Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-05-16

shock to the minds of the Englisl
people, it is called an extension Of fret
| trade. and in order to make it palata
bic to the colonies, who have neve
believed in free trade, it is called pro
lection. But the simple truth is thal
| it is the abandonment of the free trad.
doctrine and the adoption of a protec-
tive policy. This is stroke of long
range craftsmanship on the part o.
England. 1t will give her free acces.
to the markets Of all her colonies FOL
her manufactured products, while q
tariff barrier will be erected against
the products OF all other countries,
On the other hand, it viii preserve
the English market for the agricul.
tural products of her colonies. This
will give Canada, Australia and India
the exclusive right of way to the Brit.
ish market. But while it will give to
the colonies an advantage for their
agricultural products in the British
market. it will seal the fate Of the de-
velopment of manufactures in the
colonies. Australia, Canada and
India will be hopeless1y defeated in
any attempt to develop manufactures
with free importation from England.
This, of course, will tend to keep the
colonies agriculturalists and the pro-
ducers of raw material, and will allow
England to be the exclusive manu-
facturer for the entire empire.
Nothing that has occurred during the
last half century SO completely justi-
fies the protective policy of the United
States as this proposed Imperial Fed
Grafton of England. 1t is the testi-
mony of the most successful industrial
country, that the policy of protecting
the development of domestic manu-
facture is the true policy of national
development
How will this new scheme, if adop-
ted, affect the United States? It's ifu-
mediate influence will be to exclude
American farm products from the Brit
ish market. As England is the only
important purchaser of agricultural
products, this would practically des-
troy the foreign market of American
farmers. If this scheme goes into
operation, the American farmers will
awaken to a realization of the folly
they have committed in allowing
themselves to be hoodwinked into be-
lieving that the home market was a
matter of insignifcance to them and
that the foreign market was to be
their chief reliance. They will realize
that the only market that is worth
their while to rely upon is the domes-
tic consumption of the United States.
1t is the increase of this consumption
or home market that protection and
the development of manufacture and
internal commerce has created. 1t is
the further extension of this that must
be relied upon to give an assured
prosperity to our farming population
This return of England to the protec-
tive policy, l repeat, is complete de-
monstration of the far reaching wis
dom of the traditional policy of the
United States, which has ever been TO
use the influences OF government TO
promote the Investigation of industry
and the multiplication of manufacture
as the true means of promoting ma
tional prosperity
The only hope for the permanent
prosperity of the agricultural popula-
ton in this country is to abandon
their dependence on foreign markets
for the sale of their products, and CO.
operate in supporting the policy which
most effectively stimulates the growth
of home manufacture and commerce.
Instead of chasing the will-o' -the-wisp
of foreign markets and clamoring for
the free silver delusion at 10 to 1,
their interest lies in giving their
hearty support to the demand for re-
Inauguration of a rational but 6rni
and effective protective policy.-Gun-
tons Magazine for May.