The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-26
n s-ErzErA14or.

measure upon business, and n that eject should
rot prove to be beneficial, the disappointment.
o many persons, will DO g~rievoua The umai |
mount Of gold exported on Saturday, and the
m Ller amount announced for export on
No 'nesday, are viowod a. matters Of no Inn
IorLancc, especially as the metal is COMING this
way rom Australia, and tho supply OF 1t from
LaskA promises TO rival In amount that derived \
rom California half . century ago.
The increased duties laid on imported msr. |
handiso by the now tariff act have naturally |
provoked the condemnation oe those whose In |
erests arc injuriously affected by them. CON- |
,umers dislike paying the higher prices for the
~,rticlos they consume which the higher duties
end to create. Manufacturers whose own
yarcs the tariff protects against thoso OF foreign
ompetitors object TO similar protection for
he raw materials they employ. Merchants
whose trade 10 likely to be crippled BY tho OBJ
,tacies thrown In tho way Of importing foreign
nade goods also cry out against the expected
ieorease OF the volume Of their transactions and
hus OF their profits. Each class has ~specious
easons to offer why It should have been CT
.mpted from additional burdens. and each TO
Yards itself ~ unjustly treated.
Fortunately for the peace Of the community
md tor the stability Of our institutions We are
ii creatures of habit. and much % IL annoys IN
% have TO pay moro than we have been 40.
iustomod to pay for things, we soon become
isoi to II and give 1t no moro thought. It 70.
Iuires On effort on the part Of many OF us to re-
all the time when the best Havana cigars sold
1t retail at 3 cents apiece. and Heidsieck cham
,'gne. in quarts, at $40 per dozen. Now
hose who can indulge In such Injuries pay.
without a murmnr. 25 cents apiece for similar
'igars and $40 per dozen for similar champagne,
N if the price Of cigars was raised to 90 cents
Zach and that Of champagne to $50 per dozen
no rise would SCOT be accepted as o mat
er OF course, and would excite no remark.
%hen, therefore,, the opponents Of tho
lew tariff tnlk about tho advance It will
ause IN tho prices OF various articles. AMOUNT
ng to q few cents or fractions Of . cent on each,
hoy talk to careless cara. II the entire adj
'ance should amount to S7o.ooo 900 q year. 1t
would impose, on an average. the payment Of
my 81 by each Of our population, or S5 by each
Iamily. At all events. the Government must be
provided with Q revenue adequate to its en-
,enditures, and the needed revenue must DO
furnished by tho citizens OF the country In some
.orm or other. II every Individual had TO pay to
he United States Treasury his taXes In lump.
N addition Of 81 to the amount required Of
aim, or one Of S5 to that required Of each
tamily, might in many cases be resented. but
he trihing addition each day to the cost Of COM
'nodities entailed by the new tariff will SCARCE
y DO felt, even at first and ultimately IL viii
lot be felt at all.
For this reason tho popular resistance to
he new tariff which its opponents sought
o excite failed to mako itself manifest. On
he contrary, in spite Of all grumblnG. the
PREDOMINANT disposition has been to get tho
natter settled and out Of the way of the revival
# industry, which the uncertainty In regard to
t has blocked. The special interests injured
Iave. indeed. made q stubborn tight IN their own
BEHALF. but they have not been backed by tho
.npss Of citizens. The tariff 10 not. perhaps. uni.
-erstlly approved, but 1t Is not unpopular, and
4 its adoption should DO followed by an I'M
movement in business Affairs it viii be accepted
-, on the whole, unobjectionable Only let the
American citizen prosper and mako money. and
10 does not trouble himself about complex ques.
lions Of political economy and the conflicting
.heories Of professors Of the science.
The causes that excite opposition to tho nav
sarif among our own citizens, also excite the
same opposition among foreigners. It 10 for the
interest Of every foreign nation that we should
ruy as much az possible OF It's products, and In.
Jreases Of our customs duties upon those
',roducts. tending as they do to diminish our
purchases OF them, arc naturally disfiked by 1t.
Having no votes by which TO influence the &C.
Ion OF Congrs s., 1t falls back upon diplomacy.
ind through Its diplomatic agents 1t endeavors
% prevent legislation unfayorable to 1t BY prom
Va EoSApASSity oAa
These are legitimate weapons of commercial
warfare. but their efficiency as regards this
country needs not to 90 estimated very highly.
Considered by itself alone, the foreign com.
Tnerce Of this country is very important. and
he addition TO it or the withdrawal from 1t oil
{. few millions of dollars worth of commodities
livery year looks like o serious matter. Taking
me year with another. our exports Of mor
.handise amount TO about $780, 900. 900 q year
IN T. L.,
'w6ive months. owing to exceptional influences
he exports have been OF the value Of o. 1862.
10000 and the imports Of tn tof S764. 600. 600
which is much above the average OF exports anc
=. little above that Of importA- At any rate. 1
no addition OF even 800. 900, 900 to our ex
orts this last year has been tho result of Q tariff
favorable TO foreign industries and will be fol
owed by q reduction Of 300, 900. 900 under tn
new tariff. IL Is plausible TO say that In that re
.pect the new tariff 10 unwisely framed.
Comparing, however, our foreign trade viii
hat which we carry on among ourselves. It
proportions dwindle exceedingly. In 1890 tn
otal agricultural products OF the United State
we're Of the value of % .48O. 900. 900 Its manu-
actured goods came to 50, 1872. 200. 900. and tn
Held OF it's mines amounted TO 1857. 100000
Thus, $12.419. 900. 900 worth of consumable com
'nodities were produced by US In . year. of whicl
We exported tLe same year only 1865, 000. 90
worth. leaving for our own consumption Sl1
16l. 900. 900 worth. or 90 per cent. of the whole
N return for the 1858. oOO. 900. or z per cent
Exported, we took goods to the value OF S7Sp
DOC, 900. the balance against US being adjusted
70 far as 1t WAS adjusted. by freights paid an
~ exports OF gold and silver.
II, therefore, by rot liatory tariff Legislation
ne foreign nations wit. which we trade shout
1ncceod In shutting out from their ports the CT
Ire volume OF the merchandise they now tax
rom this country. and supposins that for thi
merchandise We could and no other customer
he los 10 US would DO at the utmost but 2 pc
ent. OF tho total product OF our industry. tn
opposition. however. Is purely fantastic an
Incapable of realization. No retAliatory tariff
.owever vigorously framed. could possibly !
pdopJed by enough nations to keep our product
,ntirely out OF foreign markets., nor could an
iation adopt such . tariff without innictin
,normous suffering upon Its own citizens. Tw'
birds OF our exports, worth, say, $500 0O, 0O