Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-11-30
THE INCREASE OF OUR FOREIGN
MARKETS,

The tariff question has been the central
! sue between the tive great parties since Mr.
Clevelsnd's famous message pending his first
inauguration and ii will continue TO be until
1t is settled right and in the interest of the
whole people Although we have just
passed through a campaign of education
upon this subject it still continues to
be the constant theme Of discussion. The
channels of debate are so manifold, and the
issues reach 80 intimately into the heart OF
every industry and come go close home to
the bread and butter Of the people that there
is universal interest. 1t is in discussing
this issue that men everywhere are realizing
anew that they are members OF great and
free Commonwealth, and that each one can
be instrumental in ormuating and direct
ing its legislation.
The decision of the people two years ago
against the restrictive and oppressive tariff
policy of the Mckinley bill, and the passage
of the Wilson tariff bill that inevitably fol
lowed, have developed some most important
and impressive facts in relation TO our pro
tected industries and the growth of their
foreign markets. The theory OF those who
have favored tariff reform has looked TO the
steady and rapid increase of foreign mar
kets for American products, and especially
Tor many Of the products OF our highly pre-
tected industries, and the experience of the
last year has clearly demonstrated that on
this point the advocates of tariff reform are
entirely right.
Only few months ago the Japanese
government awarded to an American firm
q contract for $40 100000 feet of iron pipe
One of the leading mining and engineering
journals, speaking of this important victory
of our iron industries, says: "The securing
OF such a contract in the face of such de
termined opposition of both British and
Belgium bidders, is an unquestioned proof
OF the ability of American manufacturers TO
enlarge the markets for their products"
The Japanese government did not favor
American manufacturers 1t went into the
underbid all other contractors, and thus OBJ.
tanned one of the most important contracts
that has been awarded in any one line for
some years. When facts confront theories
the theory must yield to the fact. This &C
ton of our American iron pipe manufac.
turers proves what they most need is the
open markets of the world to enable them
TO conduct their business with profit.
Ii is in this line OF the expansion OF our
foreign markets tina, the Wilson tariff bill
has been framed and there is now little doubt
that before two years shall have passed away
our foreign markets will be immensely in
creased for most of our American mechanical
products and that no political party will
dare to demand return to the restrictive
policy OF the Mckinley bill. We have to-
day more iron establishments than we have
consumers Tor their products, aud many
other of our important industries were
gorged with overproduction before the pass
age of the new tariff
No other people were ever blessed with
so grand and vast a country as this, with
resources unlimited aud command of all
the elements that are necessary to develop
one of the grandest and richest countries OF
the earth What we now need-what
America wants is the markets of the world
and the sooner we obtain them the sooner
we will have national prosperity.