Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-04-16

They have gathered round state capltols
and attract political buzzards by some
thing they carry with them which they are
supposed to have derived from repubi-
can headquarters. Their success in beat
ing populist and electing a republican
senator in North Carolina, their rumored
success in South Dakota, their manipu
lation in other states, satisfies the public
that somebody supplies them with mon
ey. They now propose to reorganize a
new middle-of-the-road party, and they
ar e agitating the calling of convention
for that purpose. 1t is understood that
committee from these middle-of-the-
road Hanna patriots is now in Washing
ton, negotiating with republicans for
money to start a paper at the national
capital to represent the purity of mo-
tives of republican tools masqueradng
as middle-of-the-road populsts.- Silver
X night-National Waterman.
CASE OF PROFITABLE BARTER.
The president of the Great Northern
railroad has written a letter to one of
the North Dakota senators which strik-
ingly illustrates the educating Influence
which the slightest experience in inter-
national trade has on peoples views
about the working of protective tariff.
Mr.. Hill is not profound economist,
but the pursuit of the interests of his
railroad has taught him that the Aslatc
trade is of the greatest Importance to
/ this country, and particularly such por-
lions of 1t are as it are interested in rails
ing wheat. About three years ago he
sent an agent to China and Japan to see
what steps could be taken to introduce
countries, as against their own rice.
Finding that it was simply matter of
price, the question of finding ships to
carry the flour at the lowest possible
rates came up for consideration, and ar
rangements were finally concluded with
the General Steamship company of
Japan to carry flour from Puget Sound
to the Asiatic ports at 50 per ton, as
against S. to IS per ton formerly charg-
ed from west coast ports in the United
States. This low rate fixed the rate for
all other lines between the Pacific coast
ard Asia, and has resulted in carrying
out about > O00 900 bushels of wheat, or
its equivalent in flour, from the last crop.
Thus, as President Hill puts it, we
have been able to find new mouths
which have never before used wheaton
bread, to take the entire California, Ore
gon and Washington wheat crop out of
the European markets. European ships
are loading with barley, rye and mer-
chandise for Europe, after waiting four
months for cargoes of wheat and it is
presumed that if the Asiatc demand con-
tinues, no more wheat will 90 to Europe
from the Pacific coast. But the con-
tinuance of this demand being en-
tirely question of price, and the
cost of transportation being a very
important, if not the controlling, element
in that, the possibility of getting return
cargoes from Asia has a very direct
bearing on the future of his trade.
The great reduction in the cost of trans
porting flour to Asia was brought about
by diverting the tea and mating bust
ness, which heretofore went mainly from
Asia direct to New York, and bringing
these commodities to the Pacific coast
for distribution, thence to points be-
tHeen Minnesota and New York. To
put prOhibitOry duty on mating would
be TO lessen the amount of the incoming
cargoes so as to compel the imposition of
another fifty cents barrel on the out
ward going flour-an advance reckoned
sufficient to kill this very promising
trade.
The Illustration is an apt one of how
readily all commerce resolves itself into
barter and how impossible it is to strike
at imports without cutting of exports
also. The farmer of the Pacific slope
has been getting twenty to twenty-five
cents more for his wheat than he did
year ago. and this is largely due to the
new markets opened to him over in Asia.
To invite him to admire tariff under
which the cost of everything he wears
and most that he uses will be advanced,
while his chances of being able to pay
for them will be measurably reduced, is
to expect too much He may be capable
of being deluded into the belief that free
silver would advance the price to be de-
rived from the product of his labor, but
he is not fool enough to be taken in by
protective system from whose benefits he
is excluded Boston Herald.
When the spring time comes, "gentle