St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-24

| cutting down of protective duties to the
| revenue point of lowest rate and largest
revenue. 1t evidently is opposed to the
latter alternative because it fears that it
would expose many American industries
engaged in manufactures of textiles,
iron and steel sto dangerous competi-
tiou," and because the party is pledged
in Its platform and the tariff measures
it has formulated. against it.
In the first place. no such couplet of
alternatives is presented. The extrava-
CANT appropriations fixed beyond our
reach heretofore by Republican con-
crosses can now be trimmed down to
that economical administration of the
government which we have promised
the people. There Is noreason why the
expenses of the government should not
bear some steady relation to the popula-
lation, and not increase out of all pro-
portion to the increase of population.
In all other business the contrary1s the
result, and expenses of administration
decrease with increase of business. In
fact. this is the one reason on which
railroads justify their combinations and
consultations, and is the one which
the promoters of the trade comb nations
put fOrth-as the excuse for their forma-
ton. There is no reason. aside from eX-
travagance and the demands of pen
sions and interest on the public debt,
why the ordinary expenditures of the
government should have increased
from little over So per capita in 1851
to S. in 1890. Ii they we're reduced to
So per capita, the chief difficulty would
be removed.
If,after such looping of extravagant
excresences and the redemption of our
solemn pledge to eliminate protection
from the tariff and leave il purely
revenue one, there remain a deficit,
congress need not go to putting trade
shackles again on anything that he-
publican congress. whatever its motive,
made free. AS long as there are billions
of wealth in the country that now pay
not a cent toward the support of the
government, lands and lots and all this
enormous amount of personal property,
absolutely free from federal tax, it is
nothing short of criminal for congress
to leave it free and exact tribute from
the cups of tea and coffee and the sugar
that SWeetenS them, on every table,
rich or poor, in the land. Any Demo-
cratic paper should be ashamed to pro-
pose such an outrage.
But if it is surprising to have Demo-
cratic paper suggesting the taxation of
articles now free, it is amazing to have
it oppose the eXclsion of protection
from the tariff because it would ''expose
many American industries to ruinous
competition" Such talk as that we are
familiar with in Republican papers, and
there are few Eastern Democratic
papers that are extremely tender of the
poor industries, but here in the West,
at the threshold of the broad prairies,
waving today with grain grown under
the freest and most ruinous competition
with the grain-groWerS of the world.
and surviving the struggle, it Is the
veriest tiapdo0dle to talk about any in
duStry in this country being unable
to meet any competition from abroad.
Not only can our manufacturers meet
competition here, but they are demon
strating every dav of the year that they
can compete with their foreign con-
testantS in their own homes. If
the editor of the Democratic paper will
take down his statistical abstract issued
by the treasury department, and turn to
the exports of merchandise given there
in detail for series of years, he will
lind, probably to his surprise. that the
identical industries for which be fears
the effects of rulnous competition
have been sending their goods abroad
year after year to foreign marts, and
there selling them under the noses of the
makers of similar wares whose competi.
tion here he fears would be ruinous.