OO,O0O (the
correct figures according to the Tines,
England is doing no more than getting
an income on her investments. When
the excess diminishes il is a sign that
she is again investing largely abroad. "
The Times might have pointed out an
other glazing fallacy in the logic of the
Quarterly Re0iew, which argues that be-
cause we have made large payments on
our public debt we have been bene.
flied by the tariff. 1t is because the
country has been productive and pros
porous that we have been enabled to
make these payments. Foreign nations
have bought So largely from us that we
have been enabled to purchase literally
from them in return. Upon these pur-
chases duties have been exacted. These
duties are paid in the end by the con-
sumers who purchase the commodities
at enhanced prices because they are
able to. They are certainly not
made able to do so by being
taxed. There are other causes than the
tariff to which we must look in order to
account for Americas prosperity, and
there are other and more po emit reasons
for England's decline than free trade.
England may have reached pass where
it has become necessary to retaliate to
some extent against the greedy policy of
the nations with which it deals, and, if
it decides to make a move in this direc-
ton, 1t will undoubtedly develop as
hoggish proclivities as any of the rest