The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-11-01
A DELUSIoN.
THE TALK OF FREE TRADERS ABOUT
THE MARKETS OF THE WORLD.

Our Export Trade and Foreign Markets in
No Way Injured by the Protective Tariff;
Which IL Necessary to Laborers.
One Of the chief complaints against the
protective system is the alleged hindrance
to foreign trade and a foreign market for
our own products. It is argued that II
we could import raw materials from
other countries fyee, and manufacture
such raw material into products for use,
we could export them at great profit and
thus secure standing in the markets Of
the world. This theory is wholly, I be-
lieve, illusory. 1t is without substance.
We have an example of free raw material
in certain line of manufactures-that
of leather for boots, shoes, etc. In 1879
hides and skins were made free so that
our manufacturers could import them
without custom house burdens. They
have had "free trade" in their raw ma
terial now for sixteen years. This in
dustry has been an exceptionally success
ful one, and yet you cannot avoid being
surprised when say to you that in those
sixteen years we have been able to export
but 2 per cent. of the leather production
Of the country.
But II free raw material be necessary to
secure an export trade and the foreign
markets, then answer that our manu-
facturers to-day have substantial free
trade in foreign raw materials which
they make into the finished product in
the United States, provided they export it.
Sections 3Ol9, 5000, 3O21 and 3O22 of the
United States statutes provide for the
remission Of duties on all foreign materi-
ais used in manufacturing for the export
trade The law is positive that all arti-
cles manufactured for export trade from
imported materials, upon which duties
have been paid, shall, when exported, be
entitled to drawback of 80 per cent. of
the duties paid ON such raw material.
Some use has been made of these laws.
The remission of duties in 1884 paid upon
imported material manufactured for
foreign markets amounted to %, 258, $685.
On some articles the drawback is equal
to the duty paid, but in no instance
where articles are imported to be manu-
factured here and sent abroad is the duty
to exceed 10 per cent.
And yet we are gravely told by the
tariff reformers that we cannot reach
foreign markets on account of the high
tariff on the raw material, when In fact
for foreign trade foreign raw materials
are practically free. This principle was
recognized as early as the administration
of George Washington, and has been en-
larged and made applicable to all imported
the drawbacks varying from
DO to 100 per cent. What becomes, then,
Of the cry for free raw materials, In the
presence Of this fact? The truth is, we
are not SO much concerned about the for
elgn market as we are about the home
The latter is the best and we
have not yet been able to control it, and
until we do, that should be our chief
concern. But il any of our people arc
signing for foreign market and value
It more highly than our own they can
import foreign raw material practically
free of duty, and after advancing into
The higher forms of manufacture can go
put and possess the worlds markets.
Taxed raw materials do not now stand
IN their way, and it is hypocrisy to claim
otherwise.
"The markets of the world" In our
present condition are q snare and a
We will reach them whenever
We can undersell competing nations, and
lot sooner. Our tariffs do not keep us
'ut and free trade will not make 1t easier
o enter them. Let me give you a brief
xhibit of some of our foreign trada,
What we buy and what we sell. In ths
ear ending Juno 80, 1887, we bought Of
dexico, the Central American staten,
British Honduras and the governments
I the West Indies and South America
'roducts to the value of $172, 48S, 500, and |
Ve sold these governments of our products |
bout 33 1-3per cent. in amount of what |
70 bought of them, or about 500, 900, 900;
nd as showing that our protective tariff |
i'd not produce this uncomfortable bal
nee against us, need only state that
acre than one-half of the products wo
ought We're not subject to any tariff at
II, but We're admitted free Of duty
Vim. McE....cy, Jr. !