Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-08-23
Perils of the Future as Brooks Adams
Sees Them.

e large our navy as fast as possible, tt
0 prepare for what is coming.
t He very deliberately argues that ou
industrial system has disturbed the
3 economic balance of the world
as is often quite true,
and that as the disturbance
continues and grows in dimensions
lit means resort to war, which has
more often in history been the result
of economic causes than any
thing else. He finds America
underselling Europe in agricultural
products, in.minerals as raw material,
in most of the branches of manufac.
tured iron, and in many other kinds
of merchandise He says:
On the present basis there seems no
reason to doubt that as time goes on
America will drive Europe more and
more from neutral markets, and will,
lii she makes the effort, food Europe
with goods at prices with which the
Europeans cannot compete. To make
their gigantic industrial $, stem lucra
tive Americans have comprehended
that it must be worked at the highest
velocity and at its fullest capacity,
ard they have taken their measures
accordingly. To guard against a
check they rely on practically pro-
|hibitive tariff, by which they hope to
retain the home market at a reasoo-
able level, and with the profit thus
obtained they expect to make good
any loss which may accrue from fore.
| ing their surplus upon foreigners ut
prices with which they cannot cope.
No wonder the European regards
America Bs a dangerous and relentless
| foe. The European sees in America
a competitor who, while refusing to
buy, throws her wares on every market,
and who, while she drives the peasant
from his land, reduces the profits of
the wage earpers Of the town. Most
luminous of all, be marks rapidly
growing power which, while it under.
sells his mires, closes to him every
region of the wide earth where he
might find minerals adapted to his
Deeds Lying like colossus across
the western continent, with her ports
Oh either ocean with China opposite
and South America at her feet, the
Uuited Stat, bars European expan
sion.
The result, be thinks, must be
that unless the United States modities
its tariffs so that Europe can cell
her to somewhere near the amount |
she will have to buy, there will be a |
union Of the countries of the eastern
hemisphere for the purposes of making
war against the Yankees,
not alone with the view Of re-
pressing their enormous commercial
but also to strip them of
landed domain. america" says Mr.
Adams, sis valuable not only for
what she has herself, but for what
she keeps from others for even
without her islands, the United
States now closes South America ard
China. We're she defeated these two
vast territories would lie open TO
division. More than this, Continental
Europeans apprehend that were the
United States crushed at sea, were
her islands taken from her, were she
shut up within her own borders,
Ill the rest OF the world, save the
British empire, would fall to them,
md they might exclude American
PRODUCTS at will. They believe that
american society would not stand
he strain Of the dislccBtion of the
Industrial system incident to the G
Interruption of exports, and that E
disturbances would ensue which E
would remove all fear of American !
upremacy. G
Therefore, il we d. not make up =
ur minds to do away with our tariff r
We must fight with combined Europe. +
This is::all we'll reasoned, if the i
remises are granted But the h
rouble is with the minor promise. n
he American people are not goiGg
D permit the present system to
ontinue by which the home market C
J plundered to furnish sinexs tor =
ne conquest of foreign markets. D
hey nay be slow about it hut they u
re sure TO see straight sooner or n
'ter, and then the tariff will come W
own to a point that will afford our &c
Industries fair and reasonable &c
nance alike at home and abroad. Ii
he Americans can then beat the &C
orld in fair competition, but it NJ
i'll be in natural way with natural 10
I'D steady industrial development az
lat will in the long run leave the M
llance of advantage and profit with ne
!, but not with such enormous W
esidedness as the trade figures of re- tr
mt years have seemed to show. Trade III
nnGt continue all-selling and DO I;
lying. Left to its own CAUSES, it IN
i'll of itself approach an equilib- ad
nm. But war will never carry it m'
ere. lit
Mr. Adams is entirely right in the th
ca that present conditions greatly no
gravate the tendency to troubles tn
er South America and the Monroe let
ctrine. Sooner or later serious pr
,uhle must be faced over that pre-
estion and then it will be seen ST
W foolishly and wickedly we have OF
rown away a decisive moral advan- II
h. IA