The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-15
TARIFF AND HOME RESOURCES.

tition are as appilcaole at one point as anon
err. There is little competition in the produc-
ton Of breadstuffs, and therefore only a
nominal tariff is laid on Canadian grain, and
none elsewhere, because there is no motive
for importation. The idea Of tariff duty at
all is the development Of home resources, and
through this, such competition as will keep
down the exorbitant prices Of single manu-
featuring nation, as in the enormous prices on
steel, iron and WOODEN goods, until the United
States developed these industries under wise
system of protection, wherefore prices came
down to what they are now, being
about one-half what they were when a
single nation produced them. It is at this
point frequently suggested: Now that pro-
lection has secured moderate prices and fair
competition, why not remove the duty and
allow people to buy without paying that taxi
Those who urge this point do not reflect that
with the conditions removed which produced
fair prices, fair prices would not stay, any
more than water would stay piled up when
the dam that confines it is removed It is
the commonest everyday experience that
when, for any cause, competition disappears.
prices Of any commodity 60 up. One day last
week berries sold for fifteen cents per quart,
but the very next day there was competition
in the market, and they sold for eight cents.
And so, if it required protection to put our
industries on their feet and thus to develop
our natural resources, paying wages necessary
to good citizenship, it still requires tito main
tain these conditions, and to keep prices down
to the point Of equity which the competition
wrought by protection has secured.
Free-trade advocates with some glee, as if
now, under our protective system, the imports
exceed the exports. That is true, and we
have before called attention to it. But the
conclusions these advocates draw from such
facts are based on the most superficial view of
things During the late war period, under
the 1861 protective tariff, our imports greatly
exceeded our exports. The same was true
during the imitation and speculative period
after the close of the war. But these abb
| normal conditions ceased when we started
straight to resumption of specie and true con-
ditions and though protection still prevailed,
our exports for ten years greatly exceeded our
imports. 1t is very plain that it was the alb
normal conditions of war and imitation
that made the trade balance against
us, for the resumption Of true conditions
| turned the balance to us, under the same sys-
| tenn of protection. 1t is the abnormal condi-
| ton that now exists which has in the past
year turned the balance of trade against u.s.
| 1t was natural that party coming into power
again, which sgnalized its REIMBURSEMENT of
power twenty-five years before by attempting
| to overturn the Nation, should produce the
| utter lack of confidence witnessed in all bust
ness industries since the last presidential
election. The present condition of things
has been accelerated by the constant
| threat in Congress to overthrow the
conditions Of trade under existing tariff laws,
contain the free trade elements, as we'll as
| tendency to anarchy in administration. What
| ever of labor disturbance has been witnessed
in the past year or more is but the result of
| the same general and underlying cause.
Manufacturers have not been certain for the
future; contracts ahead have been declined,
and the demand has sought, and obtained
abroad, and imported what could not be con-
| tracted for months in advance in this country.
mill that its proprietor could not see what six
months hence would bring, and as a conse-
quence, not willing to contract, large order
for an American railroad went abroad. Next
to free trade itself the best interests Of En-
glish manufacturers is to keep the Democratic
party in power, and as consequence the con-
slant agitation of the tariff question. Such
policy so unsettles business as to make the
future uncertain Capital will not produce
more than immediate demands and large
| trade must go abroad. Therefore Democracy
| in power and tariff agitation is the next best
thing to free trade for British industries, but
it is paralysis and death to this country.
-.
No true American can contemplate the at
titude of the Cincinnati Enquirer in coura-
geously attacking the British empire single