St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-08
DIR REST CUSTOMER.

Britain has been the STOCK DuSaDOO OF
the politicians and demagogues of this
country ever since that little ruction
about taxes in the last quarter of the
eighteenth century. If any demagogue
wanted to establish his patriotism and
his wort Illness to receive the Sutfrages
! of his admiring constituents he pro-
ce5ded to twist the British lions tail
vigorously. The Elijah Pograms of this
country plucked many plum from the
official tree with this appeal to preiu-
dice which, whatever meritorious ground
it had tor the first fifty years of our
national life, has long since become a
Quagmire of bosh and rant. British
free trade" and the Golden club were
but "reminiscences OF the old rant; and
the detection of the Irish voters to
Blaine. large portion of whom re-
manned permanently with the Republi-
cans, WAS due solely to this stupid cry.
Its latest appearance is in the shape
of the LodgeReed proposition to make
the tariff weapon TO compel Britain to
coin silver. and in the use Populists are
making of the position of that country
and the time is probably tar distant
when the cry of ITS English" will not
be charm with which INSCRIPTIONS
demagogues will conjure ignorant and
prejudictd voters. But i'll spite of
blatant blatherskite5 and hostile tariffs
the important fact is that the United
Kingdom is our best customer, buying
nf r. Irar
country. more of some than all the 9TH
ers; and, in return, we buy of her the
larger part of our imports. No man of
sense would think of nagging and abus-
ing the man with whom he dealt most,
but would endeavOr to maintain the
friendliest Of relations; and nations
business is no more, save in bulk, than
is an individuals, guided by the same
motives and governed by the same
rules.
The trade statistics of our country
with foreign countries for the year
ended with June, compiled by the stat
istician of the treasury department,
contain some data bearing on this view
of the relations Of this country with the
United Kingdom that are worthy of
consideration. Of the $685. POI. 941 worth
cent. were the products Of agriculture,
mining, forest, or fisheries, while $751;
&c. or 2i.l5 per cent. were manu-
features. Of the S33, 1902 worth
of cattle sent abroad our ancient
enemy took S32,345,235 Of SS26,OO6
worth of sheep she took 1858, 1865. or
corn she took over 26,0OO.00O bushels of
the 65,O00.o0O sent out, and over 5O,000,-
900 of the SS.000,000 bushels of wheat,
while 1851. l79 of the 16, $50. 53l barrels
OF doar we sent out from our excess
were taken by that much 5erated coun-
try. Her dependencies to our north
took 100000 out of the 100000 tons
of coal we mined more than we wanted,
and she furnished a market for three
fifths of our raw cotton.
We had II, 472,47l pounds of hops to
sell, and She took 16,6O2,619 pounds of
them. and shod her people and others
with 81, 81, 232 pounds of the AZ, ST, 497
pounds OF sule leather we did not want
for our own soles. We sent away for
trade about 100000 pounds of our
beef in cans, and the blasted British ate
over 100000 pounds of it, besides TAX
ing practically all of the 1913, 900, QUO
pounds of fresh beef we had to find a
market for. not to mention the 27,OOO,0OO
pounds of our sailed beef she consumed
of the 63,000,000 pounds we sent out to
the hungry of the world. She took
three fourths of our exported bacon,
seven-eighths of our hams and about
fourth of our pork. A third of our lard
found sale there, and half of our butter,
while she ate siX-sevenths of our cheese
Oh the bread made Of the flour we sold
her. And so OH through the long tables
of the report. And yet there are people
SO foolish as to wish or pretend to wish
to cut off relations with the best of our
worlds customers.