The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-03-10

States as We have against them.
And YET It is not the simple matte,
I that this staement OF the case woult
seem to indicate II tauf barrier:
could be relied upon to keep out for
eign competition without at the sam,
time inficting Internal damages upor
the nation erecting them, they long
since would have been tried by Euro,
pean nations. But the prime requiSit,
for successful protective tarlff is a
capacity to produce as wei ana a,
cheaply as the foreigner who is dis.
eliminated against. and the absence Of
this condition makes a protective tar
i'll an absolute injury. We know from
our own experience that new country
aboundinC with untold riches in raw
NATURAL may build up its industries
by keeping cut the manufactures Of
these materials. bu, that is scarcely the
condition Of the European nations.
In Germany France and England the
business Of manufacturing has been re-
ducei to its greatest point Of economy
that is. in consideration Of their tradi-
tionh ways and methods, And until
these countries undergo a thorough eco
ncmic ana Industrial revolution and
learn 70 initiate the efficient system of
the United States, they cannot hope to
compete with US. And even then the
success ot the competition would be
doubtful for the reason that our raw
materials are more plentiful and more
cheaply produced. And. in this con-
necuon, it IS well 10 remember that Eng
land, France and Germany are not COM
planning 50 much Of our competition on
their own soil as Of competition in the
markets which they formerly monopo-
lized and yet over which they have no
control The thing that really hurts is
that We are cutting into export trade
Of these European countries and are
depriying them Of markets in new and
semi-ciyilized countries which have no
manufacturing industries and cannot
have for generations to come. It is
patent, Of course, that if all the nations
Of the earth should conspira to exclude
American goods our goods might be
excluded. but such an association is
quite as impossible as railroad to the
moon.
If Europe or any nation Of Europe
wishes TO launch upon a policy Of re-
prisal in the form Of heavy or exclusive
tariffs on goods made in the United
States The way is open for her. and
we can have no rightful criticism to
make. But Europe has experimental
enough with this sor. OF thing 10 come
fully to understand that heavy taxes on
American products result in depressing
the poor and least efficient Of her own
citizens without gaining corresponding
benefits in the form Of greater pro-
ductiye and industrial activities. Old
and pretty Well worked out as her ma
terial resources ar, they carnyt be
made TO respond to progress and ex-
pansion as similar resources do here in
America. The case OF England gives a
very fair Illustration Of the state Of Eu-
rope. generally. Her resources are fully
developed. She is not able 10 supply
half Of the articles required for con-
sumption by her own people Her i'm
ports are double her exports. She has |
no hope Of increased industrial actlvi |
ties except bv doing mor- business in
over which she has no control. |
Protective tariffs adopted for her own |
use would have 10 jurisdiction over the
foreign markets in which she must
meet the American in competition. She
would have 10 have such control Of the
neonles Of the earth that she could
compel them all % exclude her Yankee
All the tax she might lay
against American import, would sim
ply increase the price Of necessities for
ner own people withou. giving them ad-
iitional means with which 10 buy. And
It IS as pr@posterous to talk Of uniform
'etaliation against America. involving
as it does a reconciliation Of all the RI
'alries AMI jealausios Of the nations Of
Europe. as it would be TO think of all
hese nations giving allegiance % the
ame king.