New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04

rs INCREASING FAVOR WITH THE
GROWTH OF NATIONAL LIFE

THE LESSON or RtMANIA-CHANGE OF VIEW
IN ENGLAND WORKINGS OF RECIPROCITY
Paris. January 10.
In nearly all the countries Of Europe the year
just past has continued the natural evolution
of government protection home production
Its principle has been clearly stated by NJ Me-
line. who he's been mainly instrumental in elabo-
rating the protective policy of France. 1T Is In
the interest OF the national producer that pro-
tective customs duties have been established
Evidently this is a very different formula from
a tariff for revenue only" Evidently also, no
Continental statesman dreams Of limiting consti-
tutionally the inherent right Of every govern
ment to protect home production in the interest
of social well-being and not for fiscal reasons
only st the Economic Congress. held In Ant
Werp I'm August 1892 the delegate of Rumania-
a country whore protection has just brought
about a triumph Of reciprocity with Germany
declared that the denial Of such right 70 gov
eminent could not be taken seriously In Our
times when it Is universally recognized that the
State IL simply society organized. The right
Is Identical with that by which the State pro-
tects schools or makes appropriations for the
suppression Of social sufferings, or for the aid or
enterprises interesting the community at large.
1t might be added that this right is universally
exercised even where the profession OF free
trade Is the loudest Engand's prohibition Of
tobacco culture at home is but simple ex-
ample Of protection spelled backward.
quite apart from the theoretical question az to
the essential right Of government in the matter
and the legal question as 10 constitutional right,
there Is a practical necessity Of present-day gov
eminent whichis exemplined in all the recent COM
mercal treaties. and which perhaps Is not
sufficiently taken into account in American
politics The attack the principle OF pro-
lection seems to be carried without attending
To the fact that the United states now form
one. Of the great nations Of the world: and that,
consequently the principles of our international
acton-poitical. economical. commercial, finan-
cial-nust have some conformity with the use
and right Of other nations. We are no longer
the baclwoodsmen Of the civilized world: and we
have 10 take account Of the behavior Of the
society If nations. of which We have become
leading member. If we would hold Our own in
that commercial struggle for life which IS newt
able among them.
Now government protection Of home produc-
ton happens 10 be- the states only means for
securing the interest OF its citizens in this COM
merclal competition OF nations. This comes not
So much from the nature Of international COM
mcrce as from the universal practice which no
one nation can safely refuse TO follow. Eng
land is but an apparent exception. owing to the
very peculiar conditions Of her home produc-
ton. of her colonial relations and the nature
Of her carving trade NJ De Monari. the theo-
rctical economist ~ French free traders for forty
years admits that THE experience Of England
does not count when there Is question of the
Continent" Moreover. with changing cond
carrying trade and the rise Of German manu-
facture and foreign commerce. a definite sent
ment in favor OF protection has declared Itself
even In England. wnere It has found such
spokcsmen as Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Bafour.
In other words whore protection is the uni
vcrsal law reciprocity through commercial
treaties becomes e matter Of necessity: and. con-
vorsely. commercial treaties can be made TO adj
vantage only 10y a nation that stands the
basis of protection. This is the lesson of all
the commercial treaties and agreements which
have marked the closing weeks of the old year.
notably Of thos. between Germany and Ru- |
mania and between France and Spain.
More than year ago, in articles published by /,
The Tribune on protection and reciprocity in
Europe i'm general. and on the bearings Of the !
Mckinley act in particular the writer drew
special attention to the history OF protective |
tariffs in Germany. It there Prince Bis
marck started somewhat brusquey. in 1879. the |
present universal reaction against the free trade
which chiefly prohted England His successor,
Count Won Caprv has undoubtedly changed |
the trend Of protection in Germany in the direc-
ton of a wide reciprocity. But IT is a reciproc-
ity made possible only by the previous "autono-
nous protection: 1t has it's warrant in results
already obtained by protection; and it is imper-
atively demanded by the interests Of the ma
tonal producer" Evidently such reciprocity is |
q case of protection pure and simple. The |
agrarian opposition made to the treaties by |
Count Herbert Won Bismarck and the great |
landed proprietors of Eastern Prussia has been |
directed. not against an essential change OF
policy from protection toward free trade, but |
against the needed readjustment Of protective
policy which is to continue in force.
In 1879 Prince bismarck had several ends I'm
view. for some of which temporary means had to
be adopted. The necessity Of keeping up the
military power to n high standard justified the
imposition of tariffs for fiscal reasons-not the
first instance where tariff for revenue only"
has resulted In a prohibitory protective tax
In point Of fact. the customs receipts rose in
few years from 100 600 900 to $40 900 900 of marks
TIE fiscal necessity remains. but the old tariffs,
based on a system of autonomous protection
chiefly Of the greatest agricultural. mining
and industrial production-no longer sufllces and
for many
In the first place, protection has been
cessful that II has shifted the burden Of foreign
commerce and given an entire new develop
ment To home industry. This alone would have
neccssitated a change in the tariffs for the sake
Or revenue; but ii has done more. It has helped
powerfully To weld the Empire into
national unit with national production and
and the tariffs are also |
necessity or these new conditions. Before 1879
he production OF coal was 100000 tons. 1t
mas now more than doubled. During the late
strike OF the coal miners of the north of France
ierrany even found 1t profitable to send coal
inder cover of the Belgian frontier. into the
errltOry of It's rival In the same WAY iron