Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-11-18
American and British Systems.
Wool Record.l

Wool Record.l
In discussing the comparative merits OF
the American and British commercial sys-
TENS, it is necessary to study the respective
conditions out of which they arise. IL the
first place, the American people possess a
variety Of soils adapted to every species OF
agricultural products. They have also IN
abundance every description of raw ma
terial required for their diversified indus
tries. England on the other hand, is in
want of everything except labor and
limited support of minerals. In order to
feed and clothe her population, she calls
upon Asia, Africa, Australia, America,
China, India and the isles of the sea for
enormous contributions Of grain, meat,
fish, OIL cotton and wool. 1t is naturally
her policy to seek these in exchange for
her manufactures. To facilitate this she
maintains her magnificent merchant mar
marine.
In England the Malthusian theory has
become stern reality. Her population
increases while her food supply relatively
falls behind, and the gap in the proportion
widens in an alarming manner The value
of Engands agricultural products would
not serve as units in the count when COM
pared with the value Of the agricultural
output Of the United States. Our present
area in cultivation would afford food for q
population more than twice as large as
that which now occupies this country
Yet we have less than one-tenth of our
arabic area in cultivation. Our mining
industries not only throw those of England
in the shade, but they are in excess o.
those of continental Europe, Asia, South
America, Mexico and the British colonies
combined and we have scarcely begun to
develop our mineral resources. While the
coal mines Of Great Britain are already so
deep as to greatly increase the cost Of
mining, we have enough coal near the sur
face to last us for centuries of consumption,
and our aggregate coal supply is practically
inexhaustible.
In our manufactures we start with the
advantage of having our raw meterlai
ready at hand, while England must go
thousands of miles for every cotton ball
she spins. We can produce all the wool,
cotton, woods and metals required for any
and every variety of manufacture. 1t is,
therefore, clear that with these three
natural advantages of food. fuel and raw
material in available abundance, we only
need favorable conditions Of enterprise
and competition to attain and maintain
absolute supremacy in every line Of human
industry. These conditions can only be
provided by the system of protection,
This proposition requires 10 argument.
1t has been amply demonstrated by ex-
perience.
Free trade has been a failure even in
Great Britain, despite her elaborate colon
ial policy. A special cable from London,
dated Nov. I, states that the total decrease
in the value of British exports for ten
months of 1897 is s30,0OO,OOo. En-
gland is today confronted by
the ominous fact that Of tie
enormous foreign trade Of all the British
colonies, only about 40 per cent, is trans
acted with the mother country, while GO
per cent. goes 10 rival nations. The United
States suffers under none Of these distrac-
tons and limitations.
We requirefor continuous and increasing
prosperity, not so much any particular
tariff schedule, as the general, vital, con-
serving principle OF protection, practically
applied and prudently adjusted to the liz
dustries and interests Of all sections and
classes.