The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-05-22
A NATION oAHnoT THRIVE WITH
our ROHmI0M OOMMmhOh,


The debate IN Congress ON the taflu
bill has developed some very femhikh
bio prOpOBltiOns on tho part or the ia.
gan statesmen, They are advocates OF
the doelrins that taxation 10 ono OF the
elements OF National prosperity,
Major Mckinley, IA his opening NJ
gument, maintained that foreign com
Ineroe WAS not necessary 10 the mater
ihl growth OF this country and that we
need nothing but taIiif tax TO efowd
ont foreign products, 10 enable ua all 10
get rich by trading among ourselves,
This Id tbs sum and substance OF thp
Majors argument, ana the MAJOR N
now a recognized oracle OF tho faghh
school OF political economists NON
Cape God 20 sitka, -.
one quite remarkable thing about
this tariff debate II, that not one Con
gressman on the Protection side has
been able 10 point out q single nation,
either In ancient or modern times, That
has prOapered or advanced In olylllza'
ton without foreign commerce,
Commerce can only thrive through
freedom OF trade,
Commerce IN not q paralmonloua NIL
ser which requires Legislative guar
dian 10 gorge lla coiiera with taxation,
ID il located far above the powers that
ashume TO watch ita ino0minga aud out
QOinga, ana with ita Omniprenent ana
faithful sentinel, labor, noting by im
nux aud Influx tho varying localities OF
plenty aud want, II n im own great
cOnaefYatOr,
The Richest and most prosperous na
tlOns of ancient times we're those Win
the largest commerce, and tho least
number OF restrictive laws,
The richest and most prosperous ma
ton of modern times, 10 tho nation WIN
the largest foreign commerce, the iftthl
trade, and the least number Of restrict
i've laws,
Political economy Is not the science
Of speculation, but OF fact and expert
ment. ,-,.
We all know that Great Britain Ia
the atrOnqeat commercial nation OF
either ancient or modern umrs, anu
that she has now u atronger grasp upon
the commerce Of the world than oven
before,
Let ua stop and inquire what are the
elcmenta OF this supernatural strength,
Until quite recently England hhh
made iron for half the world, hhb w.
now the A'kn0wledged commercial
mistress Oi the heaB, aud she supplies
her manufactured articles 10 halt Tho
empires aud republics OF Central ana
south America aud the Continental H.
lands OF tho Pdciic, She has thtab.
lished trade relations with All civilized
people, and has levied the tribute OF
profit upon her wares from hll eouh'
tries,
To-day the United States 10 au6atan,
TALLY without foreign commerce, ana
our policy OF restriction, under tht de
lusiye name OF Protection, has driven
the American nag from the seas ava
oceans Of the world. ,,,
We have set up artificial barriers
against fOreign commerce, ana othtr
nations who would otherwise have OK
changed fabrics and wares Win US,
have shut us out OF their markets by
the same kind Of artificial barrier
And now, after "a quarter OF cen
tury of experience, II is proposed 70
continue the suicidal policy OF rebtllc'
ton, with additional barriers against
foreign commerce, "
All the lessons Of history are to be
Ignored .,-,o
And what are the lessons of history 2
No nation has ever llourished with
out the aid OF foreign commerce. LIS
bon, the first great city OF modern
times, developed by the geniua OF mod
ern civilization, was the child OF com
meroial union. ~ was after the dis
coyery of the ocean route ~ lndia by
the dStormy Cape" had turned the
Eastern trade away from us ancient
markets IN Western Asia, aud directed
Il upon Western Europe. Lisbon be-.
came the great commercial market or
Europe, because she made herself The
center Of great enriching foreign
commerce.
This supremacy was afterwards
wrested from her by the Dutch, who
won from Portugal an important por.
ton Of her East India possessions, and
absorbed this Immense trade, Then
Amsterdam and Antwerp became great
commercial cities.
The decline, lirst of the commerce Of
Portugal, then Of the maritime power
OF the Dutch, with the fall OF the Span
lsh monarchy, left England with only
one formidable rival, the French.
During all the period Of her war with
France from 1907 TO 1916, England prt-
served the mastery Of the seas, and
during all that time she supplied the
continent Of Europe with her manutcH
tured products, and she aimed 10 make
London what Lisbon and Amsterdam
once were 10 the commerce Of western
Europe, and she was successful,
Napoleon found that while he could
overrun Europe by mere military power
he could lay no permanent foundation
for France as great manufacturing
and commercial empire such as Eng.
land created by wise civic policy.
London iB now the seat OF Empire
Of the commerce OF Western Europe,
and the Clearing House for the trade
Of the entire Western Continent.
Owing to a narrow Pagan policy on
the part of our American Congress, we
have been shut out from the markets
Of the world. Our commerce has been
swept from the seas, and the vast
wealth created by American labor, out
of mine and soil, the richest and most
productive In the world, has been ab.
sorbed into the hands Of monopolies
and trusts. And now II Is seriously
proposed TO make this system Of ex-
cesslve taxation perpetual by enactlng
into law n series OF abOminatiOns