The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-02-10
TER DECLINE OF PROTECTION.

Andrew Carnegie, the greatest iron
and steel manufacturer IN the United
States, if not in the world, said, in a re-
cent interview with a New York Sun
reporter:
We do not need protection now IN some lines
Of manufacture, notably In mine, iron and steel.
As long as We needed protection was an ad-
vOcate Of it. Now that We don't need II, 1 say
take che duties of iron and steel, and any other
lines that do not need protection
This is q notable declaration, not be-
cause Andrew Carnegie's opinions on
public questions are Of special value,
but because it reflects the great change
that is taking place in this country on
the subject Of protection. Andrew Car
negie, until recently, has been a persis-
tent advocate of protection, for his
own industry and for the manufacture
ers generally. He belongs to the class
of men who have been the special be
neRciaries Of the republican tariff poll
cy. But, like many others, the busi-
ness in which he is engaged has grown
beyond tie need Of protection. 1t has
reached a point where it cannot only
supply the American people cheaper
than foreigners can do it, but it can
also produce a great excess Of iron and
steel products above home needs and
can sell them abroad in competition
with the manufacturers Of Europe,
from whom the industry is alleged to
have needed protection for many years
past.
It is a most remarkable evidence of
the lack Of progressive and enlightened
ideas among republican leaders on
this subject that they should insist on
keeping protective tariffs on the stat
ute books long after the special bene-
ficiaries Of those tariffs demand them.
Protection has become a sort of fetch
to many of the republicans. They have
advocated 1t so long, with glittering
generalties, that they are lOath now to
let it 90. They seem to fear that the
abolition Of a single protective tariff
will lay them open to the charge of
leaning toward free trade, and that is
something they dread above almost
anything that can happen to them.
The republicans probably will be in
control Of congress when the next tar
if revision occurs. If they are guided
by wise counsels they will clear the
statute books of all superfuous tariffs
as a starter. They will wipe the metal
schedule of the books and abolish the
absurd duties on such agricultural
products as are produced in this cOun-
try in excess of the demand. They will
put an end to the farce of pretending
to protect the farmer, as we'll as the
manufacturer, by imposing a duty of
. cents a bushel on wheat, and cents
on corn and oats, and various rates on
other products that are exported in
large quantities from this country.
Such duties are mere membranes on
the statute books. They we're put on
for no other purpose than to beclOUd
the real significance of protective tar
ifs, and to fool the farmers. Even the
democrats, when they revised the tar
if, left these absurd duties in the
schedules for fear the farmer would
think he was being sacrificed on the
altar of free trade.
The tariff bill could be cut down one
half, by striking off these useless du-
ties, without diminishing the revenues
Of the government and without sacTi-
f1cing a single essential feature OF the
protective system. Such a procedure
would simplify the question and make
palmer than ever the folly of the whole
scheme of protective tariffs. That is
why it has not been done. But the
time is coming when it will be done,
and it will be the beginning Of the end
Of protective tariffs in the United
States.-Kansas City Star.