The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-06
THOSE FOREIGN PROTESTS.

More than half a dozen foreign govern
ments, through their representatives at
Washington, protested against the Dingley
tariff bill on the ground that it would in
jure their trade with this country. Those
protests were all couched in polite and dip
lomatic language, but some of them init
mated that if the bill passed their govern
ments would probably find it necessary to
enact retaliatory legislation. That is not
uncommon. and it would not be surprising
If some of the protesting governments
should do so in this case. Tariff wars have
occurred before, and will continue to occur
now and then as long as governments con-
tinue to legislate for the interests of their
own people. 1t is probable, however, that
the governments which protested against
our tariff will think twice or several times
before they enter on a course of retaliatory
legislation, and will finally abandon the
IDEA. The truth is we could get along very
well without most of the things we import
from other countries, while they could
scarcely get along at all without the things
they import from the United States. We
import mostly luxurieS or what we could
easily produce ourselves, while they import
necessities. Our imports from European
countries consist largely of silks, satins,
laces, wines and other fine goods or lux
uries, while their imports from the United
States consist largely of breadstuffs, meats,
petroleum, cotton and other things which
they cannot get along without. They do
not buy these things of us merely for the
sake of patronizing us, but because they
are obliged to have them. If they could
produce them themselves they would do il,
and if they could obtain them anywhere
else cheaper than they do from us they
would not trade with us.
1t is interesting to note what some of
these foreign protests were based upon. The
Italian ambassador protested against the
duty on oranges and lemons because it
would prove disastrous to the Italian trade
in these fruits. Now, why in the name of
ommon sense and American patriotism
should we import oranges and lemons from
Italy when California and Florida are
capable of producing all of these fruits that
we can consume? 1t is not asserted that
they do it now, but they are capable of do
ing it. The Italian ambassador might have
included in his protest the duty on olives,
of which California produces a better quail
ity than Italy does, and on olive oil, which
is exported from the United States as cot
ton-seed oil and bottled and sent back from
Italy as olive oil. There is no reason why
the United States should not produce all
the olives consumed in the country, and as
for salad oil, our cotton-seed oil can be re-
fined in this country as we'll as it can be
in Italy, and if some Americans prefer a
foreign label their whim can be INDUCED in
that regard.
France complained that the new tariff
would injure her export trade in textile
goods, embroideries and wines. Probably
it will, and to that extent the country will
be the gamer in none. saved and home in
dustries developed. American silks, ribbons
and satins are good enough for American
women, and American women who do not
think so should be required to pay a pen
atty for their lack of patriotism. The So
called French brandy, or cognac, exported
to this country is said by experts to be a
fiery compound altogether inferior to pure
California brandy, while California wines,
if not equal to the best in the world, are
at least good enough for anybody.
The Danish minister filed with his protest
a bill of particulars which is calculated to
provoke a smile. He complained that the
following Danish products would be I'M
favorably affected by the new tariff, viz:
Beer, cement, white cabbage, hemp seed,
porcelain, hides and skins, wool. rags, peb-
bles, lime, chalk, gloves, leather, con
densed milk, granite, monuments, dairy
machinery and tents. Most persons will
learn for the first time that we import some
of the things named in this list, and all will
admit that we ought not to import any of
them. One would like to know whether
the dairy machinery" imported from Den
mark consists of churns or milking ma
chimes, for We manufacture both in this
country. And why should this great ag-
ricultural country import white cabbage or
condensed milk? Why should we go fur
Their than Maine in the East or Georgia in
the South for granite? In the name OF
common sense, why should we import lime
or tents, and what kind of pebbles" are
we lacking in that we must import from
Denmark?
The truth is the United States is the most
resourceful and -self-supporting country in
the world. No other country approaches it
in variety of climate, soil and products. Its
area is nearly equal to that of the whole Of
Europe. and with perfect free trade among
all the States and Territories from Maine to
California, from Minnesota to Louisiana.
and from Alaska to Texas, why should We
care if other countries cut off their sup
plies of things we can produce ourselves?
1t should be the policy of American states
manship to make the United States what
nature intended it to be, the most independ-
ent and -self-supporting country in the
world.
THE DATE OF EMANCIPATION.
Colored people in the United States make