The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-12-16
HARMFUL EFFECTS.


or the Free Trade Victory OF 1890
The Democratic Congress Gives Hope to
the Foreigner Tin Plate Making Re-
tarded by ths 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 if 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 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 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 8, 1890. Itsaid:
The knowledge that the voters have so clear.
~ expressed their disapproval OF protection as
carried out in tho Mckinley act will prevent
that measure from having the effect that IT'S
authors intended. They have always said:
Even II the new tariff 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 q
great demand for native labor will be the re.
suit" Utas manufacturer could have been as.
svrsd Of TIE continuance of protection they aoould
no doubt haze acted In accordance with this fore.
caa. Tho feeling, however, that there,is now
NO small risk OF the repeal Of the tariff will pre-.
vent their embarkment upon any such action.
No one will care to expend capital in establish.
ing costly manufactures, which can only be
profitable as long as certain clauses Of an act,
directly threatened by the most powerful party
In the state remain unrepealed. The recent
pron0uHcs'nent of popuI1r opinion IN fayor Of
democrats 10 likely. then, to haas the affect of pre
venting any great Increment in the direction OF
he establishment of neW home manufacture.
The Iron and Steel Trades Journal OF
London, in its issue of December 10,
1890, six weeks after the free trade vic
tory, reported a speech by ]. Fl. Rogers,
an extensive tin plate manufacturer in
Wales who had lately returned from
the United States 1t said:
n.y. Roges has bro,sgM home good ne,cs for tn,
Welsh tin plate aOork,a.m and he took the earlieS
Opportun ty Of "6reakinD it, 10 his men. Mr.
Rogers first alluded to the fact that the long
dresded tariff bill had become Q law, but hardly
had the blow been struck by the ultra-protec
tionists OF America when, at the election follow
ing, it rebounded and the Mckinley party were
defeated at the polls, foreshsdowing . reversal
Of the tactics OF the party now id office at NJ
distant date This turn Of events, Mr.. Roger
says, has frightened the manufacturers on thu
other side OF the Atlantic from proceeding 4
carry out their extensive schemes Of tin plate
making. Some Of these schemes included ~
/, essN. works containing twenty thik Is az
-...,l.-o--y mills, but, 80 far as he understood
these schemes were given up as soon as it was
seen that the people were not in favor OF the Nc
Kinley bill NJ. Rogers said he hddu, ry little doub
hdt II the election had not resulted in such an 0yer
sgheIming democratic mojor,ty, thty D0uld 500,
be sending uery Jew tin plates from their countrs
10 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 il
America. free trade had triumphed, ani
that they, instead of American work
men, would in future, as in the past
receive employment making tin plat,
for the American market. 1t is too BAG
that so many American workmen are
foolish enough to join the Welshmen il
their jubilation.
Not until after the election of pro
tectionist president and projections
congress next year will the doubts
about the permanence of the new tariff
be set at rest. Then will we go on il
the enjoyment of the full measure O
prosperity which the Mckinley tariff
was designed to secure.