The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-04-21
w0RN-EATEN CHHsTNUTs,

Speaker Niblack was a member of tho
Democratic side-show in Kansas City,
last week, which n,asqueraded as a COM
mercial congress. He was made men,
Der of the COMMITTEES on resolutions, and
to him was accorded the Democratic
honor of championing the free-trade
resolution which was finally adopted by
that assemblage, after many Republic
ans had left, and it became an annex of
the Democratic party. In urging his
trade resolution the Speaker is re-
ported as saying:
What good will il do to improve your
waterway, to improve your trade, if you
countriesf / say to you that our labOring
men have nothing to fear from tariff for
revenue only: American business has moth
ing to fear from this; Americans have moth
ing Co fear from this free-trade policy.
Not as partisans do We appear, but as bust
ness men.
Speaker Niblack making a journey to
Kansas City as "a non-partisan business
man" will be regarded by those who
know him as the best joke of the
season; but it is not to the joke
that attention Is called. "What good
viii it do to improve your Waterways, to
improve your trade, if you are to be de-
barred from trade with foreign coun-
trlesR" asks Mr.. Niblack. Now, that is
the most worm-eaten of all political
chestnuts that has been offered to the
people of this country by Democratic
politicians for years-nearly as old and
worm eaten az the Democratic nullifica-
ton resolutions of 1898. 1t is sad to see
man of Speaker Niblack's brightness
and acuteness offering such chestnuts to
the American people as fresh. "What
good to improve your (0ur) water
waysr Because we are q Nation of
nearly sixty five millions, One-twentieth
of the population of the globe, consum-
ing one-fifth of the products of the cap
ital and labor of the world. The great
bulk of the bread and meat raised in the
West that is sent to market finds its
consumers in the Eastern and Southern
States; are not waterways needed for
such transportation The family of ev-
cry worker in an American manufacture
ing establishment consumes 800 per cap
tia a year of the products of the farm,
while the English worker consumes
81 40 worth year; are rot Waterways
necessary to carry these products to the
consumer Our foreign trade is larger
now per capita than during the era of a
revenue tariff in this country; but of
the productions of the United States, ag-
gregating S13.650, 900 900 a year, only a
little more then the $3.50. 100000 is ex-
ported. Is not the $4,000. 000. 900 worth
of products trade worth improvingP
More venerable and absurd is the
Speakers chatter about being declared
from trade with foreign countries"
Here are two facts: During the era of
the strictly revenue tariff In this coun-
try. covering the fourteen years from
1s47 to 1860, both inclusive, 65,s63. 00O
hundredweight of wheat were exported
by US to Great Britain. During the
years 1883 and 1889 the United States ex-
ported .79,54S.0O0 hundredweight OF
wheat to England. an average annual
export of 39.770.OO0 hundredweight un-
der protection. against an average ex-
port of 4.704,000 hnndredweight under
a tariff for revenue only. Under a rev.
enue tariff In 1860 the yalne of meat
and dairy products exported by the