The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-02
COMMERCIAL WAR.

Mr.. Werner Won siemens, of Berlin. the
leading electrician Of Europe ana coinn'i',
sioner OF the proposed German lnternat'onal
Fair declares that the general sentiment OF
the Old World Is for commercial "ai WIN
the United States unless this country mate
rally changes its present economic pohcy'
In a recent interview he expressed himself As
confident that the nations of Europe would
combine for retaliation against this repuDhc
! if we keep on as We are now going. SAID me-
I'VE will erect big fence to keep out your
grain your cotton and your meat we Will
rctaatc."
According to recent reports MIR. siemens
knows what he is talking about and DIS
words are not mere idle threats. Already
England is retaliating with respect to our
cattle. France with respect to our grain. cat
tie and pork, and Germany with respect to
our pork and canned goods. Thus, although
the suggestion OF combined action offered by
Germany Immediately after the passage Of
the Mckinley bill has not yet been adopted,
still England and the great continental
powers have virtually begun their work Of
retaliation
II seems too. that il is not alone the Nc
Kinley tariff, but the reciprocity policy OF the
present administration also which il ex-
citing feeling abroad against us. On tins
point Mr.. Semens further says;
America is not only shutting ont many OF
our products by prohibiuve tariffs, but she
also threatens our trade with the South Amer
lean republics and even with Africa and ASIA
Your country is young. full Of natural re-
sources and by your enterprise. no less than
by your present policy. you threaten TO de
prive us of our foreign trade Power natur-
ally makes you aggressive and Europe must
take care of her interests OF else she will be
pushed 10 the wall"
Thus it appears that the entire policy Of the
administration at present IS arousing the
peoples of the Old World against us, and it il
as palpable as anything can be that if the
threats OF retaliation made are carried out,
especially with anything like organized sys-
TEN, the tax-paying masses of our people
must suffer. BY the Mckinley tariff manu-
facturers and monopolists will grow rich; for
every consumer in the land is placed under
heavy tribute TO them. But even that will
not be the worst, for with the cutting off by
Europe of all her products our people
will be placed completely at the mercy
of the home monopolists, who will be
enabled to charge the highest and most exor-
bitant rates for the most inferior and most
shoddy articles they may see fit to produce.
Neither will reciprocity materially relieve the
situation, for while it will enable consumers
TO procure a few articles of necessity pro-
duced in South America and the West Indies
at more reasonable rates than were there no
reciprocity at all as the trainers of the orig-
nal Mckinley bill originally intended, and as
would have been the case but for the long
headed sagacity of Mr.. Blaine-still they can
not but feel, and feel disastrously, too the eff
feet Of complete deprivation of the products
of foreign countries.
There is but one remedy for the Mckinley
law either with or without reciprocity. and
that is universal and wisely considered re-
form of our tariff and our general economic
policy. Such is the reform the Democrats
offer the people, and the political cyclone Of
November, 1890, showed that they fully ap-
preciated this fact If they do, and are not
again blinded TO their own interests, the COM
bined Doodle Of all the monopolists in the
United States will not be sufficient to save
even Ohio for Mckinley next November.