The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-12-06

1t was not many years after the first cotton
mills were erected in New England that the
great iron interests of the country began to
be developed and Pennsylvania soon became
the great iron manufacturing State of the
Union. Nor was it long before various kinds
of manufactures came into existence IN most
of the Northern and Western States. The
demands of the governmennu pc late
civil war for nearly all XII ctured
goods and the high tariff ulated
production. Alter the W found
in railroad building AND pit ex-
penditures induced by :urren-
cy and the time hal Ten the
manufacturing industI States
is in dire distress fri of manutac-
turcd goods. - Dsacturlng companies
nave beer 70 Bankruptcy; others have
running on full tim }, and as IA consequence Il
very large numbsf of operatives are either
deprived Of employment or are working for
wages hardly Sufficient to enable them to live
comfortably or even decently.
The all-important question, therefore, that
presses itself upon the public attention is, how
shall the country be relieved from the pletho
IA of manufactured goods, and how shall
plethora hereafter be prevented? 1t is OBJ
yIOus that our power to produce Is much IN
excess of the present or any probable future
demand for home consumption. The existing
iron. cotton and w0oien mills, if employed
at their fIl. capacity, could meet in six months
perhaps in !. shorter time-the home de-
mand for "a year. 1t is certain, therefore,
that unless markets now practically closed
against us are opened; unless we can share in
the trade which is monopolized by European
nations, the depression now so severely felt
will continue, and may become more disas-
troas.
A COMMISSION RECOMMENDED.
The question how shall our foreign trade
be increased is the question which now comes
to the front and demands prompt and careful
consideration. Manufacturers are primarily
interested, but the whole country has a stake
in its solution. In its investigation the tariff
viii necessarily be involved, inasmuch US the
relations between it and our foreign trade
are so close that they cannot be considered
separately, but it need not be involved ex-
cept so far as it stands in the way of inter-
national trade. If the duties upon raw ma
terials are an obstruction, those duties should
be removed. If the duties upon other arti
cles are an obstruction, they should be mod
fed Whatever may be required to increase
our foreign trade, whether it be repeal or
modification of existing duties, should be de-
manded by the manufacturers themselves.
How, then, shall the information required for
a full understanding of what stands in the way
of an increased expectation of our manutac
tured goods be obtained? | cannot forbear
to say that can see no better means than by
the appointment of commission composed
of men not welded to the doctrines of free
trade or protection-fair- minded men, who
would prosecute the inquiry thoroughly, com
prehensibly and impartially. If such COM
mission should be created it should be done
without unnecessary delay.
All the leading nations of the world are
now engaged in manufacturing, and all but
Great Britain are fencing themselves in by
protective duties. Among them the United
sifne come when new departure is de-
manded?
Golden CLUB QUOTED.
The Golden Club is the channel through
which the free trade sentiments of Great
Britain find expression, and yet, at a recent
meeting of the club the following language
by one of the prominent members of Parla-
ment was cheered and applauded.
MANY persons seemed to think that the
effect of the reduction of the protective duties
in America would be to enable US to food the
United States with our productions. For
short time probably it would give a stimulus
to our trade, but in the long run the effect of
it would be TO cheaper American productions,
anu W iuCiSdsS tuS SOhpClibtoh VI
with US in other parts of the world. We
should have to meet that competition. We
should find the Americans very serious co m
petitors, and we should have in this country
to throw aside many Of the bonds which nov
tetter our industry"
The present condition Of our foreign trade
is not as fully understood BY the public as it
ought to be, or there would be greater uneas,
mess in regard to what may be the result.
Look, for instance, at our trade relations with
Brazil. We sold to Brazil last year various
articles to the amount of SS,645,26l. We
bought of her various kinds of her own pro-
ductions to the amount of $50. 265, 1889, leav-
ing S41 ,620,62S as the balance against us.
Now, how is this large balance lquidated?
Not by gold, but by the sales of our farm pro-
duets, for which there is large demand in
Europe. 1t is our cotton, our wheat, our pc
trolehm, our beef and pork, which can be
produced more cheaply in the United States
tkat anywhere else, which create the sterling
exchange thai enables us to carry ON this one
sided trade with Brazil. Now. il by the failure
of our crops, or very favorable seasons on the
other side of the Atlantic, or, what is more
probable, by retaliation, our exports of these
articles should materially decline, what then
would be the condition of ogr Brazilian trade?
Instead of depending upon the exports to
Europe for the means to cover the balance in
favor OF Brazil, ought not an effort be made
to equalize that trade by our manufactured
goods? Ought we not to endeavor to verify