The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-05-28

1hADA And TIE SHIFTING or IN
NATION.
Both the President and the secretar,
OF the Treasury, in their annual com
munications to Congress, dwell with sur,
prised delight. says Congressman vii.
son, Of West Virginia, Ia the ST. Iou;,
Republic, on the fact that in suite Of IL,
Mckinley bill ourdoreign trade durino
the last fiscal year was the largest in orl
history. They point to this fact as proof
that there is nothing in our tariff laws
ssthat retards the commercial develop.
ment Of the Nation They forget that
this large commerce was due to the
largest crops IN our history, which had
to seek foreign markets for their sur.
plus. and also that the producers OF these
crops found them less profitable because
the Mckinley bill greatly limited the
commodities for which they could be ex.
changed. In other words, as attempted
to show In the Republic some months
ago, that bill demonetized or debased by
its prohibitions and fines the only cur.
rency which the farmer can get Tor his
surplus grain, cotton and meats.
In view OF this Boosting on the part Of
the President and the Secretary that q
protective tariff does not retard our com.
mercial development, it may be well to
look little in the facts Of history.
Nearly sixty years ago there appeared
in England pamphlet which attracted
much attention at that time. It bore
the title: "England, Ireland and
America, bya Manchester Manufacturer. I"
Its author was afterward made known to
be Richard Golden, who few years
later took up and led to successful is
sue the great agitation for the overthrow
of the English Corn Laws.
One object Of this pamphlet was to
awaken the fears Of the British people
to the danger in which they were placed
by the threatened commercial and naval
ascendency Of the United States. At
that time the population OF this country
was about IA, 900, 900, while the popu-
lation Of the United Kingdom was over
5000, 900. Mr.. Golden prophesied
that the two peoples would be about
equal In number in thirty years, and that
as to commercial prospects the position
of Great Britain was not fattering.
Our exports of domestic produce then
amounted to hundred million dollars;
the British exports were about one
hundred and eighty million. It will be
seen that our export trade was then
already in proportion to population
equal to that Of England. The mer-
camille navy Of Britain then had some.
thing over two and quarter million
tons, while ours amountedt to one and a
half million tons, ''by all which il APP
pears clear" said Mr.. Golden, ..that
America in proportion to its population
Is at this moment carrying on as extern.
sive commerce as England, or any
other State in the world"
Mr.. Cobden's prophecy as to our
growth in population was fulfilled. In
less than thirty years we had caught up
with and passed the British Isles, but
his fears as to our commercial supremacy
have, largely in consequence OF our pro-
tective tariff, proved entirely grounds
less
In 1890, with population Of sixty.
Two million, we exported domestic pro-
duce to the value Of S845. 600, 900.
Britain, with population of thirty six
million, exported like produce to the
value of 81 ,315. 900, 900. Our merchant
marine amounted to 1900, 000, 200 tons,
Of which only 1000, 900, 900 tons was
engaged is foreign trade, the rest being
employed in inland and coastwise tra1e,
OF which our laws give it exclusive. con-
troll, so that of all our foreign commerce
less than IS per cent. was carried in AM
erican ships and gave employment to
American sailors.
Moreover, our entire foreign commerce,
last year, on which the President dwells
with SO much satisfaction, reached the
sum Of 81, 729, 600, GOO, or about S27 per
head Of our population, while that Of the
United Kingdom was So, 600, 900, 600, or
500 per Head Of population.
In other words, when Golden wrote,
nearly sixty years ago, our commerce and
our mercantile navy had, population COM
pared, already caught mp with those Of
the greatest trading and sea going people
in the world.
: Now, after thirty years Of protective
tariffs, our shipping has almost disap-
peared from the high seas, so that we
pay freight to foreign carriers on seven
Fights Of AL that we send out or bring
back, and our entire foreign commerce
is, per head Of population, but little
more than one fourth of that Of Great
Britain. When the "afanchester Manu-
facturer" sounded the alarm that we
were about to endanger Englands COM
mercial supremacy, be either did not ex-
pect his own country to throw of the
letters Of the protective system OF our
country to bind itself more closely and
hopelessly IN them.