Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-08-27
e TARIFF WALL.

The Accident on the -ault Ste. Marie Causes
Enormous Loss-HOw This Obstruction
Acted Like p Mckinley Tariff wall.
It is said that the accident at the
Sault Ste. Marie canal caused a daily
loss of $500, OO0 by reason of the delay
in transportation caused by it. At
present there is a perfect system of
ec;procity" between the people west
of that canal and those east of it
These people find their system of
friendly barter so profitable that an
obstruction to it causes a loss of half
million dollars day.
All this shows that the exchange of
products is prof table to both parties. If
"McKinleyisn" were a reasonable thing
1t would be well to establish custom
house at the Sault Ste. Marie canal so
as TO hinder exchange permanently. In
this way the people who live east of the
canal would be protected" from those
who live to the west. and those to the
west would be protected from the
flood of cheap eastern goods
This is all good protection" philos-
ophy. Ben Butterworth, in criticizing
the extreme notions of his fellow pro-
techOnists in his famous speech against
the Mckinley bill, contended that
II tariff walls are good in the abstract
their erection builds up great opportunities
defy any man within tho sound of my voice
to make it clear that prospe ty cannot and
would not be built up by having six walls
hui throughout the country, and that each
division levy tariff against the ether and
so develop its own resources. Is there any
escape from the logic Of that conclusion? If
so, what l. It;
I.uftar.4upr.tl ri +ho ,,,o4oo
ZIONIST idea is sound it would be we'll to
have an accident at the Sauit Ste Marie
canal every day. That would serve the
same purpose as wall in preventing
the exchange of commodities.
But Congress thinks that in this case
at least friendly barter is a good
thing; and hence the great appropria-
tions for the Improvement of this canal
When the complete appropriations con-
templated have been expended the
Government VIII have put more than
-, 0j0, 900 into Tn IS great artificial water
way That money is cheerfully voted
because mem oers Of Congress know
that cheap transportation means cheap
goods; but how can protectionist law
makers, who follow the lead of McKin-
ley vote money for the Sault Ste Marie
canal for the purpose of making
Things cheap. Mckinley breaches
the strange doctrine that we
must have no return to cheap
times in our own country" Canals and
railroads make commodities cheaper:
but Mckinley says, when merchandise
is cheapest men are poorest" If that
be true then it must also be true that
when merchandise is dearest men are
richest: a condition of things which
can be very easily brought about by
destroying all canals and railroads and
every labor saving machine. In that
way merchandise would be made dearer
because more labor would be required
in its production and transportation,
and McKiniey's ideas would be realized
that we should have mo return to cheap
times in our country"
But the plain, common people of this
country, who earn their bread by the
sweat of their brow, DO not believe in
this Mckinley notion. They believe,
on the contrary, that ju st as the straight
road is the quickest way to town so the
cheapest price is the quickest and
easiest way to satisfy their wants.