The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-27
AN TNsIsTENT DEMAND.

|
The high protectionists Of the United
| States are evidently much disturbed by
| the remarkable disposition OF public
thought to turn toward the existing tar
| if. This disposition certainly deserves
to be called remarkable when one reflects
how fully the public attention has been
occupied. and, indeed, still is, with the
problems growing out of our recent war
| with Spain.
1t is, of course, true that the action of
the president In recommending the abo-
! lition Of all customs duties between the
ports of the United States and those Of
Puerto Rico has given some impetus TO
the movement of thought toward the tar
if; but that recommendation is far from
| explaining the space devoted by our pro-
tectiontst contemporaries to tariff ques-
tions
Yesterday our contemporary, the Mime
apolis Tribune, devoted itself in a some
what lengthy editorial to demonstrating
the folly of the belief that the modinca-
ton of the protectionist policy would in
any way aid in the solution of the trust
difficulty. The Tribune's article is not re-
and perhaps its most noteworthy feature
Is its lament that certain old-time pro-
tectionists have been led away" into &C
cepting the arguments of the other side
70 +iao o5o
on all articles controlled or largely man
ufactured by trusts, as one of the avail
able means OF destroying these dangerous
organizations.
Republican congress has already re-
fused to adopt this greatly needed re-
form. But, strange to say, public opinion
has not accepted the refusal as final. and
the demand is growing stronger each sue
ceeding day that the trusts shall not con-
ttnue to be bolstered by the practically
prohibitive tariff. 1t is not difficult to
foresee the return of popular thought to
! the enormities of the present tariff just
as soon as attention has ceased to any
considerable degree to be concentrated
on the progress of events in the Philip
pines, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
AS the G o b e has frequently pointed
out the entire edifice Of Industrial IA
voritism is bound to topple to It's ruin
when the American people rise to tie wis
dom Of re-establlshlng their foreign trade.
England's enormous foreign trade is con-
cededly the product of the free access
which she permits the products of ev-
cry nation extant to her domestic mar
kets. The fair-trade movement in that
| country, at times assuming what appear
to be at this distance formidable proper
lions, has invariably collapsed by sheer
force of this consideration. The folly of
expecting that we can maintain an indus
trial Chinese wall around our borders
and be at the same time a successful
bidder in the markets Of the world is too
manifest to waste argument on.
Whether the existing administration
decides to abolish customs duties on PuerA
to Rican products or not matters little
to the prosperity or trade OF this country.
re action taken in that direction will be
governed wholly, we predict, by cons:dera-
tons of party political expediency. But
the demand that the trusts shall not con-
tinue to be buttressed by a prohibitiye
protectionism is one which will not down.
and which the administration must con-
cede unless it Is to stand exposed In its
true character Of the national guardian
| and sponsor Of the entire Infamous CON
! spiracy of the trusts.