The Globe-republican., 1891-04-08


now be definitely determined. and this
is true as to benefits and burdens In
other directions Mr.. Blaine said OF
the bill, in his letter to Senator Frye,
that it would not make market for
bushel of wheat or barrel OF pork, and
in subsequent letter, written after its
passage, that it was in favor OF the east
and against the west-and he has not
hesit lted on numerous occasions since,
privately, and yet in such way as to
obtain currency outside, to say that the
bill failed to come up to the proper stand
ard, and that if he had been in congress he
would have spoken and voted againstlt-
Such differences are not surprising
when the varied provisions OF the bill
are taken into account But Mr.. Blaine
has worked skillfully and hard to ex-
tend the trade of the coIntry through
the medium of the reciprocity pro-
visions of the bill; and while it Is
true that we cannot sell much
in the way of agricultural products to
| the Central and South American people,
for the reason that they produce from
the soil the great bulk of what they eat
and much for export, besides, to COM
pete with us in European markets.
still we shall have important gains, and
pattern has been set which will
speedily be followed in other directions.
What we ought to sell to the people
south of us is manufactured products:
but our manufacturers maintain them
selves against foreign competition at
home, and cannot be expected to manu-
facture much for export. Therefore,
whatever balance of trade we are to
have in our favor during the next two
years must arise from the expectation
of agricultural products. The American
farmer is an active, aggressive person,
and cannot only supply the home mar
ket, but can compete with the pauper
labor of the old world, in outside mar
kets. though he has had but little aid
from invention.
Meanwhile, under the impulse of
higher duties, it is fair to suppose that
additional manufacturing establish
ments will be erected in this country,
and l echo the hope which Senator
Sherman expressed in his speech on the
final passage of the bill, that the man.
ufacturers would not substitute COM
bination for competition, but will give
the American purchaser fair chance in
return for the benefits conferred upon
them by the bill. Any great stimulus
given to manufacturing by high duties
will in time be followed by increased
production and lower prices, which
combination cannot wholly prevent.
The policy of protection is right-the
only ground for difference being the ex-
tent and method of applying it in given
cases. There will always be room for
difference of opinion as to the propriety
of paying from the treasury bounty on
maple sugar and the increase of duties
on articles already manufactured as q
profit. But it is better to err on the
side of too much rather than too little
protection. The unfortunate phase of
this question is that every four years it
becomes matter of party division.
leading to acrimonious controversy and
begetting fears which disturb business
and interrupt the natural and useful
course of affairs. To avoid these con-
sequences 1 proposed tariff commits
both parties, which should from time
to time consider all the subjects inher-
ing in the subject of the imposition of
duties on imported merchandise-in
such d way that it would have been
taken out of politics and the American
people would have been fully advised
as to all the elements Of price entering
into manufactured articles purchased
by consumers, actually, and relatively
to similar articles purchased abroad.
The commission would have recon-
mended to each congress notifications
of the tariff, with reasons therefor,
and this would not only have taken the
subject out of the domain of political
discussion, but would have furnished
the bssis of scientific adjustment of
the rates of duty. A disinterested and
intelligent commission to examine into
all these questions as they arise would
give something besides eX-parte testi-
mony to guide congress in deciding
what duty was absolutely necessary for
the protection OF our industries, and no
more duty than that ought to be inn
posed for that purpose, consistently
with the rights of consumers. We could
learn through the commission the real
cost of manufacture, how much is alb
sorbed in transportation charges and
the prices at which the article could be
sold with profit. Then we should be
able to adjust the tariff without doing
! injury to our industries on the one hand
and requiring the consumer to pay an
unnecessary price on the other"
do you think. senator. that the
| farmers movement has reached its
maximum
THAT is hard question to answer.
1t has probably reached its full strength
! in Kansas. What it will develop in
other states remains to be seen. The
only effective strength it can have in
| 1892 is to hurt the republican party in
| the northern states. 1t will not hurt
the democratic party. in the south, at
least On the contrary, it is likely to
strengthen that organization there.
No political organization can have con-
tinued potentiality unless upon the
! basis of actual or hoped for national