Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-11-02

change, and in the current year they
will probably be one-third greater than
they were in 1888. Although we
ceased buying coffee of Yer ezuela, our
exports to that country did not fall so
low as they we're in 1890 until
1888, after the reciprocity era was
over. The presumption is that the
Venezuelans bought of us what they
could buy here to greater advantage
than they could in Europe, and they
did not sacrifice such advantages SIM
ply because we ceased TO buy their
coffee.
"Ihe exports of tho United States
TO the Argentine Republic were in.
creasing until the failure of the Bar
ings. From that date commerce be.
tween the two countries shrunk rapid
ly until 1892; since the latter year our
exports have heen increasing rapidly,
and in 1895 they were much in excess
of 1891 and 1892, and they promise
exceedingly well for this current
year.
THE foregoing statements and
comparisons indicate that the expan-
sion of the foreign trade of the United
States will be brought about by the
ordinary trade methods rather than
by II system of special concessions.
Cuba cannot be forced to buy
food in Spain instead OF in the United
States. Brazil, very naturally and
logically, will trade with the Argen-
tine Republic for wheat and flour, re.
gardless OF reciprocal agreements.
South America generally will buy pro-
visions and lumber of the United
States, whether there are reciprocal
/ agreements or not. Central America
will do likewise, aud get the larger
part of its manufactured goods in Eu.
rope until the price of the same goods
is lower in the Uuited States than it
is in Europe. With the reduced cost
of production in all lines of mauufac-
turad goods the difference in prices.
which has been against Americans, is
now rapidly diminishing and disap-
pesring.
"Human necessities and human de-
mands will bring the trade of the
countries with whom we entered into
reciprocal agreements tc us. or take
that trade to other Nations. The laws
of commerce are as inexorable and in.
evitable in their operations as the
laws of nature. No legislation nor
diplomacy can subject human wants
! to arbitrary control. American ex-
( PORTS are paid for by imports or by
transfers of commerce held by the i'm
| TO
merce is irrestrainable.
'Every exchange of commodities,
legitimately made, is of small advan-
tase to the parties making it. Legis-
lation cannot declare artificial restora'
zion or circulation of blood with so
much force as to reanimate u dead or.
ganism. And legislation and diplo.
macy are equally powerless in their
attempts to create artificial restoration
or circulation of blood with so much
force as to reanimate dead organism.
And legislation and diplomacy are
equally powerless in their attempts to
create artificial reciprocity, or to es-
tablish trade between countries which
naturally do not trade with each other,
because there is no apparent profit in
the undertaking.
HWo have been told that during She
past year our country has been prac
tically inundated with manufactured
goods of foreign production, in this
way taking work from American wage
earners, when, as matter of fact,
there has been on an average notable
increase in the importation of crude
commodities that have to be fashioned
by the labor OF American wage earn
ers, an increase accomplished by the
fight which these wage earners made
for us in the year 1892.
"The percentage of manufactured
goods imported into this country IL
1898, 1894 and 1895 was over % pei
cent. of the entire importations O
these years, aud yet that time covered
period during which the tariff pre-
pared under the protectionist tariff
commission was in force. The fact is
that in the last year our importation
of manufactured goods were. on th,
whole, exceedingly small, when one
takes into account that we had tx
make up for the scarcities of 1894
during which year there was smalle
relative importation of manufactured
goods than in any other year TO
which u classification has been givel
: by our Government.
, "The results of the year 1896 ar
expected to show that while crud
> commodities will be imported in in
creasing amounts to be manufactured
! in this country the percentage o
manufactured goods coming in thi
' year will be probably less than it VIZ
|, during the years 1891, 1892 and 1893
: 1t will be shown by these irrefutabl
| results that the American msnufactuI
5 ers are supplying a larger amount {
9 goods and commodities for export tina
s ever before, and in addition to thn
r they are supplying the home mark,
to u greater extent than ever before.
What 1t Stauds For.
: NcEinley savs. tNo one need h