Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-12
The WORLDS FAIR.


European Nations Will he Frightened
Away-The Tariff Wall Will BE Too High
"A Great international Exposition Not
Possible.
The Worlds Fair at Chicago in 1898
seems likely to lose large part of its
grandeur as an international exhibition.
The success of such an enterprise in the
highest sense require the presence and
cooperation of the great civilized ma
lions of the world. The nations which
have made great advances in the arts
and sciences must be present with their
product, their machinery and other evil
dences of their skill. Unless this is the
case a worlds fair is impossible. A fair
it may be, but not worlds fair.
McKinley's tariff and a worlds fair
are two things which can not work to-
gether. because they are not agreed.
Mckinley practically closes the doors
upon the world, and it is idle to expect
the world to come to us with it's wares
to take part in q worlds fair. Manu-
facturers do not go to the trouble and
expense OF shipping their goods across
the ocean merely to give summer
tourists a chance to look at them. They
mean business; they want to sell their
goods, and for this reason exclusively
they send specimens as advertisements
to fairs and exhibition in order to make
known what they have for sale.
But where sales are made impossible.
or are greatly hindered by high tariff,
the foreign manufacturer no longer has
any motive for exhibiting his wares No
feeling of international good will can
tempt him to enter an exhibition in
country surrounded by the solid masonry
of a Mckinley Tariff bill.
A recent dispatch from England makes
it evident. that this will be the course
taken there in view of the tariff legis-
lation now pending in Congress. This
dispatch from London says:
1.-THE Worlds Fair that is to be held
in Chicago made its appearance before
Parliament last night and had chilling
reception. Sir James Ferguson, re-
plying to the question whether Great
Britain would be officially represented
at Chicago. stated that the matter would
only be determ: ned after review of
the probable advantages which might
accrue to British interests, and that it
was not unlikely that manufacturers
might to great extent be deferred
from sending their goods for exhibit
ton if the American customs duties
were such as to preclude their profitab BILE
sale in the United States" Sir James
FERGUSON was talking about the Nc
Kinley bill. The demands of inter
national courtesy prevented him from
using direct and strong language; but
one can very easily read between the
lines that he considers the Mckinley
bill such barrier to trade that it would
be folly for English manufacturers to
send their exhibits to Chicago.
All this, of course, is good news for
Mr.. Mckinley: it is simply what he
wants. He boasts that his bill is an
American bill, that it is not European
bill.
But in making what he calls an
American bill, may it not be true that
he has gone too far, and has given us a
bill that will do more damage to our
farmers, who wish to sell abroad, than
it will do good to manufacturers, who
wish to sell at home.
A newspaper correspondent in New
York has been talking with some of the
representatives of European houses
there on this subject. One of these had
the following to say: ''The United
States expect Europe to take all her
surplus agricultural products and such
Of her manufactures as can be produced
here cheaper than in Europe, and yet
she proposes to prevent Europe from
selling in her markets the only things
she has to offer in exchange! With
what are they to pay for your wheat and
flour and corn and cotton and canned
meats and vegetables and beef and pork
and all the other things you send to
them if not with their manufactured
goods? Do you think Europe is made of
gold that she can pay such prices as you
have been receiving for these necessaries
of life, and have no compromising trade
with you? How long could that last, do
you think?"
This gentleman then asks what the
ships which take away cur farm produce
will be able to bring US back as return
cargo; and he answers that the ships
will come to us loaded with paupers
''With paupers?" eyes! They will be able
to send you cargoes of pauper laborers
when this bill becomes law. But for
more desirable freight America will
have no demand. You may-aye, you
will-have more paupers, because they
will be more plenty and will cost you
nothing, and, besides, there is no duty
on them. The European pauper crop
will increase in corresponding ratio with
the decrease of her export trade to
America. There is no compensating
market for the loss to Europe of the
American market, and if she is to be
driven out of that, as is the declared
purpose of the protection leaders, there
will remain nothing for her but to dis
charge her workmen and close up her
factories. With what are these work
men to purchase American farm pro-
duce when they are deprived OF their
sources of income? With silver and
gold? They have none"
The gentleman who said this is no
hated Briton, nor is he Free-trader
even. He is German who has been
forty years a citizen of this country,
and who declares himself believer in
the protective tariff principle. Con-
gresham Butterworth, too. has shown
the country how man may be Pro-
tect:onist and yet may not favor Nc
Kinley's prohibitory tariff doctrine.
Mr.. Charles Sternbach, of New York,
who has been in the wooden trade of
that city for over thirty years, is very
confident that European nations will be
away from Chicago by the