The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-02-17
FREE TRADE PALACES.
A Lesson In Figures for Deluded Demo


A Lesson In Figures for Deluded Demo
Gratis.
The free trade brethren of demo
cratic proclivities are laying down the
proposition, anent the proposed adop-
ton of free trade, that the increase of
importations brought about by a re-
duction of the tariff will cause an in
crease OF exports. They argue that
protection on the part of the United
States prevents the people of other
parts of the world from buying our
goods, and that a reduction of the
tariff, while it will stimulate importa-
lions. 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 flood 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 tariff 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
err, only lasting from 1912 to 1916. 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 1865. Probably a fair
average would be found as to the eff
fects of a protective or nonprotective
tariff by comparing the conditions of
the past quarter of a 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
1861 inclusive.
In the low tariff quarter of a CEN
fury, ending 1861, there were only Z
years in which the expectations from
this country were equal to the importa-
tons. In 1888 the exports were about
$4,000, 900 in excess of the imports; in
1910 they exceeded the imports by S25.-
900, 900, and in 1S41-42 and '43 there
was slight excess of exports and also
in 1S47 and 1858. In all the other Is
years, however, of a quarter of a GEN.
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 1877, 900, 600 greater than
the exports. This does not look much
as though Glow tariff stimulated ex-
ports
Taking next the protected quarter of
a century, from 1867 to 1892, it is found
that there were years in which
the imports exceeded the exports, and
Is 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 a century the exports
exceeded the imports by the enormous
sum of $3.50, 900, coo. Tersely stated,
the results of this comparison of the
protected quarter of a century, and
tariff for revenue quarter of century,
are as follows:
unprotected quarter of a century,
excess of imports over exports, $751;
900. 900.
Protected quarter of century, ex-
cess of exports over imports, $780,
600, COO
Here is an ''object lesson" for those
democrats who fondly imag-
inc that free trade or a revenue tariff
only is going to increase American
In the quarter of CEN
fury of revenue tariff the balance of
trade was S317, 100000 against us,
while in the quarter of a century of
protective tariff the balance of trade
was 81, $50, 900, 900 in our favor.-Toledo
Blade.