The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-11
HARMFUL EEEECIS

or the Free Trade Victory of 1890
The Democratic Congress Gives Hope to
the Foreigner - Tin Plate Making Re-
tarded by the Elections Last Year
Greater Benefits to Come From the Nc
Kinley Tariff.
Obvious, important and far reaching
as are the benefits already realized
from the new tariff. as seen in our
rapidly advancing foreign trade, the es-
tablishment of new industries giving
increased employment to labor, and the
retention at home of millions which
would have gone abroad to buy foreign
goods II the old tariff had been in force
during the past year, yet its best and
fullest effects have not as yet been felt
Tin plate mills, requiring as they do
large outlays of capital for machinery
and buildings have not had time to get
fully under way. The large stocks of
foreign goods rushed in to forestall the
Mckinley rates of duty have been to
some extent a wet blanket to domestic
industry. And lastly, more important
than any other adverse influence, is
the free trade victory of last year and
the consequent presence in the house of
an overwhelming majority pledged to
the repeal of the present tariff. That
free trade majority stands like a specter
to warn off the millions upon millions
of foreign capital which would have
been transferred to American industry.
The highest economic and financial
authority in the world. The Economist
of London, SO soon as it heard the news
of the free trade victory in America,
fastened to bear comfort to its readers
in its issue of November S, 1890. 1t said:
The knowledge that the voters have so clear
ly expressed their disnpproval OF protection as
carried out in the Mckinley act will prevent
that measure from having the effect that its
authors intended. They have always said:
Even IL the new tariT raises prices the coun-
try will not lose. because an enormous number
of new industries will be started to supply the
home market, and thence high wages and
great demand for native labor will be the re
suit" RTE manufacturers could hare been az
suref Of the continuance Of protection they uouid
no doubt hare deted in accordance eith this fore
cast. The feeling, however, that there is now
no small risk OF the repeal OF the tariff will pre-
vent their embsrkment upon any such action
No one will care to eXpend capital in establish
ing costly manufactures, which can only be
profitable as long certain clauses OF an act,
directly threatened by the most powerful party
in the state rerhain unrep-sled The recsnt
pronoupcsnsnt Of SopuITr opinion in Jdtor Of
democrats is likely, then TO hGus the e5sct Of pre-
renting any great norsm>nt in tb direction Of
Ise sstdbIistnsnt Of nelr hor1c manufactures.
The Iron and Steel Trades Journal of
London, in its issue of December Is,
1890, six weeks after the free trade vic
tory, reported speech by J. II. Rogers,
an extensive tin plate manufacturer in
Wales. who had lately returned from
the United States. 1t said:
Mr.. Rogers has brought home good n>ius for The
W,Ish tin plate irorkDl>n and he took the earliest
opportunity Of breaking IT, 10 his men Mr..
Rogers nrst alluded TO the fact that the long
dreaded tsrin bill had bscome law, but hardly
had the blow been struck by the ultra-protec
tionists OF America when, at the election follow
ing IL rebounded and the Mckinley party were
defeated at the polls, foreshsdowing reversal
of the tactics Of the party now in ONCE At no
distant date. This turn Of events Mr. Rogers
saws has frightened the manufacturers on the
other side OF the Atlantic from proceeding to
carry out their extensive schemes OF tin plate
making Some Of these schemes included the
erection OF works containing twenty thirty and
even forty mills. but, so far as he understood,
these schemes were given up as soon as 1t was
seen tnat Lne people were not IN lSFOE Vi tno nnC
Kinley bill Mr. Rogers said he had u>ry little doubt
hdtt the eIseioD had not rssultei in such an Orsr
trhelininJ d0noTGtic majority, thy IrouId soon
b ssndino rsry JelT tin pIatss from hsir country
TO America.
We have italicized the first and last
sentences because they tell the whole
story. The news SO joyful to Mr.
Rogers tin plate workmen was that in
America free trade had triumphed, and
that they, instead of American work
men. would in future, as in the past
receive employment making tin plate
for the American market 1t is too bad
that so many American workmen are
foolish enough to join the Welshmen in
their iubilation.
Not until after the election of pro-
tectionist president and protectionist
congress next year will the doubts
about the permanence of the new tariff
be set at rest Then will we go on in
the enjoyment of the full measure of
prosperity which the Mckinley tariff
was designed to secure.