Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-09-03

ISVAs2'AAy iuuSu COHtTLUukeu 10 DClng
about the remarkable popular reac
tion now manifesting itself in favor
of free trade.
The extraordinary profits Of Ger.
tam industries have been increased
by different methods of creating
"trusts' and 'srings" which are rem.
dened possible by the protection
which excludes foreign competition.
ThRse monopolies cannot be repre-
SCI Fed by any legal means. Some
of hese great "trusts" have been
advantageous to the public by les
sening the cost of production, but
this occurs only in the case of in
dustries, like that of petroleum,
where there is no tariff to put the
people at the mercy of native pro-
ducers.
Protection increases the tendency
already very marked-of the Am
ericans and certain classes of emf
grants, especially the Irish, to COL
lect in the towns rather than cult
vate the earth. Very often Euro
pean workmen have been brought
over to establish and get started
new industries developed by protec-
ton. This artificial concentration
of the working population favors
the development of socialist or
half socialist groups, trade unions,
and other like associations, which
have already become very powerful
in the United States.
The price of farms has fallen in
the Eastern States as far west as
Ohio and Indiana. Their price
continues to rise in the West. This
devel Inent, however, would be
much bre considerable, the value
of farms would be much greater,
and mort1a ages on them better guar
anteed, agriculture did not have
to seaport the heavy burden of pro-
lection, and the consequence result
ing therefrom. Still the farmers
have recently began to calculate
what the protectionist system costs
them, and to take account of all the
consequences, direct or indirect, re-
sulting therefrom.
New measures, preventing the
importation of many agricultural
products, especially from Canada,
do much damage to particular local
tiles in the United States, as we'll as
Canada, without bettering in the
least the situation of the American
farmers, since the price of their pro.
ducts is fixed by the great interna-
tional markets. Even the treaties
of reciprocity made with other Am
erican States or colonies are but too
limited recognition of the great
principles of commercial liberty.
These treaties cannot create com
merce where its natural conditions
do not exist; and the most impor.
tant of the States of South America
like the Argentine Republic and
Chill, understand clearly that it is
better worth their while to develop
commercial relations with the indus
trial nations of Europe, which have
need of their raw materials, than
with country which, like themsel.
yes, has raw materials to sell.
In vain will the protectionists try
to stem the tide of free exchange
among the American people. The
free exchange of movement runs nc
risk of being turned from its course
save by mingling with its doctrines
relating to silver standard and
certain other fantastic theories
Nevertheless, popular discussion hal
assumed such proportions that there
is no room for doubling that the
American people, especially in thu
great Agricultural West, have firm
i ly resolved to maintain liberty il
opposition to the stipendiary poll
ticians and the manufacturers inter
ested in keeping up the stmilking'
of the public by tariff duties.
u n. G. FRKDERIKsEN