The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-16
"wIDER MARKETS" DEMANDED.

The Baltimore American believes
that wider markets are needed for this
country. 1t complains, and the New
York Commercial Advertiser reiterates
and emphasizes the complaint, that
the American farmer and tradesman
would do better with an extension of
commercial opportunities.
Both of these are administration Re
publican organs. They favored the Nc
Kinley tariff and supported the Dingley
bill But something has begun to
open their eyes. They talk no longer
about the home market humbug
they used to enthuse the people about.
They are not trying to cut off foreign
exchange of products any longer. They
are not urging the restriction of the
American farmer to the home mar
ket' in these latter days.
The folly of McKinleyism and of
Dingleyism is beginning to show itself.
a prohibitory tariff is no longer as at
tractive as once it seemed. 1t wouldn't
surprise us much to see the Repub-
lican party declare for "a tariff for
The drift is in that direction. Re-
ciprocity is a step beyond it. even. Re
ciprocity is free trade" between Sc
lected countries, and wider markets"
mean more free trade. Who thought
three years ago that leading Republic
an organs would abandon their home
market" scheme and advocate an ex-
tension of free trade privileges for
American goods and products?
The article approved by the Repub
lican journals mentioned is, in part,
as follows:
Our congress should address itself
more industriously than ever to the
widening of the market for American
goods in South America and in the
east. It is in countries like these,
where industrial operations are not
carried on successfully by the natives,
that the question of the superiority of
goods and the control of the market
will be decided. Already certain grades
of American cotton goods find an in
creasing sale in the east; our agricul-
tural implements and hardware in gen.
eral, our -four and other products, are
extensively used in the countries to the
south of us, but the business could be
vastly increased. Active agents of the
government at consular posts, and live
commercial travellers, and especially
legislation from congress that will not
put letters on our exports in the way
of provoking the natives to retaliate by
the imposition of heavy duties on inn
ports, are needed if the trade is to be
obtained from our very active COM
petitors, who are always ready to ac-
cede to the demands Of those with
whom they do business.
Imperialism, or territorial expansion,
as advocated by the Republicans of
Utah, is another way of widening the
market. of battering down the wall of
protection which the McKinleys and
the Dingleys and the trusts behind
them have succeeded in building up to
the injury of American trade.
If this policy of expansion had no
other but commercial side, Democrats
would favor it more generally. Many
of them support it, anyhow, for the
purpose of trade extension alone. and
in order to reverse the old-time policy
of the Republican party.
But territorial expansion beyond this
continent involves risks and disadvan-
tages which seem to outweigh the
benefits to be derived or the satisfac-
ton of seeing Republicans tear down
their Chinese wall of protection.