Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-02-28

AMERICAN PRODUCTS.
Can Europe Dispense With Them

petltOrs for the trade OF the world to
enable foreign manufacturers and
merchants to take possession of the
domestic markets, on the contrary,
import dnties are, in effect, like the
three rents of the old Brehon laws,
1. e., rack-rent, or the extreme rent
from the person of strange tribe;
fair rent from one of the tribe; and
the stipulated rent which is paid
alike by the tribe and the friendly
neighbor; and it should not surprise
us that many of the merchants, mans
ufacturers and economists Of Europe
should, as does Mr.. Gustave de Moli-
mari in the North American Review
for September, contend that the eff
feet of such measures as the McKin-
ley Bill will be to force the nations
of Europe, now buying so largely of
our agricultural staples, to seek other
sources of supply and leave Ameri-
cans without market for the sur
plus products of their farms.
While inquiring as to the probable
ity of such legislation resulting in an
effort, on the part of the nations of
Europe, further to restrict American
imports, it is not the intention to
discuss the merits or dement's of that
measure, and mention thereof has
reference solely to the probability OF
its resulting in the further restriction
of American imports and the ability
of the nations of Europe to dispense
with American products.
Unfortunately for those favoring
restriction as well as for those who
believe the needed supplies can be
procured elsewhere, their arguments
and proposed action are based upon
an entire misconception of the rela'
lions existing and certain to exist be-
tween the demand for and supply o.
the bread, meat and cotton which
constitute so large part of the pro-
ducts for which Europe now furnish
es a market; and the probabilitie;
are that long before the nations o
Europe can fever create or procure
the development elsewhere of AIDE
quate sources Of supply, we shall re
quire our entire product of grain
and an ever increasing proportion o
the cotton and petroleum, to feed
clothe, warm and enlighten the mil
lions constantly being added to on
population; hence shall be unable t
exchange food products and but
constantly lessening proportion o
fibre and oil for European wares.
1t is as remarkable as true that
with very rare exceptions, even tn
most advanced of Americans, as wei
as Europeans, have thus far failed t
compass the situation and canno
conceive it as possible that the tim
as measured by national life
very near when America will ceas
to press upon the markets of tn
world an enormous surplus of food
stuffs, and that, but for the unparal
leled rapidity with which the agricu
tural resources of the United State
have been developed, many of tn
people of Europe would, ere now
have known the pangs of hunger, an
her rulers have found the difficultie
of their position multiplied man
fold. That there is current no AIDE
quate conception of the situation an
the causes leading thereto, is NANTES
from the use of the following lar
guage by M. de Molinari:
"Thanks to the natural increase i
population, the development of trade
and the multiplication of railway
. the mean value of hectare of soil
2.47 acres-which was estimated j
France, for instance, at $40 in ISL
reached, in 1879, 1866, and the lane
ed proprietors entertained the hoI
that this progressive rise would col
tinue. 1t came to dead stop, hov
t ever, and its upward flight was a
: rested by the influence of the san
progress which brought its rise, viz
the progress made in establishir
ready means of communicate
Within half a century steam navig
ton has diminished, by more thf
two thirds, the ocean highway, al
your enormous network of railwa,
has further contributed to bref
through the monopoly Of providiI
food for your (our) people. Hen
the arrest, and even the decrease,
the income derived from the soil"
The "dead stop" in the advancil
value of European lands being col
cident with the expansion in t