The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-09-12
OUR PORK IN EUROPE
Editor Free Press:

Drowning men catch at StraWs, ana
the free trade Democracy are getting
desperate in their anxiety to have the
tariff duties of the United States adjust
ed with direct reference to the wishes of
their British friends, rather than the best
interests of the American people, and
are resorting to all kinds of arguments,
reasonable or unreasonable, truthful or
untruthful, to convince the people that
no matter what amount of our cash is
required to pay the balance of our i'm
ports over our exports, if the importer
sells his imports to the people at a pro-
fit, the balance of trade must be consider
ed in our favor. They evidently pre-
sumo that the people are too ignorant
to understand the fact that the more
of our money goes to foreign countries
to pay balances of imports over exports
the less they have left to transact the
home business, and it is only question
of time when the largest volume may be
exhausted and the people find them
selves unable to purchase importers i'm
ports at even first coet. The fine spun
theories of the British school of political
economists are unpractlcable In the
United States. Importers may make a
profit and enrich themselves, they do
that, and the importers of New York
are among the wealthlest business men
of the nation, and among the most
selfish are the clamerous importers for
free trade, which would enable them to
sell their imports cheaper and increase
their business regardless of its ruinous
effects upon American industries. But
nothing can wipe out the facts that the
more of our gold or it's equivalent we
send abroad for excess of imports over
the amount received for exports, the
less we have for use in our home bust
ness, and that puncheon can be emp
tied by gill cupfuls at time. But this
is not the only evidence of Democratic
presumption upon the peoples ignor-
ance for credence of their foolish, not to
call it by harsher name, statement.
When prominent leader of the Demo-
cracy boldly sets up the claim that it Is
"our protective tariff that shuts our pork
out of France and Germany" such con-
summate ignorance as that evinces would
consign common school boy of 10 years
growth to the foot OF his class. Every
intelligent American who is moderately
posted in the history of his country for
the last 15years knoWsthet tariff was never
mentioned or alluded TO as the cause of
its exclusion from their ports. That this
prohibition was caused by the ignor-
ance or rascality of some pork pack
er, probably some disgruntled mug
wump republican or free trade demo-
crat, who exported lot of diseased
pork, the use of which caused quite a
serious loss of life in both countries and
was deemed by the respective govern
ments OF the two countries sufficie mt
reason for its prohibition. and demo.
Gratis who fancy the memory of the peo-
pie is 30 short lived that they can at this
day cram that silly fallacy down the
Threats of the American people, as sad
lY underrate the peoples intelligence as
they overestimate their own. Neither
at the time of the prohibition or at any
time since, till now, has the democratic
free trade or the tariff been mentioned
in the discussion between the govern
ment of this country and that of either
France or Germany, entered into the
controversy. During the discussion of
the question in the last years of Arthur's
administration. nor during the four
years reign of the democratic autocrat,
Grover the First, did the king himself,
his prime minister Mills, or any of the
greater or lesser lights of the democra-
cy conceive the foolish idea of attribu-
ting French and German prohibition of
American pork from their markets.
The prohibition of beef was for the
same cause, shipping pneumonia infect
ed cattle to Germany.
For the benefit of your democratic
readers, Mr.. Editor, hope you will
publish the following extracts from the
French journals that readers may see
what is being done by our minister in
France under a republican administra-
ton and how republican congress pro-
poses to make this matter right or shor-
ten our supply of French silks, laces and
Rhine wine. B.