Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-05-02
M'KINLEYlsM IN FRANCE
The French Are Making High Tariff Law
American Corn In France-A Lesson In
Trade and TarifG

The French Are Making High Tariff Law
American Corn In Franoe-A Lesson In
Trade and TariffG
France is now going through the
throes Of a McKinleyism similar to that
with which we were afflicted year
ago. The commission which has for
some time been revising the tariff has
at length made its report, and naturally
enough the McKinleyites of France
plead the example of the United States
as reason for reforming their tariff
upward. Those people in our country
who fancy that we can have our Nc
Kinleyism all to ourselves, build up a
high tariff wall against outsiders and
continue to sell those outsiders our own
products in the same quantities as be-
fore, will see that McKinleyism is a
game which two, and even more, can
play at.
At the same time that this report was
made public the Paris correspondent of
the London Economist notes piece of
industrial news in France which is of
interest to our farmers. A few years
ago our corn was admitted free into
France; then duty of about 7 cents a
bushel was imposed; but last summer,
when Mckinley was engaged in laying
duties on French products, which seemed
to threaten the very existence of some
of the industries of France, spirit of
retaliation was called forth there, and
the duty on our corn was raised to Is
cents bushel.
Now note the consequences OF our
McKinleyism. This Paris correspond
ent cahsf attention to the fact that the
increase of the duty has Just had
the effect of closing up three
large distilleries, two in Marseilles
and one Of the largest in
the country at Bordeaux, all of which
used American corn. So great was the
suffering which was likely TO be caused
to the employees thus out of work that
bill was introduced into the chamber
OF deputies to appropriate $4,000 to
their relief 1t is also stated that the
increased cost of living resulting from
the new French tariff is likely to cause
feeling of jealousy to grow up be-
tween the people of the cities and the
farming population; which will be but
another part of the old war between
producer and consumer fought in all
lands and in all times. & g
M. Meline, the French Mckinley,
made report in presenting his tariff
bill which contains many utterances
akin to those of our own McKin-
ley. For instance, he said that
the best regime for nation
was, in his opinion, that which secured
for it the greatest amount of labor.
But NJ. Meline overlooks, as completely
as Maj. Mckinley, the very obvious
truth that the best regime for nation is
that which secured to it the greatest
amount of commodities for it's labor,
and which saves labor instead of Gre
ating it.
In view of the high tariff mania in
France at this time it is interesting to
note that courtry's previous experience
with tariffs. Sir Joseph Grove points
out that when Golden, in 1860, negoti-
ated the treaty of commerce be-
tween England and France the
exports and imports of the lat
ter country amounted to Ss39, $780,
900, and in 1880 to S1,7OO, ,OOO, 900.
Then the French government Abandoned
the Golden treaty in 1881. In that year
the entire foreign commerce of France
reached 81, 40, 600, 900; and in 1883 it had
fallen to 81, 40, 100000 Like all high
tariff plans of the protectionists the
French tariff of 1881 was intended to
increase the exports of France and thus
get what is called Favorable balance
of trade" but French exports fell off
steadily from 1881 to 1883, in which even
the Paris exposition caused an increase,
but the downward movement has since
continued.