The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-13
Denounced bv ais Extends.

Denounced by His Friends.
The protection journals are down on
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie. He is the great
est manufacturer III the country Of iron
and steel products. and the protectiOnists
have always regarded him as one Of their
leaders and apostles. But Mr.. Carnegie
has announced that he is not averse to the
Wilson bill. He can carry on bis business,
if that bill becomes a law, he says, and
can do so at profit. II is not strange,
therefore, that he has lost the good will
and confidence Of his protection friends.
just before he started for Egypt the
other day Mr.. Carnegie sent a letter to
the New York Tribune, in which he said
Il do not assume TO speak for the manu-
facturers of the United States, but
know l speak for some of them when l
respectfully urge that it would be inf
nitely better to have moderately salts
factory tariff bill passed by the Demo
cratic party than even a more satisfac
tory bill passed by the Republican party.
1t must be acknowledged that a large
number of the people have been led TO
believe that the present tariff is unjust;
that it favors the few at the expense of
the many. Employers and employed
have been set at variance, and much i'll
feeling has been aroused. fl is not a suf-
ticient answer to say that this dissatis-
faction is groundless. II is sufficient that
it exists; and what | wish TO submit to
my brother manufacturers is, that the
first consideration should be the total
obHteration of this dissatisfaction.
Further along in this letter he says: 81
submit that il is far better to obtain a
moderate democratic tariff bill, securing
us stability and permanence satisfactory
to all, rather than a high protective bill
passed by the Republican party, and GER
tain to be the object of continual politi-
cal attack. We all know that uncer-
tainty in regard to import duties is ruin
Gus to our interests. Partisanship is all
very well, but when the question before
US, as we all believe, involves the pros
perity of our country, no supposed party
advantage should be allowed TO prevent
settlement, which, if not all that could
be desired, would yet be most desirable
under the circumstances.
While Mr. Carnegie does not squarely
admit that the Mckinley tariff is an un-
Just tariff, the inference from what he
says is that it is such tariff. AS man
ufacturer of steel rails, for instance, he
knows the Mckinley tariff permits him
and other manufacturers to combine and
demand whatever prices they please for
steel rails. A steel rail manufacturer,
who is a member of congress, asserted on
such was the case. What is true Of steel
rails is true of many other products.
Under the Mckinley tariff manufac-
turers charge higher prices for their pro-
ducts in the home market than in foreign
markets. In other words, Amer
lean consumers are Disseminated
against because the American
market is closed to competition.
II is not only closed to competition, but
the protection given the manufacturers is
so great that they can command extorsive
prices for their products. That is why
they are called ''robber barons."
1t is not to be wondered at, therefore,
that the dissatisfaction to which Mr..
Carnegie refers exists. The producers of
the greater part of our exports-our cot
ton, wheat, and pork-have no protection
whatever. They have to sell in the
cheapest markets and their purchases are
made in the dearest market.
The Philadelphia Press, leading pro-
lection paper, says Mr.. Carnegie's letter
will give great comfort to theenemies of
the protective policy" OF course, it will,
and it ought to give great comfort to all
who are striving to promote the best in
terests of the country. The Wilson bill,
if it becomes law, will remove, in some
measure, the great injustice from which
the people have been suffering so long.