The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-08-22
What of the Future.

Inc political situation is daily becoming
a more interesting study, and every indica-
lion points to the change in public senti-
ment all along the line on the question of
taxation. That labor, or rather productive
industry, has been paying all the expenses
Of government and the money class escap-
ing scot free, is forcing its way to the most
ordinary minis. Aye. even more than
escaping the payment of taxes. it has become
a sharer of the taxes collected from the
products of industry, by the ingenuity of the
law making power.
On the line Of indirect taxation the
Mckinley bill appears to be the rock on
which the protection theory is about to
founder. The farmer and labor organizl-
tions are steadily crystalizing against it.
And this demonstration of public sentiment
has become 50 strong that il has reached the
halls of Congress. Butterworth was first in
the House to raise the standard of revolt.
In the Senate the contageon is spreading
fast and growing dangerous. Plumb of
Kansas, Blair and Hoar and other lesser
lights, like the curl on the waves, show
signs that the tempest is approaching
Senator Blair of New Hampshire said :,
New England is becoming able to sell
many of her manufactures abroad, not by
degrading her labor, not by reducing wages
but by increasing skill! and machinery"
He said that the iron industry of the East
had been greatly impaired by the present
tariff. He advocated the making of coal
and ;roa free ard said he did not know if
1t was not his duty to vote to make both
free. Mr.. DAVIS of NJ lssachuset,s, who is
accounted one of the riled guns of the re-
publican party in the Senate, said on the
same day that he recognized change of
sentiment on the tariff question in New
England, and that no one felt more sensibly
than himself ''the inquiries and injustice OF
features of the pending bill or any other
tariff bill, and the difficulties of adjusting
tariff to all interests that it should not come
out compact of actagonisms." No one
who he's considered the question under its
present phase but must reach this conclu-
sion. The attempt 10 "protect" every
product of industry against every other
product Of industry is Smanifest impossible.
lty. The primary object of protection is to
make scarce and to make dear. That is TO
shut off full supply from given market
and cause the price to rise or keep up.
Formerly this was justified by the argument
that it was better in the long run by this
means TO encourage and build up mauuflc-
turing of all kinds of industries than TO have
foreigners control our markets, and when
those industries were built mp by the con-
sumers of their goods paying something
more for Them than old world manu- factur-
ers could supply the same class for, skill
and competition al home would reduce the
price to the level Of the worlds prices. Mr..
DAVIS and Mr.. Blair say they have reached
that point in New England, aud they are
ready TO vote for free raw material. To
which the West replies through the month
of Plumb, ingalls,, Paddock and Spoone. in
the Senate, if you want free raw material
then we want free manufactured goods.
This is the status of the protective pol
ICY in the country a present. That agri-
culture has not been made prosperous by
the system is so self evident that none are
found now to assert this claim, while thous-
ands are railing against the policy they
blame for placing agriculture in It's present
plight.
Changes are developing so rapidly in the
public mind on the tax and fnancia. CUES
tion that it is difficult to predict what
status parties will occupy in '02 With
Blaine heading an awakening New England
and middle state sentiment in r,vor Of
reciprocity with American nations, and
the West arranging itselfin solid columns
against the Mckinley ct. al. policy of a
prohibitory tariff and presenting an unbrok-
en- front for greenback currency and free
coinage OF silver, and demand for the re-
peal of the national banking system, that
will in the end-and at no distant dsv-
compel obedience, it is an impossible task to
cast the pc lItical horoscope of the future.
There is also distinct free trade party