The record-union., 1897-11-07


seemed to be possessed of an eager de-
sire that l pack them up without any
loss of time and depart. The honorable
Chairman, especially. was particularly
anxious to have them packed up. and.
besides. earnestly requested me TO alb
stain in my remarks from any mention
whatever on the much dreaded point
of equalizing protection by an export
bounty.
But as there remarks were in type
writing and backed up by the indorse-
ment of many State Oranges. the
Chairman had no recourse but TO order
them printed. 1 confess that / shall
view with interest the impression these
catalogues make upon this gathering
The more so. as / understand that you
are supposed to represent a learned and
earnest band of men whose chief striv-
ing ii Is claimed is FOR that pathway
which borders closely on the highway
of true national progress
Who, then, can deny the potency of
this evidence as factor-a factor
which has not alone powerfully infu-
enced the economic conditions of this
republic, but of the powerful countries
of Western and Central Europe like
wise?
And If this be admitted Gas it must be
by the learned and intelligent) it may
be confidently hoped that the results
which are TO follow from the submit
ting of this concrete evidence before
Your organization will be more impor-
tant to the national welfare than when
the same was done before the former
Committee on Ways and Means
But why place such stress upon the
Importance of this evidence? Because
IT unerringly points to a new economic
world condition of special significance
to this country. Inasmuch as the agri-
cultural is the primary industry in the
United States, it must necessarily fol-
low that whenever it is adversely af-
fected all other interests are likewise
affected
Nor is it only the economic condition
which is threatened, but the political
likewise, for every intelligent person
will admit that permanent adverse eco
nomic conditions in the agricultural
sections has a strong tendency to en-
gender incoherent and inconsistent rad
icalism among that otherwise most con-
seryative body of men-the American
sified by inequality and palpable injus-
tice at home.
The maintenance of artificial prices
for manufactures through protection at
this time, when the free trade prices of
agricultural staples will no longer per-
nit it, must in the end be reactionary
and disastrous in the highest extreme.
1t means an economic disturbance in
the measure of distribution, which un-
less promptly rectified. must in the end
firmly seat popuiism, if not anarchy,
in the seat of municipal, State and ma
tional Government
This diagnosis may be wrong. but
what intelligent person viewing the ev-
idence properly can say it is wrong?
How near the truth this view of the
case it must be evident to all who inter-
ested themselves in the last Presiden
| tial campaign.
But" say some of the one-sided pro-
tectionists, you forget to take into
consideration the effects of a high tariff
on agricultural staples. When the tar
| if was low, the staples We're low when
the tariff was raised, the prices of the
| staples rose. Do you see?"
Yes, we see. We see that this answer
is cunningly ingenious. but at the same
time that il is shamefacedly sophistical
| But can falSehood stand in the stead
! of truth? Can a reiterated lie to the
| contrary change a fact? What, then,
was the cause of the recent advance in
the worlds price Of the staples? We
need not search long for an answer;
the drought in India and Australia, de-
struction of the growing crops by To-
Gusts in South America, the storms
in Russia, and the short crops in Cen
| trail Europe is the proper answer.
| But can we not confidently hope for
a continuation of adverse crop condi-
tions among the competing nations, and
for a corresponding continuation OF
prosperity here, resulting therefrom?
This may be the programmed hope
of the false priests and false prophets
of the one-sided protection system. but
like the false priests and false prophets
of old, they are very likely to come to
grief as soon as Providence decides 9TH
! erwise
| 1t is true that the Bible says there
was a seven years drought in Egypt,
! but history nowhere records continued
drought in several countries at the
same time And if the competing ma
tions found it profitable to extend culti-
walton on 50-cent wheat and o-cent
cotton, how much greater will be the
| incentive to extend when spurred on by
present prices?
| Clearly, then, we are confronted by a
new. economic world condition. and we
must adjust our economic policy to
meet it, And in this adjustment there
! is no room for the continuation of A
method of protection limited to tariff
on imports The time has come when
protection must be equitable and just
| or it must be abolished, and SO long
! as manufactures are protected by a
! tariff on imports there should also be
protection for agriculture by a bounty
! on exports. The one is just as prac-
| ticable and reasonable as the other
! Those of us here who are merchants
| buying goods know from recent eX-
| perience how well the tariff does its
work since the higher duties were I'M
posed. the Home Market Club and the
Tariff League TO the contrary notwith-
standing Now. bounty on the ex-
ports of agriculture will do precisely
the same thing for agriculture. no more
and 10 less.
! Just So" says the free trader; ''just
| SO, but in adopting the export bounty
as a means of equalizing protection it
| is nothing more or less than a -reducto
/ ad adsurdum' of protection
I But is this fact? Let us see: When
ever it is proposed to benefit one in
| dustry at the expense of another, it
would be a s'reducto ad absurdum'' to
| effectively tax both industries at the
J Ilant -6ar, =,