The Forrest City times., 1897-06-11
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
Mcktnieyfsm Is Too Slow for the
People.

People.
The protective system is subject to
one peculiar disadvantage. Its benefi-
cent effects are cut off at both ends.
while by malign peryersity of nature
the damning results of free trade ex-
tend themselves fore and aft, miracu-
lously antedating their cause and per-
sisting long after that cause has dis
appeared.
The Mckinley law was passed in 0c-
tober, 1890. The next month the peo-
pie rose up and smote it under a mis-
apprehension, as its friends explained,
causedb by the fact that it had not yet had
time to produce its intended effects.
In 1891 these effects had still failed to
arrive to a sufficient extent to mollify
the popular resentment, and in 1892
the country was so far from recognize
ing their presence that il elected the
celebrated Grover Cleveland, then q
statesman of much eminence as a tariff
smasher, to clear the protective incum-
brance out of the way.
1t was about this time, according to
the theories of the high tariff school,
'iihe eht AhtiNihiSy law sliDutt nave Dee0
getting fairly to work, but the mere
threat of its repeal in the future in
volved in the election of hostile presi-
dent and congress, paralyzed it's delictae
mechanism. For more than 81 months
after the presidential election the Nc
kinley law remained in full force, but
its usefulness was gone. The people
continued to pay the mountainous
duties, but their magical power to
compel prosperity had disappeared.
The vague shadow of possible but un-
known low tariff in the distant future
was more potent than the actual work.
ings of a high tariff in the present.
Thus it resulted that, although the Me-
Kinley law was in force for nearly four
years, 1T never once got chance, ac-
cording to its friends, to show what il
could really do. 1t went to its grave, q
mute, inglorious Milton, with all it's
brilliant possibilities buried under the
clods of adverse circumstances.
The Wilson tariff experienced no
such delay in getting under way 1t be-
gan its deadly work, as the Mckinley
professors of economies have frequently
explained, more than a year before it
was born, and it has continued its bale
full activity ever since.
And now there is to be a new and
more stringently protective tariff, but
it has none of the preliminary effects
that protectionists credited to the Will
son bill when it was still without form
and void. Mr.. Dingley explains that his
tariff cannot be expected to bring good
times before it is passed, or even inn
mediately after. He thinks that it will
take about a year after its passage to
get into good running order. And il
by that time we have series of demo-
cratic victories, the melancholy his
tory of the Mckinley law may be rn-
peated. The advance agent of pros
perity works only by sample, and there
is no assurance that he can deliver his
goods in cloudy weather.
1t really seems hardly worth while to
try to build up protective system in
this country. The vicissitudes of poll
ties are SO frequent here that a policy
whose usefulness is killed by an adverse
verdict at the polls, and which can
never begin to produce its promised eff
fects until after the people have had
time to blast it at the next election, is
fabric too delicate TO be of any prac-
tical use. We might as well try to raise
palm trees out of doors in Canadian
winter.-N Y. Journal.