The Portland daily press., 1895-11-04
PROTECTION.
Salisbury's Significant Utterances
Upon the Subject.
Free Trade Not an Unmixed Blessing
His Deductions Must Tickle American
Prntectionists

Free Trade Not an Unmixed Blessing
His Deductions Must Tickle American
Protectionists.
. Washington, November 2.-Lord Sails
bury's deliverance on the policy OF pro-
tection attracts more than ordinary at
tention. The subject is one of very great
interest to the United States, and, be-
sides, it is reported that the conservative
party is looking in this direction for
an ally in great scheme OF English
speaking domination The digging OF
the Nicaragua canal and the revision and
a new assertion of the Monroe doctlne
have already been mentioned in nngllsh
circles as projects in the execution OF
which, England and the United States
should join hands. Is England proposing
also to turn protectionjst, in order to
make her company the more agreeable to
this country?
This question is answered, Yankee fash
DIN, by the asking of another. What
would the general effect be of change
of base on England s part on economic
lines. so far as the interests of this coun
try are concerned2 That the free traders
of the United States have been strength
ened by England's economic attitude is
conceded. They have drawn their inspi-
ration from that source; have filled their
auivers with arrows fashioned after
the Golden pattern. They have ascrlbed
all of England's more modern greatness
to her free trade policy, and have insisted
that the United States, by following tna5
example. would share in that benefoence.
Replying to this, the protectionists have
dubbed the free trade party the English
party, and have charged that the erect
Of the adoption of free trade Ey this
country would be disasterous here, and
would operate only in the interest
of England Conceding, for arguments
sake, some advantage to England from
free trade the protectionists have pointed
out that what is one mans meat IS an,
other mans poison; and that England
might in some things benefit by a policy
that would prove wholly injurious to
the United States. But now comes
Lord Salisbury, the most powerful man
in the realm. and with regular Iom
Reed majority in the Commons at his
back, and declares that free trade has
not proved an unmixed blessing even
to England. He regrets, indeed, the I'M
reserved adoption OF that policy For
one thing in particular; he ascrlbes the
existing agricultural depression directly
to it. and a fair inference seems to be,
if he could hope to effect change he
would enter upon the task. Here, then,
it is suggested, is something that must
tickle the protectionists III the United
States 1t is an argument in their own
line, and.if it contri ributes, or is designed
to contribute, nothing more OF advantage
to them, it cuts the ground from under
the feet of their opponents The putting
up OF the economic bars by England
again, might not increase American
trade on that side of the water. but it
would be a signal warning agai nst the
taking down of the bar already up over
here Such a practical confession OF the
failure of free trade in the one country
whose circumscribed opportunities seemed
to invite and did invite its adoption
would snuff out those who are urging
the policy upon a great empire like the
United States.
Why does Lord Salisbury bring this
subject up at this time? He has foreign
combinations enough on his hands to
Keep him going. Turkey, China. Vene
zuela, and the United States have bust
ness for him. As rule, too, he prefers
questions cf international policy and
politics. a nd yet he turns at this time
to this feature of home affairs. Doss he
connect it in any way with his contro-
yersy with this country2 Can he make
it serve any subtle purpose? Is his tri-
butte to protection sly appeal to the
party whose policy that is, and which
is Just coming into power in Congress,
and may presently be looking into Eng
lish aggressiveness in Venezuela and
elsewhere?