The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-01-09

The London correspondent of the
New York Tribune gives the following
in regard to the feeling in London re-
specting the Presidents message:
English comment as to the domestic part
of HrC sdent Harrison 5 message is all col
ored hV iTrepreSSlblc prejudice touching
the tariff and free trade. The free trad
crS are aStoniShed by his figures. 50 much
aStOnlShed that one amlabe critic suggest
ed that they had probably been cooked.
English free traders believed, is one of
them says. that the direct, Immediate re
suit Of the Mckinley tariff would he To di
mInlSh the total volume oI the American
export and import trade. Both have
nevertheless shown their disregard OF
economical laws by increasing. What re-
source have the doctIinalreS. except to Sug
gest thai presidential statistics are open 10
a good deal of criticism? The incr"aS" OF
free imports by ~l0O,000,0ND and the de
crease of dutIahc imports by the same
amount are anot CT blow to the Uuctr!n
aires. Why. they eXclaim. that is lust
what the lrotCcl0nlStS desired and pre-
dICted. Ihey wanted 10 keep out the
foreigner where hc completes with home
industry. and let him IN where he does not.
But the triumphant prOtcctionlots need
not be too triumphant. Ihc free trader
has had an answer ready. ~ more
accurate analysis Will soon disclose tEaf
much of that increase III the volume
OF trade is emphaticaly bad trade"
Why wait for more accurate analysis :?
Why not say at once that all trade is bad
which Il not free Iradc? That Is what he
means. No trade in America can be good
which does not enrich the British manu-
tacturcr at the expense OF the American.
Let that be understood once for all. The
advantage of this method of economical
criticism is obvious. It renders the free
trade critic independent of all the facts
and figures which do not support his
theory.
Dangerous Tariff TiukerIng.
If the report is true which states that
the course upon which Speaker Crisp
has determined to steer is that OF
"tinkering" with the tariff il will dis
turb the country more than If there was
general attack on the whole Mckinley
bill, because it will make capital cou
seryative and cause manufacturers To
run their factories on short time until
they see the outcome of the tlnkerlng.
1t will disturb all lines OF business,
directly or indirectly, and cause distress
among the employees OF large numbers
of industries.
Among the articles which are cited as
likely to be made the subject Of bills for
their free importation are wool. salt,
coal and large lines of WOODEN goods.
The cry is to enlarge the free list. The
abolition of the duty on wool would
strike the sheep-growers disastrously;
putting salt on the free list would close
up our salt works and leave us depend
ent on other nations for an article abso-
lutely essential to life; cotton ties are
cheaper III this country than before the
Mckinley bill went into effect, and if
put on the free list would soon 90 to
high prices, because we would be at the
mercy of foreign manufacturers; iron
ore is already virtually free if manu-
tactured into articles OF export. and in
whatever direction the proposed tinker
ing is suggested similar reasons extend
to make it obnoxious. The law should
be allowed 10 stand substantially in it9
present form. ANY attempt to tinker
with ii in the interest of free trade Will
prove not only dangerous to business
int rests ilt disastrous TO the thinkers.