The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-09-23

recc- o,,uenu how completely free
trade mad sapped the strength of the
country. Its manufacturing industries,
never of great Importance, had scarcely
made any progress whatever MANY
industries had Deeu wIpeu uuJ VI eAIsl-
ence by foreign competition. The
once so prosperous tradesmen in the
cities were ruined, as was also the
very creditable domestic industry of the
rural districts. The country was flooded
with foreign goods and overrun by foreign
travelling men, mainly Germans, who in
many instances penetrated into the
valleys to compete with the country
merchants. Their goods were cheap, of
course, because Norway was made a
dumping ground for part of the surplus
OF German manufactures. The coun-
try was no longer able to sustain is
growing population, and the emigration
to this country reached enormous figures.
The heavy outflow of people to America
oates DacK TO the trst years OF depres-
sion produced by the free trade policy.
A majority of the Norwegian born
citizens of Minnesota and neighboring
states have come to this country since
then. To them the picture outlined
ABOVE will be very familiar.
They left Norway as free traders
and many of them have probably re-
NAMED free traders ever since. Some
possibly never dreamt that free
trade had anything whatever to do with
their coming to America. But if they
look back upon the conditions in their
old homes in the light of their wider ex-
perience, they cannot fail to perceive
that Norway's tariff for revenue only
was the main source of the evils from
which they fled.
The severe lesson was not taught en-
tlrely in vain. The period of pinching
was good time for reflection. Some
began to question the infallibility of the
Golden gospel. AS usual in the
politics of Norway, the farmers
took the lead. They had suffered
severely from American competition
and were rapidly going to the wall.
They wanted protection and had the
power to enforce their demand. The
writer happened to be on visit in Nor
way some five years ago, when the pro-
lection sentiment began to make itself
felt The discussion and reasoning of
the people We're curious. Nearly every-
body was firmly convinced that free
trade was all right and protection all
wrong. Still the conclusion was that
there was nothing to do but to apply the
remedy of protection. The hands of the
country were tied, however, by COM
mercial treaties. For the time being
little could have been done in the way
of increasing the duties on manufac-
tured articles, even if the country had
been ready for the change. A cautious
beginning was made by raising the
duties on agricultural products.
The experiment was satisfactory.
and gradually further steps were taken
in the same direction. Meanwhile the
protection sentiment attained greater
strength and consistency. A demand
arose for protection of manufacturers.
and it is plainly only a question of a
very short time when the tariff of Nor
way will be revised with view to pro-
tecting home industries. The last
storthing made beginning. But public
opinion is clearly in advance of legisla-
ton. Norway has very promising posi-
bflities in the line of wooden manufac-
lures, and the people demand ample pro-
lection for this industry. They do not
regard an ad valorem duty of so per
cent on woolens as too high price for
the boon of wearing home made clothes.
However. it is the heavy burdens
tariff for revenue only throws upon the
common people which thus far, mainly.
has attracted the attention of Norwegian
statesmen. This burden had at last be-
come unbearable, and the last storthing
found itself compelled to do something
to relieve it. 1t reduced the duties on |
sugar and Illuminating oils. although
it could not do so except by resorting to |
the extremely unpopular measure of inn
posing direct tax on property and in.