The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-07-20
The New Raid on Protection.

Prosperity is identified with the
Dingley law. The Wilson law belongs
to a period of deep depression and
business disaster. It's predecessor, the
Mckinley tariff law, was attended with
the greatest expansion in foreign COM
MERGE known up to that time, but far
surpassed since the Dingley law went
into operation. These are facts estab-
lished in official statistics, open to all
and easily understood at glance.
After the amazing fiasco in the Wilson
law Democrats are disposed to take
circuitous roads to assail the protective
system. Their latest plan is to attack
it under the pretense that this is the
best way to fight the trusts. The
subterfuge is extremely thin. In the
Mckinley law of 1890 was embodied a
section that would have killed the
trusts, but it was practically destroyed
by the Democratic modification in the
Wilson law of 1894. Those who look
for the fostering influence that saved
the trusts need search no further than
the Wilson law, which gave free range
to trusts unless engaged in the import
ing trade. The preceding Republican
tariff law prohibited all trusts under
penalty of heavy fine and imprison-
ment. The clause would be in force
today if a Democratic Congress had
not demolished it in framing that hid
eous failure, the Wilson law.
Since it is settled that the Demo
cratic cutlery against trusts is intended
to mask a fresh assault on protection it
is we'll to consider the disturbance of
prosperity implied by this movement.
In former years, and not long ago, the
Democratic party contended that a
protective law was an impossible bar
to the growth of foreign trade. Cur
rent conditions refute that theory.
American foreign trade is at high
water mark In six years cur exports
of manufactures have increased Ito per
cent. They have quadrupled since
1870. Since 1890 there has been an
increase in the foreign commerce of
Germany and France, both protection
ist countries, but no increase in free
trade England. For the fiscal year
Just closed the value of exports of
American manufactures was $685., O00,-
900, an increase over the preceding
year of $44 100000. The gain in iron
and steel exports for the year was
$24, 100000 This enlargement of the
export of manufactured articles is,
from its nature, a permanent advance.
Harvests may fail and the demand for
our food supplies fuotuate, but the
wave of foreign trade coming to our
factories is based on a continuous de-
mand and is met by steady production.
AS revenue raiser the Dingley law
has more than met expectations. It's
trainers promised prosperity, and good
times are here. When it is proposed,
therefore, to destroy this law under the
pretext that it is the parent of trusts
the citizen has need to be wary. Free
trade where established is growing
weaker and the number of those who
doubt it's soundness as a principle are
multiplying. If the Democratic party
wants to make it leading plank of the
coming campaign let it say so openly
and not try to disguise the battle
against protection as war on the
trusts. The business world has vast
deal at stake in this matter and should
demand, with a solid front, that pro-
lection shall be treated as a separate
political principle and that trusts be
dealt with as trusts. A confusion of
issues is the Democratic game and that
party is reckless enough to be indiffer
ent to results. It's crOokedness and
incompetency will derange the indus
tries of the country again just to the
extent that they are INDUCED
Louis Globe Democrat.