The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-29
An English Opinion.

1t is a well-known fact that the worst
ed interests of Bradford. Eng, bene-
fitted decidedly by the lower duties of
the Wilson bill. To them its enact
mcnt came as a regular godsend caus-
ing immediate revival where there had
since the enactment of the Mckinley
tariff been stagnation and even dis
tress. Perhaps many who read this
will recall how viciously the Bradford
papers assailed McKinleyism four
years ago. They We're more violent in
the expression of denunciatory opinion
city, a fact which lends added interest
to q paragraph which we shall repro
duce from an editorial published in the
Bradford Daily Argus of Sept. 8. The
editorial contrasted the financial views
of the Republican party in the present
American campaign with those advo-
Gated by Bryan and went on to say con-
cerning the tariff issue as represented
by Mckinley:
Had any one predicted four years ago
that 1t would be possible for the Bradford
wOrsted industry as q whole, depending as
1t does SO largely for Its prosperity on
free entry to American ports, to be found
arrayed on the side of Mckinley and high
protection, there would have been rea-
sonable ground to express doubts as to his
sanity. But impossible as such a change
of sentiment would have appeared four
years, or even a twelve-month ago. 1t has
actually occurred Bradford wishes no
evil Ito the United States, and Bradford
ians would prefer to sees perpetual reign
of Mckinleyism-especi the Mckinley
ism as interpreted by the recent letter Of
the Republican candidate and the recent
declarations of Republican newspapers
rather than see a people united to this
country by so many ties of blood, tradi-
tion. and commerce, plunged into the
whirlpool of national disaster and national
disgrace which would infallibly be its fate
II the people were foolish enough to adopt
the policy of Mr.. Bryan, a policy as i'm
possible of realization as it is crude and
shallow in the theories on which 1t Is
based.
But that is not all. Hear this:
We may go even further than this and
say that Bradford manufacturers as a
whole approve on principle of the McKin-
ley policy, as 1t has been interpreted by
its author and some of the leading journals
attached TO MS cause. That principle as
recently explained does not embody the
imposition of prohibitive duties. but such
tariff as will place producers in America
on a fair footing with their competitors
here, having regard to the higher rate of
pay which prevails for most descriptions
of labor on the other side of the Atlantic
1t Is to be a duty which will handicap Bri-
tish manufacturers to the extent of de-
stroying any advantage which they may
possess through cheaper labor, but not
such as will interfere with keen and
healthy competition" between the native
and the imported goods. Mckinley also
recognizes in full the principle of reci-
procity. We not only fail to see any Just
argument which can be urged against a
policy honestly carried out on these lines,
but 1t is such policy as has often been
advocated in these columns for the United
Kingdom, and for the Empire at large
under the proposed Imperial Trade Feder-
alton. 1t is sensible policy of encourage
ment to native Industries. where such en-
couragement can be given without dspro-
portionate cost to the nation at large, of
equal play TO native and foreign Industrial
skill and enterprise, and of selling the right
of trading in native markets to those
competitors who are willing to give an
equal consideration in return to native
traders in their markets. 1t Is a common
sense policy. II carried out on reasonable
lines. 1t Ia, indeed. the only common
sense policy. And 1t is one which the
Bradford manufacturers and the Bradford
workers would like to see adopted In this
country. although they lack the courage,
ev II may be only the leaders, to advocate