Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-13
IHappy Free Trade Theorists.

Happy Free Trade Theorists.
The free traders are certainly a happy
class OF people, for the reason that their
imaginations are constantly at work
building ''castles in the air concerning
the "markets of the world" ''the open
door" and other theories beautiful to
look upon, but so thoroughly impractical
that every time an experiment in the
line Of their reasoning is tried utter
failure follows. But the happy dis
position of the theorists prevents dis
enlargement and they come up smiling
after each and every turning down,
ready for another bout with facts and
figures.
1t is a we'll known fact that since the
enactment of the Dingley tariff law,
American manufacturers have gone into
the markets of the world" with greater
success than wei before, and any one
would think that that effect of the pres
ent tariff law would forever silence the
cry of protection closes foreign markets
to American product" but it has not,
and the latest explanation for the fail
ure of protection totwork ruin to Amer
lean goods in foreign countries is so
ingenious as to almost approach the
sublimity of supernatural powers. Here
it is:
"Dingleyism stimulated overproduc-
ton on the part of the manufacturers,
on the IL hand, and, by placing the
home market at the mercy of the favored
class, stinted the purchasing power of
the buyers and brought about UNDER
consumption. These two causes pro-
duced congestion of trade at home and
the manufacturers have been forced to
go abroad with their surplus products
with encouraging results"
Was anything more convincing than
that yer penned? 1t sounds we'll, too,
but the several statements contained
therein are very contradictory when
carefully examined. The buying powers
of the purchasers have been stinted!
Industrial statistics issued by publica-
tions devoted to trade and not to politics
refute that statement so effectually-that
it is safe to predict that it will not be
used by shrewd free trade orators in the
fall campaign. As 1t has been hereto
fore understood, in order to stint the
consumption or buying powers of .
nation the wage earners must be de-
prived of their work and forced to live
on air. Statistics show that in March
last, in 2,292 manufacturing establish
ments reporting 64,749 more persons
were employed than in March, 1897, and
wages had advanced a little over 25Fper
cent. The number of concerns report
ing is a very small part of the number
in the country and there is no question
but the same increase in the number Of
hands employed and the advance in the
wage scale will average the same in
those which did not report. If an in
crease in the number OF people en-
ployed and larger wages result in cur
failing the purchasing powers of the
home consumers, then the sooner work
Of all kinds is stopped entirely the
sooner will every man, woman and
child in the land become millionaires.
1t is really too bad that the American
manufacturers have been forced into
foreign markets to dispose of the 1ssur-
plus products with encouraging results"
They ought to be ashamed of themselves
for thus knocking one Of the pet argu-
ments of the free trader into thin moth
ingness, even If success has been at
tanned. However, it is surmised that
the American manufacturers have in
yaded the markets Of the world under
a protective tariff for the r~easonsthat
opportunities for making money, Keep
ing American w%orkingmen employed,
and preparing the way for still further
industrial expansions were SEEN, and
not because there was any under con-
sumption at home. The prices which
sheep, cattle and farm products Of all
kinds command at the present time
completely refute the claim that the
purchasing power of American buyers
have been stinted by protection. The
happy theorists will have to try another
explanation for the prosperity of the
country under the Dingley law. unless
they will be honest with themselves and
the country and admit that protection
has brought it all about.