Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-19

There are. as we stated day or two ago,
two policies distinctly outlined for secur-
ing a market for our goods in foreign
countries. One is by means of CONNER
ciaI treaties, which have been lately, and
are still being, negotiated by the State
Department with foreign countries. The
other is by means of tariff reduction as
advocated by tariff retOrmers and as out
lined, to a certain extent, in the last an
nual report Of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury.
There is a very general agreement that
our manufacturing interests have reached
that point in their development where
they must either have additional markets
for their products or they must cease TO
be prosperous. The demand Of the home
market to which they are now almost
wholly confined is far below the supply,
aud there is no prospect that this
demand will ever again be
equal to the supply. What will be the re-
/ suit? Is not the result already beginning
/ TO be apparent? Hundreds Of manuiac-
/ tories OF one kind and another have closed
/ and thousands Of factory peoDle-men,
/ women and children-in this, the first
month Of winter, are out Of employment.
The manufacturers are not to blame for
this state Of things. They can
not run their factories unless they have
a market for their products. Leading pro-
lection journals in all parts Of the coun-
try. and Of both political parties, oppose
the trade treaties already negotiated, and
are pretty certain to oppose any that may
be negotiated if any interests of their re-
spective localities are affected unfavora-
bly,. These same journals also oppose
tariff reduction. They condemned the
Morrison bill, and will oppose any bill to
reduce the tariff.
They claim to be the friends Of Amerl-
can manufacturers and Amerincan work
inemen. Is their claim well founded? 1t
is clear that it is not. While opposing
the two ways that are presented for the
relief of our depressed industries and
suffering wOrkingmen, they suggest
no remedy for the evils that
are present, and which threatened to be-
come much greater in the near future.
They admit that additional markets for
our products are necessary, but Obstruct
the only ways there are TO reach them.
Under the circumstances are they not the
enemies rather than the friends of our in
dustries and wOrkingmen? If they were
able to show that the protective system
would soon open the workshops and fur
nish employment to the tens of thousands
Of wOrkingmen who are now cOntempla-
ting the future with a dread that amounts
almost to terror, there might be some eX-
cuse for the position which they occupy.
But that they cannot do.
The protective system, as we have
pointed out time and again, did well
enough while the demands Of the home
market were greater than our manufac-
turing interests could supply. The con-
ditions. however, have changed and, as
the Secretary Of the Treasury says, If our
manufacturers are shut up to the home
market they must close their mills and
factories for at least half of each year.
Is that pleasant prospect for either the
manufacturers or their employees? And
vet that is Just what must be expected Ii
nothing is done to open a way to foreign
markets.
The advocates of the treaty policy
doubtless mean well, but the objections
TO that policy are so grave as to render its
practicability very doubtful. The only
| sure road to industrial prosperity is that
pointed out by the advocates of the tariff
reform policy.