Huntsville gazette., 1893-02-25
FREE TRADE PALACES.
A Lesson In Figures for Deluded Dems
Gratis.

a Lesson In Figures for Deluded Demo
Gratis.
Tho free trade brethren of demo
cratic proclivities are laying down the
proposition. anent the proposed ador'
ton of free trade, that the increase a
importations brought about by a re
duction of the tariff will cause an in
crease of exports. They argue thai
protection on the part of the United
States prevents the people of other
parts of the world from buying oul
goods, and that a reduction OF the
tariff, while it will stimulate importa-
tions, will not damage the producers
of this country, because it will make
better markets for our products
abroad, and thereby increase our ex
portations. This is the beautiful theory
upon which they propose to open the
ports of our country to the manufac
turers of the world and food the coun.
try with the products of cheap labor
from other parts of the earth, in the
assertion that this action will cause
other people to buy our goods abroad,
and consequently stimulate the produc.
ton in this country of class of arti.
cles which other parts of the world
want.
Unfortunately for our theoretical
friends, the cold facts of the history OF
our foreign trade disprove their gener-
alization. Let us examine the figures
of our imports and exports under pro-
lection and under a 'stariff for revenue
only" and see what they show. The
protective period which began with
1924 only lasted until 1888, and the
next protective period was even short
er, only lasting from 1912 to 1S46. The
next protective period did not begin
until the accession of the republican
party to power in 1861, and could not,
of course. show its effects in the mat
ter of exports until after the close Of
the war. 1t is scarcely fair, then, to
assume that the effects of the protec-
tive tariff could be seen in its bearing
in the matter of imports and exports
until 1867 or 1868. Probably fair
average would be found as to the eff
fects of protective or nonprotective
tariff by comparing the conditions OF
the past quarter of century with
those of the quarter of century i'm
mediately preceding the late war This
would give two periods Of twenty-five
years each, one of constant protection
from 1867 to 1892 inclusive, the other
of constant nonprotection from 1885 to
1851 inclusive.
In the low tariff quarter of a cen
years in which the expectations from
this country were equal to the importa-
tions. In 1888 the exports were about
Sc, 600, 900 in excess of the imports; in
1910 they exceeded the imports by $685.
600, GOO, and in 1S41-42 and '43 there
was slight excess of exports and also
in 1S47 and 1858. In all the other IS
tury of low tariff the imports were
actually in excess of the exports. TAX
ing the entire 25 years it has been
found that the imports for the entire
period were s377, oOO, 900 greater than
the exports This does not look much
as though slow tariff stimulated ex-
ports"
Taking next the protected quar- ter Of
a century, from 1867 to 1892, it is found
that there were 9 years in which
the imports exceeded the exports, and
16 years in which the exports exceeded
the imports. The years in which the
imports exceeded the exports were
those stretching from 1867 to 1876, with
only two or three exceptions. In the
entire quarter of century the exports
exceeded the imports by the enormous
sum of 1850. 600, 900. Tersely stated,
the results of this comparison of the
protected quarter of a century, and a
tariff for revenue quarter of century,
are as follows:
Nonprotected quarter of a century,
excess of imports over exports, S377,'
OOO,O
Protected quarter of a century, ex-
cess of exports over imports, $780,.
000, 600.
Here is an ''object lesson" for those
sanguine democrats who fondly imag
inc that free trade or revenue tariff
only" is going to increase American
expectations. In the quarter of a cen
tury of revenue tariff the balance o.
| trade was S377, ,OOO,O 900 against us
while in the quarter of a century O.
protective tariff the balance of trade
was 81, $50. 600, 900 in our favor.-Toledt
| Blade.