New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-26
FALSE PROPHETS OF EVIL.

A wear Of experience with the Dngey Tariff
law fails 10 confirm tho dOeful predictions re
garding its effect upon our sales abroad which
were made while it was pending in Congress.
The new law has been in operation now for
more than year. Going into effect in the clos
ing days of July, 1897. il certainly has had time
to bring the disasters TO our foreign trade which
were promised, If those promises are TO he ful-
filled. While il was scarcely to be expected that
the depressing effect predicted for II would be
felt at once nobody will claim that AZ this dis
lance from its enactment ii has been unable 10
foster whatever hostility among foreign pur-
chascrs it Is likely to provoke While It could
scarcely be expected that in its first month the
disappointment of the foreign consumer of
American pork the wearer of American cot
tons would make itself felt NJ this end Of the
line il certainly Is not unreasonable to assume
that by the close of the first year of is opera
tons we should be able to determine whether il
is or Is not iniuring our markets abroad. Sep
tcmber 1898. was the fourteenth month Of the
operations Of the new law. If ii is ever going
TO cast blight over our foreign trade il must
be doing 10y this time. Surely the month OF
September or the nine months Of the year end
Ing with September, ought to show the effects
of the poison concealed within its proe;:iv"
tariff folds n not, is 1t not fair 10 conclude
that the predictions made by its enemies were
unfounded?
Let us see what the Dnglcy law has done.
at least what has followed its enactment And
in examining the question let rs give TO It's OPP
ponents the fullest opportunity to verify their
predictions by considering the "obiect-lcsson"
which they especially invoked. If there was
any country whose commercial friendship was
looked upon as most certainly lost by the tariff
Of 1897 II was Argentina. Tho duty on hides
and wool was declared n direct menace to this
iourishing and friendly South American neigh
Dor and most positive predictions were made as
10 its dire effect upon orr sales to that coun-
try. Not only did the free trade statiSticanS in
Congress and tho newspaper offices point 10 the
disaster certain to Ovcrtake our exporters 10 Ar
gcntina. but they were reinforced bv one klett,
an Argentine editor then travelling through the
United States with party of merchants from
that country: and his uttcrances were made the
basis of many learned articles and speeches 10
prove that our trade with Argentina was IT.
retriovably ruined. Al the end Of the fourteenth
months operations OF the new law il is interest
ing to see whether our sales 10 Argentina have
decrease or otherwise Certainly nobody can
interpOsc in this case the thrcadbar" claim that
our sales were stimulated by the shortage of
the foreign food supply" which has been made
an excuse for our increased sales in Europe. for
Argentina produces her own food supplies and
sells surplus abroad Nor can the ghost of the
Spanish war be invoked as a reason for the
failure of tho predictions. for II this incident
could have had any effect il would have been
adverse to u.s. both because Of its interruption of
trade to the southwark and also by reason OF
| the sympathies of people Of Spanish cxtrac-
ton. speaking tho Spanish tongue.
All the conditions were favorable IN Argcn-
tina for the fulflmcnt of the predictions Of those
prophets Of evil. Now let Us see If they have
been fulfilled The following table shows our
September exports 10 Argentina during The last
five years to have been: