The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-23
Charts II rrotect.oaisi 0pliiioa.

seemed TO suggest, underworld I
make clear to our projections
| friends that the true commercial poll
| cy of the United States for the iiutur
must lie in the direction of create
| freedom of exchange, and th;tt tn
| true and wise solution of the tdri1
controversy viii be found in the adop
tion of Il plan looking to the gradua
reduction of duties on sliding seal
extending over Il period of years
| While admitting that the vested i'll
terests which have grown up anC
have been fostered under the tarif
policy of past years are entitled t,
large and generous consideration, anC
should not be arbitrarily and sudden
ly interfered with, we have beer
careful to remind those il
favor of maintaining the eX
iSting system that 10y resisting mode
rate reforms they are likely to pro
woke the enactment Of radical and in
considerable measures in the not very
distant future. Our position i'll re,
gard to the tariff difficulty, while
such as to commend itself to tempe,
rate and iudicious men of all shades
of opinion, naturally did not fall in
with the eXtrayagant views of the
mere extreme adherents of the pro-
tective system. This was not to be
expected, nor did it occasion surprise
that the utteranceS of journals pub
lished in centers of protectionist
effort and dependent upon pro-
tectionist support, should continue to
advocate the maintenance of protec-
ton as permanent policy.
OF late. however, there have been
some signs of change in this respect.
Some weeks ago the Philadelphia
American, disclaiming the idea that
it was in favor of the tariff as a per-
manent institution, declared that it
could conceive of circumstances in
which the tariff would cease to be re-
quil ed as a means to the industrial
independence of the nation, and that
in such a case it would favor the re-
duction OF duties &c the revenue basis.
This, however, while in some sense a
concession, considering the quarter
from which it came, was still hypothe-
tical and only dealt with the matter
in the abstract. y much more signifi-
cant declaratiol-pe perhaps the most
significant thai bag peaR HnF Earth
upon the tafiii question Of latf-is
contained i'll Il recent article in the
PittSburg Leader. That journal, COM
menting upon Mr. Wharton Bankers
scheme for distributing the surplus
revenue among the states in order to
sage The War farill, says '::..Me may
Us well look the matter in the
face. gentlemen OF Philadelphia
by no such artificial scheme as
this can the inevitable be Stunned,
ami the inevitable is lust this: I'm
less there is another war of such
a rr0digat expenditure u public
money on fiyers-;ind' harborS and pub
lie works, and Mexican and Confe,ler-
ate pensions, md WQrflngmen's home
stead's, etc, such is the w0rid has
never yet seen, the tariff mast go
not suddenly, we hope-not Qlsas-
Irousiy ii We Properly prepare our
selves for it; but as certain rs this
country is to grow III population and
wealth, good sense dictates that we
Pennsylvanians should not fight this
result with wild projects and fanciful
dreams like the Barker scheme, but
should give our best thought and
patient endeavor to found our indus
tries, while we have yet time, on such
a solid basis that they can undergo
the coming change without shock,
and blossom out into new prosperity
when they stand no longer on govern
ment props but on their own merits. +"
The interest Of the paragraph quo
ted is, as will be seen, by no means of
an abstract nature. Its significance
lies in the fact that it discusses the
tariff controversy in the concrete in
the light of actual present circum-
stances and of the inevitable future.
The conclusion reached by the Leader
is but d recognition Of a fact long
since apparent to most persons whose
opinions have not been unduly warped
by their interests. The publication
of the article IN the city of PittSburg,
where unanimity of sentiment upon
the tariff question has hitherto been
understood to prevail, is indeed mat
ter Of more than passing interest. 1t
goes to show that the change which
has been gradually coming over pub
lie opinion throughout the country
has at length begun to affect the
strongholds Of protection itself.
Sooner or later this was certain to
happen. The workers in pro-
tected industries could not
forever blind themselves to the
fact that the oyer-production
from which their several branches
suffer, has been mainly due to the az
tifcial encouragement afforded by the
tariff, while stimulating production at
home, naturally operated to deprive
them of d market abroad. AS we
have shown, a foreign market be-
comes more and more necessary as
productive operations expand, and yet,
by prohibiting importations, we are
doing our utmost to prevent the
growth Of an export trade. The adj
vice given by the Pittsburg journal 70
its protectionist friends is judiciDu,
and in every way worthy of their N vt
careful consideration. We do not
even hesitate to say that the Leader is
much more truly a conserver Of the
interests of the protected industries
than those who, hy blind opposition
to the progress Of public opinion, in
vite sweeping, and perhaps temporari-
ly destructive changes in our indus
trial relations.