The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-12
THEY SAVED US.

benefit of the privileged few who con-
ouct them, which finds it's worthy en-
bodimentain the protective system, we
nave reason to thank the founders Of
thist government for having saved it's
people by, their wisdom and foresight
from themselves. The legislature of
pennsylvania has passed an act i'm
posing tax of half a cent a gallon
on domestic beer, and another putting
d tax OF L cent a gallon on beer made
outside the limits Of the state. This
Is an idea worthy of Pennsylvania, the
nurse and foster mother of protection
IN Its ultra and most obnoxious form.
Inc law is imperative, because it is
unconstitutional. No provision of the
Ieoeral constitution is palmer than that
"hlch prevents any state from taxing
commodity imported into it from an
other state. No such direct attempt to
F.! oVerstep this limit as this action of
pennsylvania has ever been made with
IN our knowledge. It's fate is rendered
/ certain not only by the plain mandate
! OF the law, but by what has befallen
other states that tried to do the same
thlng under the guise of a proper ex-
erc1se of their police power.
IeXas attempted to tax commercial
| travellers doing business in that state
for firms outside OF it, and the example
was followed by other legislatures, I'M
III the supreme court unhesitatingly
stamped it out as unconstitutional
minnesota attempted to interfere with
the business Of the great packing hous-
es by law proposing a local meat in
| spect1on, that amounted to virtual
tax upon the outside product. This
went the same way, and so has every
| other legislative effort to interfere with
interstate commerce and the freedom
OF trade between states. Therefore.
there need be no fear that Pennsyl-
Vanla can enforce such law, or that
It's example will be followed.
But we can see what would happen
had not the jealousies between the
states under the old confederation
warned the forefathers of what might
happen at some future day. The pity
OF 1t is that they did not see the logical
| application of the principle in it's full
est extent. If freedom of trade be-
tween the states is good thing, if a
state with inferior natural adyanta gas
for the production of certain COM
modify is not to be authorized and en-
couraged to develop those resources bv
taxing imports of the same commodity
! from state where it can be nroduced
more cneaply, then the same thing is
true, and the same rule ought to be
applied with reference to trade between
all the states as between a nation and
the other nations of the world.
The real scope of this great natural
law was not realized by those who
drew up our constitution. Therefore
they left open this crevice, which has
Widened, under the pressure of the ris-
ing hood of private greed and public
commercialism, into tariff laws that
actually restrict and hamper the de-
velopment of our country at the same
time that they impose upon it's people
for private benefit, an almost unbear-
able burden
Were 1t permissible, We can see that
before this time there would have been
built up, along all the boundaries Of
our states, great cordons Of custom
| houses beyond which no article of use
could pass without paying it's percen-
tage to the toll gatherer Not one dol
lar could be added to wealth or to pro-
duction by this process. The people
would be double losers; first in the
inequality of a tax imposing unjustly
an impOSt on one class for the benefit
Of maintaining this army of office
holders to collect the revenues and en-
| force the law.
That we may thank our lucky stars.
has been made impossible. It's type
exists in a system Of national restric-
ton upon trade, under which we groan
today, and which is the explanation
and the inspiration Of the popular pro-
| test against monopoly and favoritism.
We hope that the day may not be far
! distant when the forceful lesson of the
| veto upon protective legislation by the
| states will have it's effect in the larger
field Protection is wild and empty
theory, unsupported by fact and mega
| tived by the common sense of man
kind when it comes to be applied to
their immediate and local affairs.
Mr.. Reid himself understands the nature of
his duties. Il am simply going to London I"
he says, TO present the good wishes and con-
! CALCULATIONS of this government to the
queen. Exchange.
We doubt it; it isn't his style. Miles had
to have the bridal stateroom at a cost of
$500. and special ambassador will not go
as simply as Miles did. Possibly, however,
Mr. Reid said that 81 am going simply to
present. ~ ia
The condition Of apprehension and alarm
| indeed, almost of actual lpanic-into which the
| supreme court deosionl in the Trans Missouri
case threw the railroad managers of the coun-
! try appears to have entirely disappeared
! New York Tribune
How can thing that has entirely dis
oid 10