The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-04-19
Friday. April 10, 1883.
Eye Opening Facts.

Eye OpGuluS dCtSs
Under this caption the New York
Tribune publishes an article recently
from which we excerpt the statistics
compiled by that paper for the purpose
of overwhelming "free traders" 1t
seems TO US to he very remarkable
argument for that purpose. The fol-
lowing are the extracts:
During the seven months ending
with January there went from this
country 40,000,000 feet of lumber to
Great Britain, worth over 81 ,0C0 600,
aud 5l,O0O,O00 feet to British posses
sions in Australasia.
X
In the same seven months there
went from this country to Great Brit
ain IA 9e6 642 lbs. of sole leather alone,
osting So, $50. $40 and 81 739, 402 worth
ii other leather, besides exports to
very other part of the globe. includ-
jig especially Germany and other
,untries in Europe. 1t will cost the
Tree traders something to admit that
i this .'tax ridden" country leather is
:ttually cheaper than in Free trade
England. and SO much cheaper that
I ,e Anne lean produce goes in pref
ttence to the English into Germany
and France.
X X
In the same seven months nearly
100000 yards of cotton cloth went to
reat Britain, the chief producer. How
came this to pass, unless prices here
are actually lower than in Great Brit
ain? Or, how comes it to pass that
iuto markets where the American
must compete with the British maker,
american cloths were sent at the rate
tf6 000, 900 yards into Mexico in seven
months, 5000 900 into Central America,
5000, 900 into the West Indies, u ,000.-
!. % Yards into South America, 9,ooo,-
100 Yards into China, and 5000 coo into
nther countries of Asia? If Americans
TO not undersell British traders, are
they exporting these goods for fun!
X X Il
Somehow this country exported So
200, 1000 worth of machinery in the sew
more than $l,100,000 worth to Great
Britain, as much more to the West
Indies, over $550,C00 worth to British
possessions in Australasia, and other
shipments are recorded to Germany,
Trance. Canada and Africa. In fact
engines and mills for British mine in
South Africa were shipped within that
period.
II X Il
A recent number of The American
Manufacturer records heavy exports (of
glass; from Pittsburg to Germany.
Another fact worth noting is that
British makers of tools are beginning
s0adverlise widely that they will flu
nish their customers tools american
style," in the hope of retaining van
ishing custom. The Free trader who
would suppose might get an idea or
two from incidents like these.-N Y.
Tribune.
If these figures ofthe Tribune are cor
rect-and we presume they are taken
from the record-it looks to us as
though the Tribune had put itself into
as small a hole as it has the free-traders
If they prove that goods above men,
toned are so as cheap in this country
as foreign goods, they prove that pro-
lection doesn't protect and is not need
ed by American manufacturers. There
is screw loose in the above argument
evidently. If they can compete in for.
eign markets with all the world as til e
Tribune proves, where there is no tariff
in their favor, they can compete sue
cessfully with the same parties at
home under the same conditions. The
New York Tribune in its eagerness to
overwhelm its opponents, has given
itself away. This is clear case. For
if the above statement will hold good
through all lines of our manufactured
goods protective tariff does not pro-
tect our manufacturers against the
ruinous price of foreign goods, but only
protects our home markets against the
importation of foreign goods. reserv-
ing 1t for our own manufacturers. But
our own manufacturers are combining
in trusts, it is charged and holding up
the price of their goods to us above
what they can afford 10 sell them for
in foreign markets If this is really the
fact 1t is great injustice to the Amer.
lean people who are magnanimously
preserving the home market for their
benefit, and we should have our goods
at the same price they are selling them
in foreign countries for. We haye al
ways commended that there was mole
lsumbug in the last Presidential cam
] aigh than an honest purpose to en-
Tighten the public. The tariff racket
Was played oyer again for the purpose
OF diverting public attention from the
questions of vital interest; the financial
q estion, the transportation abuses and
OF her monopolies, and last, but not
lest. the whiskey monopoly-the sa
lo On pest. These questions are vital
and should have been brought to the
fiont and discussed in all their bear
i'gs upon the labor and Industry of the
country. But they were purposely
kept i'll the back ground, and the tariff
again brought out as blind, The
Tribune clearly proves that our manu-.
aacturers are able to enter the markets