The times., 1901-05-11

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and alert where books are concerned.
1t would, perhaps, be waste Of time for
| that boy TO try TO be a farmer not be-
! cause brains are not Of use in every
| business, but because he has not that
kind Of brains. If people follow their
! genuine lillings and inclinaions, es-
chewing false and petty motives, they
are likely to work in the best way.
Mr.. Mckinley and Tariff Reform.
Only a few days since President Nc
Kinley started on his travels, his OBJ
ject being 10 get better acquainted with
the American people, and to feel the
public pulse in connection with sew
eral ideas of statecraft he has in mind.
One of them unquestionably has been
ventilated in the now famous aphorism
of his to the effect that what this
country wants is markets and not
maxims."
As might be expected this expression
has given great satisfaction to the
American public, but it has sown the
mushroom spawn of a sudden alarm
among the irreconcilable protectionists
of the Presidents party, and they are
wild to get him back to Washington
for purposes Of admonition and pres
sure We do not imagine that they will
derive much comfort from his conver-
sation on the subject when they shall
get him back MIR. Mckinley is prob
ably as strong a believer in the basic
principles of the protectionist theory
as he was when Chairman of the House
Ways and Means Committee: but he
is also a sensible man and monu-
mentally clever politician. 1t is not con-
ceiyable, regarded from that viewpoint.
that ne should elect to insist upon the
perpetuation of a policy which having
outlived such usefulness as could be
claimed for il. has now become in
tolerably oppressive at home, unneces-
sary to its beneficiaries, and menacing
to our relations with foreign countries.
Mr.. Mckinley is by no means bigot
or q fanatic He is able To realize, if
the Home Market Club cannot, the
truth that the tariff is neither a ques-
ton of morals nor ethics, but is strictly
a matter of economics. From his swn
position, and having due regard for his
past as the chief apostle Of the Chinese
Wall fiscal policy il is not hard 10 un-
derstand why he should consider the
time ripe for the removal or mOdifica-
tion Of those restrictions upon interna-
tional trade which have enormously en-
riched a few Americans at the expense
of the great mass of American consum-
ers.
Certainly he believes as much today
as ever he did that it was not only
right but the imperative duty Of the
United States to protect native indus
tries yet unable to stand unaided
against foreign competition in our own
markets, by giving them the advantage
OF practically prohibitive tariffs. While
always opposed to protective tariffs,
on principle, as unscientific and sub
versive of correct commercial doctrine,
we may admit that the protectionists
of the Presidents stripe have color
able case 20 present in justification of
their past position. For example, it is
true that in 1872 there was not an
American made steel rail in the mar
ket II was not until 1873 or 1874 that
the Edgar Thomson Steel Works began
TO make rails. Heretofore we were de-
pendent upon England for rails, and
prices confined US generally to English
iron rails, with which practically all
of the Western boom" railways built
between 1866 and 1873 were supplied.
Some steel rails were imported but in
1901 the best Of them cost hundred
and sixty dollars per ton in gold, de-
livered f. o. b. at New York, and gold
was still at a high premium. Now
American steel rails are laid down in
Liverpool at twenty y-four dollars a ton
or thereabouts The change is per-
haps sufficient 70 make it appear TO an
honest mind that when American steel
makers are able TO lay track for the
railways Of the United Kingdom in
successful competition with their Eng
lish rivals, il is no longer necessary TO
protect our steel plants from the pau
per labor Of Europe" Thirty ye>ss ago |
we were importing great quantities Of
cheap silk. We now export more. |
Within the same time we have ceased |
20 import French, Belgian, and Ger
man shoes, and are capturing British |
and European markets with our own
cheaper and vastly superior wares.
Mr. Mckinley is a keenIy observant |
student Of economic as wen as political |
conditions. We viii give him the credit /
Of wishing the prosperity and great !
ness Of his country as much as the /
continued success and domination of
his party. And he knows that in its |
trade relations with other nations the |
United States has come TO the parting !
1f the ways. lie is not likely to ignore |
The dangers which threaten the future |
u our commerce under present tariff |
conditions lie and all men capable Of |
attention 10 current world |
movements know that unless the dog |
IN the manger basis Of our fiscal sys /
TEN is changed. there soon will be a |
European coalition against US, and an |
economic war waged through the inn |
position Of urohibitive tariffs on ali |
American goods The situation, indeed, |
is one in which, as he expresses it in |
bis epigrammatic way what we need |
Is markets and not maxims!"
May Day Festival.
T,f1o-r.i,,.- eliza. t,,,,g.. 90 fboea tt,,,s