The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-02
PROTECTION INDICATED.

Not the least important among the re-
suits of the recent election is the emphatic
Endorsement of protection as a national
policy. After the two trials of a different
policy under Mr.. Cleveland. the first cleo
ton of Mr.. Mckinley was a distinct YER
dict in favor of "a return to protection. His
reelection emphasized that verdict, for
while the tariff was not the paramount
issue it cut an important figure. This sec
ond verdict of the people means that for
many years to come protection will be the
fixed policy of this government.
1t will be strange If the extraordinary
prosperity of the United States under this
policy does not have an effect abroad. 1t
used to be the fashion of British statesmen,
followed by their American free-trade imi-
tators, to deem protection as unscientific,
opposed to sound economic laws. crude in
theory and hurtful in practice. They said
1t would surely give way before advancing
intelligence and a better understanding Of
true economic principles. The present
position of this country is an effective an
swer to those claims. A policy that has
made the United States the most prosper
Gus country on earth, the most dreaded
rival of all other commercial countries and
the prospective mistress of the worlds
markets cannot be disposed OF by calling
1t unscientific or crude. The success Of
protection as demonstrated in the United
States is one of the great commercial facts
of the nineteenth century and likely to be-
come still more prominent in the twentieth
century
There are special reasons why the sue
cess of this policy is likely to set British
statesmen and the English people to think
ing. The United States began the war with
Spain with a full treasury, prosecuted it to
a successful conclusion with the greatest
ease financially, and is now about to make
a large reduction in taxes. On the other
hand. England had serious difficulty in
financing the war in South Africa, and her
chancellor of the exchequer is now recon-
mending an increase Of taxes. There is no
resort yet to new tariff duties. even for
revenue. The proposed increase of taxes
is on free-trade lines, being an increase of
income tax, stamp duties, taxes on wines,
tobacco, tea. etc But there is limit to
this kind of taxation, and some Englishmen
are beginning to wonder why Parliament
does not try the method of raising revenue
that has proved so easy and successful in
this country. a writer IN the National Re-
view, referring TO the coming needs of the
government for naval ornaments, ETC.,
asks, whence are we to get the millions
is to be rendered secure?' He character
ICES free trade as a political fad of the past
and says: "a tariff offers us at once a
means of raising funds for naval arma-
ments, of obtaining allies and of weaken
ing the enemies who are plotting our fall"
1t will be hard to overcome British con-
servatism to the extent of substituting pro-
lection for free trade as a government
policy, but stranger things have happened.
England has condescended to learn good
many things from America in recent years,
and it may be the unexampled prosperity
of this country under protection will finally
convince them that it is not such a crude
and unscientific theory, after all. Mean
while the United States will adhere to 1t
and continue to make its splendid results
an object lesson to other nations.