The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-05-07
FRENCH McKINLEYISM.
FRANCE Is REVISING HER
TARIFF UPWARD.
Corrupted by Mckinley's Exam
ple.--High Tariff Agitation.--
French Industries Alarm-
SOMETHING FOR THE AMERICAN
FARMER.

A year ago we were in the midst OF the
tariff excitement growing out OF the Nc
Kinley bill Committees of manufact-
urers were rushing back and forth In
Washington. some pleading for duties to
protect them from ruin, others pleading
against proposed duties. likewise to avoid
ruin.
France is now going through precisely
the same experience, a commission hav-
ing been appointed last year 70 revise
the tariff. The French mad caught the
tariff grippe from us, and with them
also to revise means to revise upward.
This commission has been at work for
months, and only recesltiy 1t has brought
in its reports. Discussion has begun in
the chamber Of deputies and will con-
tinue till next fall. The tariff is to be
ready to go into operation next Febru-
airy.
The chairman Of the tariff commission
is M. Meline, who may be called the
French Mckinley. He honors the ideas
of our Mckinley and parades them be-
fore the chamber of deputies in the garb
of patriotism, much after the manner of
our lord high tariff maker. He appeals
to the example set by the United States
as sufficient reason why France should
revise her tariff upward.
When our exports to France. there
fore, are cut down by the new French
duties, our farmers must thank William
Mckinley, of Ohio, for having narrowed
their foreign market. This M. Melipe
is thoroughly saturated with Mckinley
ideas. Here Is a sentence from his re-
port: 1.-The best system for country is
that which secures for it the greatest
amount of labor" Most people Of oTdi-
nary common sense think thai tic best
system is that which secures the great
est amount of commodities, are quite
content to save their labor, and will even
invent curious and cunning machinery
to save labor. But Mckinley and Me-
line think that it is labor that we need
more and more labor!
But tMcKinleyism is stirring up storm
of opposition in France. Last year when
we were about to pass the Mckinley
bill with very heavy duties on French
products, the French made haste to put a
duty of fifteen cents a bushel on our
corn. The result Of this, along with the
rise in the price of corn, has been to
close up number of large distilleries in
Bordeaux, Marseilles and other places,
which were running mainly on corn i'm
ported from the United States. The
great distillery at Marseilles has been
closed up, and the stockholders decided
to put it into liquidation. 1t used about
1900 bushels of corn per day.
1t is pointed out by a French journal
that the distilleries of that country using
corn had a capital of $1,000, 900, that
they were in most fourishing condi-
ton a year ago, but that after eight
months of duties on foreign corn the dis
tilleries are ruined. In view Of these
facts what piece of grim humor fol-
M. Meline to say in his report, ''The
producer does not ask for any privl ege,
he asks for only one thing, and that Il
| justicer
But the distillers are not the only peo
pie in France who have been stirred ar
| by the tariff builders. In Calais, just
across the Strait Of Dover from England
the principal industry Is the making ot
cotton laces and nettings, the annua'
production of which amounts to $14,
600, 900. The industry gives employment
to 1900 persons. Now, these laces an
made of a kind of thread produced only
in Nottingham, England. The spinner
Of France do not produce the thread q
all, but n. Meline wants to make them
spin that grade in order to make ''mor'
labor" Accordingly he puts duty o
from thirty-seven to forty-six cents I
pound on it.
But this Is not all; the lace industr,
must bear q still greater burden. It
lace looms are not made In France a
all, but III. Meline wants to create ''mor
labor" for the French people. He doe
not want the French lace makers to us
English looms, and SO he performs
great feat of McKinleyism and raises th
duty on lace looms, now $160 each, u
$3.50.
Of course the lace makers protest Wig
orously against these burdens upon thei
industry. They point out that the ez
isting duties on cotton thread have Grip
pied the industry, 1900 of the weaver
having emigrated to foreign countries t
carry with them the secress OF thei
trade.
Besides these cases the silk industrie
of Lyons, Saint Etienne and other place
have protested against the proposed dut
ON raw silk, and the commission abaz
doned the proposal. But when the CON
mission wanted to vote duty upon sil
goods, and when the great silk manr
facturers of Lyons objected, the commi'
sion went ahead and voted the duty
thus protecting the manufacturers i
spite of themselves.
A meeting of the paper, book an
printing trade Of Paris, too. was hel
to protest against the duties whic
would prove burdensome to their II
dustry. The manufacturers OF line
underwear, with an annual productio
of &C, ,0O0, 900, protested against II
enormous duties on their materia
which would thus be made TO cost froI
1--WE to seven times more than in Ge
many and Austria
Thus goes the tariff war in France.
is but repetition of what has been zee
over and over again in our own countr,
So called statesmen. fancying that tn
, know better than the people themselv
{ what is best for them to do, step in WI.
their nostrum of protection in order
. give the people more work to do to me
), their wants. It is the same old stol
> i everywhere. The liberty Of the ind
vidml to buy and sail whore he choe
!. Is rufhlessly infnnged. the many q
|. ta1ed for the few. the powerful. the nc
get tAe licn,s share, and the many wea
e<e Aeeced. Such Is projection.