The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-06
rs Protection Doomed 2

outlived its usefulness?
Il. L. VIII there soon arise
among the very industrial
and commercial interests which for a
third of a century have strenuously
advocated the doctrine of protection to
home industries a demand for the sub.
stltution of purely revenue tariff?
These questions are suggested by a
significant passage in President Nc
kinley's second inaugural address,
wherein he said: "Our diversified
products are increasing in such unpre-
cedonted volume as to admonish us
OF the necessity of still further en-
larging our foreign markets by broad
or commercial relations" This. from
the author of the Mckinley tariff and
the long-recognized leader of the high
protection sentiment in America. is an
expression which few years ago
would have been looked upon by op-
ponents as stultification and by
friends ass heresy; yet it is merely
"A sign of the nations rapid and Won
derful economic progress, progress
brought about under the high tariff
policy, which it has outgrown. Old
| conditions are passing away. New
conditions are arising. new policy
for the future is being shaped by new
erents--the policy of broader CONNER
| cial relations
What that policy is likely to be is
| stated with engaging frankness in the
current issue of the Engineering
News: The artificial stimulus afford
ed by protection has built up in the
United states an enormous productive
| capacity, much beyond the ability of
| this country alone to absorb. Our for
| eign markets are more and more neces-
| sary to keep our mills and factories
busy and prevent stagnation and idle
ness among employees. loss of wages
and purchasing power and consequent
| financial disaster. The manufacturers
| OF the United States want the worlds
| market. They are big enough and
strong enough TO compete with the
| manufacturers Of any other nation
with fair field and no fayors. The
| no longer needed To protect the in
fants inside, These youngsters have
| outgrown swaddling clothes and bands
| kits and kniCkerbockers, and some
| of them have developed such giant
stature as even to cause genuine alarm
to the mother which nursed them.
| Two parties alone contend for the re-
tenton of this high tarifr wall. The
| one is composed of politicians and
| their following of voters to whom pro-
lection has become a shibboeth, and
who have no knowledge of the fact
that the revolution which the past ten
years has wrought in the industrial
| and financial system of the United
| States demands revolution in the
| nations position toward international /
| trade. The other of these parties IL
| composed of tho trusts, who find the
tariff wall a convenient aid in main
| tanning excessive prices to the home
consumer, while they dump their sur
plus on foreign markets at prices fixed
| by International competition"
When the late James G.. Blaine threw
| the weight of his powerful influence
! i'm behalf of the principle of reciprocity
| he foresaw Just the Developments
sought with customary sagacity to
| safeguard the protective structure by
provisions 10 meet them. Reciprocity
has performed useful function. 1t
has tided the country over a transition
| period and provided the substance of
| free trade without assuming it's un-
| popular form. But 1t is an increasing
| opinion among the large exporting
interests that reciprocity is too
| slow and too uncertain method of
| eXpediting a foreign commerce grown
| to the enormous proportions which
| our own has reached. 1t requires too
! much dickering: ii is too subject to
variation and interruption. There is
| bound to be felt sooner or later and
soon at the latest the need of a fixed
policy calculated so far as possible to
disarm the growing jealousy of our
| commercial rivals and TO forestall
their tendency to coalesce in a de-
fensive commercial alliance Protec-
! tion. having performed it's allotted
task. having been the means of stimu-
lating the most wonderful economic
DEVELOPMENT the world has ever seen,
will gradually be laid aside and
in its stead viii he the broader
commercial relations" foreseen and
desired by the president whose
l
has stood as a political synonym for