Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-30
NO IMPERIAL FEDERATION.
Little Evidence of Any Closer Connection
Between Great Britain and Her Colonies
The Effect of the Triple Alliance Upon
Euronean Trade Relations.

| -1no Inject OF the lr1pie
European Trade Relations.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
In your editorial of Saturday last, on I'M
| pending fiscal changes in England, you speaR
of "the likelihood of IN imposition OF taA
upon food products, raw materials, such az
cotton, which we export to Englaho' anu
which large party of English economlsts
think could be obtained with greater rect
procal advantage from British colonies
which would in return admit British manu-
factures-" 1 was aware that the advocates
of imperial reciprocity had been making
good deal of noise, but that they shoulo DC
taken seriously, that their Vaporings
should be dignificd by such attention ns they
have received at your hands, had not
looked for.
You will pardon me if 1 be plain spoken
and characterize this idea of imperial Ieu-
eration as threadbare apparit1on thaG Is
periodically Stalxed about through Eng
land with never any greater probab1llty OF
finding a lodging place in British pol1tlcs
than would proposition to pension ghosts.
You say that "political power to-day Is more
in the hands of British worklnen than ever
before" This is quite true. Eng land to-day
is ruled by
An Industrial Democracy,
wherein lies her safety against such leglsla-
tion. If she were ruled by Il landed aris-
tocracy such a change might not seem I'M
probable. Landlords are tc o well acquainted
with Ricardo not to know what effect Such
legislation would have upon rents and the
price of produce. Mr.. Howard Vincent, NJ.
T., who seems to be the head and front OF the
movement, during recent visit to Canada
! industriously advocated the scheme, but
without arousing any enthusiasm. HIS propo-
sition when offered in the British Parlla-
ment was contemporary ignored by Dotn
the Tory and Liberal parties.
The Imperial Federationists are nearly all
Tories, yet Lord Salisbury, the Tory Premier,
has upon more than one occasion spoken
plainly on the matter. He stated, but
recently, that the scheme contemplated
would bring about condition OF affairs
scarcely distinguisnable from civil wal"
and Prot Bryce, from the other side Of the
political fence, thanked him for having put
his foot upon u suggestion that would have
been "delusive to the colonies and would
have encountered invincible opposition at
home" Mr.. Goschen, member of the Tory
Government, "a man who has distinguished
himself to the degree of eminence in dealing
with fiscal questions, recently stated IN re-
fering to the scheme of imperial reciprocity,
that in his opinion the question of making
bread dearer would never enter the region
of practical politics in Britain"
Gladstone's Thousand Objections.
Mr.. Gladstone, not many months ago. in a
public speech declared that he saw thou
sand objections" to an imperial zollverein.
While celebrating upon the subject he
stated that the foreign trade of Britain
amounted to about 50,0OQ090, while the
colonial trade was something like
ESQ 10000. "Would it not be a most
injurious policy" said he, "to clog the
action of British energy and enter
prise in market OF f550, ,0J0 006 in the year.
even for the purpose of enlarging that action
in a market of one-third that amount" AS
someone has said, England is not the dog to
drop the bone to snap at the shadow.
Tl,nA L. AnID nv.dn on
Economist, "is that while continuing freely to
admit all the products of our colonies, we
should impose duty upon all similar
products coming to US from other countries.
In the case of Australia this resolves itself
Into proposal to tax wool, beef, wheat
and a number of other products which form
the raw material for our manufacturers.
Nothing, however is more certain than that
II we do this the colonial producers will
take advantage of the opportunity and raise
the price of their supplies to the extent OF
the duty we impose. 1t will be no advant-
age to them to have privileged market ac-
corded to them unless they take advantage
of the privilege. If the foreign producers
beat them just now it is
Because They Can Sell Cheaper,
And If the foreign products are made artif-
cially dearer the colonists will not fail to
raise their prices somewhat in the same pro-
portion. But if the cost OF the raw material,
say OF the wooIen industries, is enhanced,
there must also be an advance in the price
of the finished goods. Not only, therefore,
will we have to pay more for all of these
goods which we ourselves consume, but our
manufacturers who already find it difficult
enough to maintain their ground in foreign
markets, will have a new disability imposed
upon them" This should suffice, it seems to
me- to show the sentiment of dominant Brit
ish thought both economic and political, on
the question of imperial federation.
Whatever may be said of the unsatisfac-
tory condition of industrial affairs in En-
gland, it must be admitted that the pro-
tected continental countries are in a much
more desperate plight. Some of them, in
deed, like Italy, are bordering on impover-
ishment
The wave of protection which is now roll
ing over Europe was born in the same cave
as the triple alliance. Crispi, who in earlier
years, when the heart of Italy was afiame
with the idea of italian unity, had stood
shoulder to shoulder with Garibaldi, at a
later day, when safely planted in power,
lent himself to the witcheries of Bismarck,
and, forsaking the spirit of Mazzini and the
policy of Cavour, crossed over into the
camp of militarism.
The Policy of Bismarck.
1t was the policy of Bismarck to make
Italy powerful in O military sense, but it
was equally his aim to have Germany enjoy
the advantage of that power and to remove
every possibility of its ever being employed
to further the interests of France. The ap-
parent understanding between Bismarck
and Crispi excited the apprehension of
Franco, and it required but a slight move
ment on the part of Italy inimical to French
trade to cause France to retalfate..
Commerce breeds amity and binds nations
in friendship. 1t was the policy of Bismarck
to isolate France politically and CONNER
cially. How well he succeeded is evidenced
by the unnatural friendship she is now cnl-
tivating with the COLOSSUS of the North"
and the enormous diminution of Franco
Italian trade that has taken place since the
rupture.
The recent policy of France was began in
retaliation and has ended in her doing vio-
lence to the genius and universal spirit of
the French people. England can we'll afford
to view with cOmplacency her rivals in the
worlds markets so long as the ypresent the
spectacle of lettering themselves with re-
strlctive legislation, and may rest content
I'm the consciousness that whatever vicissi-
tudes the future may bring to the nations of
the earth, she will have on her side, at least,
that freedom which exalts the prosperity of
a people, and which, operating with all the
force and persistence OF natural law ends
in triumphing over all obstacles.
j. 3. SHARPE.