The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-09
PROTEOTION PROvED.

when they agreed among themselves,
Republicans and Democrats alike, that
some statistics should be collected TO
assist in solving the tariff problem that
could be accepted with confidence by
both sides. 1t was with this in view that
the committee entered upon its labor of
ascertaining the course of prices and
wages before and after the passage of
the Mckinley law. The subcommittee
appointed to do the work, in submitting
their report, say:
I'm order to give the statistics collect
ed the weight of undoubted authority,
the committee decided at the outset
with entire unanimity that the inquiry
should be extended only to such subjects
and be carried on through such agencies
and by such methods as were approved
by the unanimous voice of the COM
mittee, and this plan was scrupulously
followed in all decisions as to the
character, general scope, and details of
the investigation. All concurred in the
view that if the facts could be secured in
such manner as to create general con-
fdence in their accuracy, great step
forward would be taken in the solution
of important economic problems. There
was no expectation that the members of
the committee would agree about the
political or even the economic bearings
of the facts ascertained; but all were
DESTROYS that hereafter there should be
no reason to question the integrity of
the facts"
When Senator Aldrich made his great
speech on the tariff, which was the key
note of the Republican contention, he
accepted the facts and figures of the
committees report without cavil. When
Senator Carlisle, the ablest and most
candid of the Democratic tariff for
revenue" adherents, made his speech on
the same subject, he accepted the facts
presented by the committee, after its
exhaustive investigation, without
question of their reliability. Each man
construed these facts as best he could to
suit his theory. That each did this is
evidence that the facts stated in the re-
port are individually established, so far
as painstaking and impartial investi-
cation can establish them.
A report by so high and impartial an
authority, aided by the most skilled and
scientific statisticlans, was bound to at
tract widespread attention ON a subject
of such universal interest. Time enough
has elapsed since the publication for
copies to have been received in Europe
and in Great Britain. Among such
there as take scientific
interest in the theory of protection,
aside from selfish interest looking only
to their own or their country's advan-
tage, the report hes created profound
as might be expected from
it's character.
The London Financial News is one of
the most influential and respected
journals in England. In its issue of
July 22d it says:
is it indeed possible that English
critics, in their traditional veneration
for the principles of free trade, have
been hopelessly and egregiously wrong?
We're our own expectations, in common
with those of the majority of public
founded on an entire mis-
conception of the probable effects of a
policy in the States? If this
report be not tissue of artfully con-
rived fabrications it would really seem
that these questions ought to be |
answered in the affirmative. 1t is, of |
course, far from improbable that the re-
port has been prepared by adherents of
The time of its publ |
,ation is at least suspiciously opportune,
md party zeal in America would scarcely |
hesitate at even such method of de- |
opposition. But, when all is |
said and done, there stand the positive |
statements of the subcommittee in all
heir force. According to these, the |
cost of living has actually declined in |
he United States since the adoption OF |
he Mckinley act, whereas in Great |
Britain it has increased. We rub our
Eyes in Armament! We're those prophetic |
yoices right after all, which foretOld an
ira of prosperity for the people of the |
United States, as result of their foster
ng home industry by means of wall of !
hostile tariffsp
IF the conclusions of the subcom-
nittee are really borne out by the i'm
u oved conditions of the people, the |
americans will undoubtedly be able |
to put forward substantial |
Justification for their protective policy. |
We might perhaps go further, and say |
hat free traders, all the world over will |
'e strongly inclined to reconsider their
position. If such view could be sus-
aimed in an exhaustive and impartial |
nquily, the members of the Golden |
Club would be compelled to adopt new |
iet of arguments in favor of their |
of party which had out |
ived its reputation for sagacity would |
lave to go ANONYMOUSLY by the board. |
Free trade has hitherto been held up |
o our reverent regard, on the ground |
hat in opening our markets without |
lindrance to all sorts of foreign COM
petition we conferred upon the public
jbe enormous benefit of cheapening the |
cost of living. The distIust of this
theory, limited at by Lord Salisbury in
May last, would no doubt be accumulated
f it turned out that protection IN the
United States had brought about such a
result, while free trade in Great Britain
lad done the opposite"
It should be understood that while
here is still wide divergence of opinion
among different scientific thinkers of
high authority as to the value of pro-
-ective tariffs, yet the trend of the best
modern thought is steadily against the
Did idissez .fdire school, so well repre-
sented by the present dominant element
Of the Democratic party. The so-called
German historical school of political
has modified many of the
theories of the earlier thinkers to the
advantage of the protective theory, and
as regards so wide and varied
an area as is comprised in the domain of
the United States. The Sedate Finance
report may be looked upon
TO go far towards settling definitely the
long argued and much-vexed problem.
That representative of the conservative
English opinion on the subject should
take such view as that above quoted is
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