The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-10

A Notable Contribution to Tariff Litera-
ture.

tuICs
("Protection and Prosperity an ac-
count Of the tariff legislation and its
effect in Europe and America, by Hon.
George B. Cortiss. Royal Octave, sst
pages, Pan-American Publishing Co., Ill
Fifth avenue, New York;
book for which three Preside tial as
pirants have written an introduction on
tue verge OF political contest and which
each has commended IN unqualihed
terms deserves notice. Messrs. Mckinley,
Morton and Reed have in their introduc-
tion not merely expressed their approval
of the work as in thorough accord with
their own weli-known views on protection,
but they. have stated their belief that II Is
the ablest, the most exhaustive and the
ost.accurate treatise on the subject that
has.ever been written. A glance at tho
contents of the book suflices TO convince
US that Whatever its merits 1t does not
fall within the class. OF those evanescent
publications SO violent in tone and re-
stricted in scope, which Hood the country
at intervals of four years. There are chap
ters on the commerce of ancient nat lions,
on the rise of the Italian cities, on the
commercial progress OF the Netherlands,
on every phase of economic development
OF England down to the present time. Then
follow several chapters on Germany,
France, Russia and other leading COM
mercial nations, and finally avery COM
plete survey of the tariff history OF the
United States, including ali account OF
the German ison bill and its effects.
The author evidently believes that the
only sound basis: :of an economic policy is
the experience OF nations, and to find
out what that experience has been he
traverses the whole range OF commercial
history, both ancient and modern. Insso
doing be gives proof Of very extensive
and conscientious study, yet he never
cumbers his pages with merely curious
information or wanders from his subject
to make display OF learning. The decline
OF Rome was due to her neglect OF the in
custrial welfare of her agricultural popu-
iation through her dependence on for
eign supplies. Venice is shown to have
won her commercial supremacy and TO
have maintained 1t by rigid protective
policy. The Netherlands won theirs be-
cause of favorable conditions which
afforded their commerce q sort OF natural
protection. This failing they soon sought
shelter under a protective tariff. And so
II is throughout the entire book. The
commercial history of England is treated
IN 800 compactly written pages, comprising
first the early free trade period during
which the English depended upon for
eigners for their clothing, implements and
all other manufactured articles and allow
| ed these foreigners the monopoly OF their
| wholesale and retail trade; then the grad
| uai rise OF protective policy from the
| small beginnings under Edward Ill,
| through the great industrial epoch OF
| Eliza beth's reign down to the early part
| Of this century " hen England had driven
| the merchant vessels Of every Continental
nation from the seas. BY 1850 she stood
| foremost among all the nations of tire
world, unquestionably the greatest COM
mercial power that had ever existed.
| During this entire period protection had
been her consistent and unwavering
policy. The contrast between it end the
earlier period when an opposite policy
| was followed is vividly set forth and the
| writer now proceeds to describe the anti
| corn law movement and the effect of the
| resulting revolution in her tariff policy.
| He shows in the first place that the Eng
\ lish manufacturers no longer regarded
| protection as necessary to shield them
| from invasion and attack; in the second
place that they hoped by abandoning IL
| to induce other countries to follow their
example and level the barriers against the
competition of their form ida bic English
rivals. These facts Established, he in
vestjgates the nature and methods OF the
movement for repeal. His conclusions
sre not very creditable to the anti-corn
law league or to Its great leader Golden,
the "pure-Landed hero of q biopdless
fight" who is nevertheless found caioling
the farmers with false promises. Singu-
larry enough, the sources for this part of
his work are the free trade authorities
themselves. He then traces the history
of England during the recent free trade
period. The period from 1S46 to 1874 was
one of prosperity, OF the growth Of home
industries and expansion OF foreign trade.
Yet it Is shown conclusiyely that this was
but continuation of period of pros
perity which the English people had long
enjoyed, resulting from superior advant-
ages acquired during the period Of pro-
tection which bad just closed. Other in
huences quite apart from the matter of
tariff policy, contributed to this pros
perity. Gold was discovered in California
In 1S49, and in Australia in 1851 Ii was
the period of railroad building through
out the world, and British capitalists and
iron masters furnished not oniy the ma
rerial, but the capital for their construc-
tion.
The most interesting part Of the work
to the American student of the tariff ques-
tion will be found In the 175 pages de-
voted to the effects of Englano's system
of free trade on her domestic industries
from 1874 to the present time. 1t is
shown that by this time Continental ma
tions had developed their vast manu-
| featuring industries under protective
tariffs. They were ready 10 enter the
COu(est WIN OTcdt brlthIu dHu put tue
free trade dogmas of Richard Golden and
his associates to an actual test of interna-
tional competition. Competition became
so excessive and competing Imports SO
| increased, that in 1885 Parliament APP
pointed a commission to inquire into the
cause Of tne decline OF trade. In the
| digest presented OF the evidence before
| this commission, Is found the most reli
able and definite presentation of facts
| against the policy OF free trade to be OBJ
| tanned anywhere.
This is followed by tables. which pres
ent an analysis of the foreign trade OF
the country from 1850 to 1892. these
| figures disclose the fact that while i'm
ports OF competing commodities for home
consumption have steadily increased, the
| exports OF domestic productions have
| steadily declined since 1874.
Following the discussion of the tariff
| question in the United Kingdom, about
| l60 pages are devoted to Germany, France,
Russia and other Continental countries,
presenting for the first time a connected
account OF the industrial development,
| tariff legislation and commercial history