Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1891-08-21
TRIUMPHANT PROTECTION.

The English Press Admits thu Supe.
risrS'y OF the UniteA states In Some
Manufactures.
American Ecsnomist.l
In another column will be found
significant extracts from On English
trade paper which declares that in the
manufacture of boots and shoes the
United States is now decidedly IN adj
vance OF England. Some years sgo
certain British political economists
evolved from their inner corsoious.
ness the theory that the only way IN
which any people could attain to the
highest efficiency IS q manufacturing
nation was to he found under the
''laissez.faire" or free trade system. To
be sure, their theory WAS not based on
actual experience, but then she study
Of experience was s.ch . vulgar pur-
suit compared to the highly intellect
ual methods of abstract reasoning to
which they were accustomed, and a
for tho theory in question it worked
out so beautifully and jibed so per>
fectly with England's interests At that
time, that it was adopted as the creed
Of the English economists. The the.
ory was finally made policy through
the influence Of Richard Golden and
John Bright, who already perceived
the great advantage England would
have over al competitors in tho long
start, accumulated capital, advanced
methods aud machinery which her
long experience in manufacturing
gave her, If only the world could 10
persuaded to tear down their protect.
i've laws. Nor did they hesitate to
confidently assert that within a few
years after England should have led
the way, the whole world would have
declared for free trade
Well. the British have been waiting
with an abiding faith in their Cob.
den's theories for tho world to &C.
knowledge their supremacy III manu-.
featuring and to tear down their tariff |
walls. But tho world has done neither
the one nor the other. Germany.
France and the United States refused
to DO convinced that they could not
make cloth aud iron and CUTLERY a.
we'll a. Englanl. John Bull laughsd
1t their lack of faith in the
creed OF Golden, and waited for time
to teach the American, the German
and the Frenchman the error Of their
ways. But time has done Just the
opposite. From year to year Britain
has witnessed not only the internal
resources and trade Of the protected
counties wonderfully developing, but
even their foreign commerce growing
more rapidly than its own. Foreign
wares soon began to enter tho free
trade ports Of England, displacing
native isnor and stopping English
mills. Besides, it was found, upon
examination, that III, Sc wares were
not only cheaper than British goods,
but quite as skillfully made, aud it
began to creep through Mr.. Bulls
thick head that manufacturing in
''her countries had, after all, turned
out to be u success. Soon he had the
modification Of seeing Brother iona.
than pass him at a canter IN the man.
utaeture OF steel, then in pig iron, aud
to,day even the most bieoted English.
man confesses that as manufacturing
and mining nation We are far in the
lead Of England.
There was one consolinQ thought
which John Bull continued TO cherish
through all this losing industrial fight.
II WAS that even il manufactures we're
stimulated in America and elsewhere
oy artificial means, the cost of proauc,
ton must be SO great as to render it
very Improbable business; and best
OF all, these protection produced
products, even if they supplied the
home market, could never, he thought,
hope to compete with England for the
foreign trade. Even this bi. of d.lu.
s've consolation is ranidly d-sertinp
our free trade cousins. American
goods have OF late years not only sue.
cessfnlly met British goods in MANY
neutral markets, but thew have even
entered England to find ready sale ir
the very shadow Of the English factories ,
aud there to proclaim the triumph of