The Washington times., 1901-08-05
The Eject of Prohibitive Tariffs.

Germanys new tariff schedule is the
subject of about as much discussion in
Europe as it is here, and the feeling
against it seems TO be almost as strong
in the Old World as it is in the New.
But that probably will not influence the
German Government any, and ii will
not help US in the least. The new tariff
is aimed chiefly at the United States,
and it will probably hurt this country
worse than it will all others combined.
That is the condition which exists, and
it is logical result of our oSn provo
catiye acts.
II is quite likely that this course on
the part of the German Empire will
lead the general public on both sides of
the Atlantic to bestow more careful
thought than ever before on the princi-
pies and effects of prohibitive tariffs.
The London Spectator" opens up the
subject very suggestively by complain
ing of the selfishness and greed which
now dominate the worlds affairs, point
ing out that prosperity in one country is
at once creative of fierce feeling of
jealousy and spite in others. To a con-
siderable extent this is true There has
always been a great deal of selfishness
in commerce. and there can be no doubt
that there is more of it now than ever
before. AS the Spectator" observes,
wars were formerly caused By the per-
sonal ambitions. the likes and dislikes
of potentates and rulers. Now they are
generally fought in a spirit of CONNER
cial greed, and with ultimate trade ad-
vantages in view.
Probably the time viii never come
when selfish considerations will be en-
tirely eliminated from commerce and
commercial policies. If it should. we
may feel reasonably certain that the
millennium is near at hand. But the
fact that selfishness is inherent in
human nature should not lead us to cul-
tivatc the instinct, or cause us to for
get that there is some merit in fair
trade. Still less should it induce US to
forget that the principles of plain COM
mon sense are worthy of regard in COM
merce. as in all other things.
The action of Germany is fairly illus
trative Of the results which naturally
would flow from universal adoption
of the present American policy or the
subject of tariffs. During recent years
our tariffs have been far more than
reasonably and decently protective.
That is to say, they have gone away
beyond the avowed object of giving our
manufacturers an equal chance in the
American market. They have been so
excessive as first enormously to in
crease the prices of the foreign goods
imported, and then as soon as the
American infant industry" was well
established, the foreign goods have been
almost entirely excluded. Upon the
leading industrial lines the American
manufacturer can now produce as
cheaply as his European competitor
can, and as the European goods are
subjected to duties ranging from forty
or fifty per cent up the result is that In
many cases they cannot be imported at
all Then the American manufacturers
form themselves into trusts, and, freed
from all foreign competition, they con-
troll the prices to suit themselves.
Going step further, we see that such
a policy as ours, If adopted by all coun-
tries, would simply put an end to inter-
national trade. except in those articles
the production of which is absolutely
governed by climatic conditions. In eff
feet. the extreme tariff argument has
been that we wanted no foreign trade,
save in those things which under no
circumstances could be produced here.
This is well nigh equivalent to saying
that we want no foreign trade at all, for
with sufficient forcing we might succeed
In producing almost everything, per
haps everything, that is indispensably
necessary. The same principle carried
into the economy of private life would
require each individual to do everything
for himself that he has the physical
capabiiity of doing. The banker, the
lawyer, and the doctor, instead of at
tending strictly to their respective call