Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-18

particularly the case with wooden manu-
features, In which variety of different
woods only to be found in different coun-
tries are absolutely necessary, and the
same is true of the iron and steel works,
and measurably of many other manufac-
lures. Over and over again have the wool
en- manufacturers pointed out how heavy
load such protection on wool inn
poses upon their industry. and how Indls-
pensible is the use of foreign wool to mix
with native, but all in vain. The political
shepards have protected wool until both
the wool grower and wool manufacturer
are languishing unto death.
The American boot and shot manufac-
turers, owing to the superior skill and e;-
fciency of the highly paid American work
man, are now beating the world in their
goods, both in quality and cheapness, and
are beginning to send them widely abroad.
AS an encouragement to their enterprise.
skill and industry, the Dingley act took
hides from the. free list, where they We're
for many years, and laid duty of Is per
cent. upon them, which gave just so much
protection" to the great Chicago meat
packers, who alone reap any benefit from
it, and added just so much to the cost of
boots and shoes, and made the struggle
to introduce them into foreign markets SO
much harder How can our manufacture
ers compete for foreign trade under such
burdens with any hope of success? Must
they always have to contend with their
own government as well as with the for
eign competitor?
Perhaps the greatest evil and burden of
this so-called protection to the people
at large. especially to the great agricul-
tural producers, lies in its restriction and
prohibition of imports. Products for pro-
ducts is the rule of commerce Imports
shut out only keeps exports shut in. Ma
tional trade cannot flourish without fair
giving and taking on both sides any more
than trade between individuals. indeed,
national trade is nothing but the aggre-
gate of many individual trades. With
what face can we proclaim the open
door abroad. while holding hard the shut
door at home? VIII 1t not be justly re-
garded by other nations as cool effrontery,
and porcine behavior? VIII not such
policy OF short-sighted selfishness lead in
evitably to tariff retaliation and trade
wars? Canada already answers. She
elected liberal ministry, pledged to low
er duties and reciprocity with this coun-
try. Her friendly overtures in this diree-
ton We're repealed by the Mckinley adj
ministration in such manner that her min
listers abruptly left Washington. During
the last three years in self-defense she
has enacted discriminating rates in favor
OF British trade and against American ag-
gregating over thirty per cent. of her du-
ties. Another increase will deprive our
manufacturers of their best customer on
this continent. France discriminates
aginst us in her tariff. And ominous COM
plants are coming from Germany and
Russia at recent protection rulings by our
customs which gives warnings it were well
TO heed. We may find when too late that
preaching reciprocity on the stump and
killing it in the Senate is fraught with
danger as well as deceit But this matter
of retaliatory tariffs is too large a subject
and too important, the danger is too real
and imminent, to be treated in para
graph
The time has come when America must
reverse her tariff policy. Protection" has
sat on the safety valve long enough
HAZARD STEVENS.
Boston, February u, 1901.