Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-08-16
NO PUBLIC SUPPORT.
TARIFF REVISION PLAN NOT m
GENERAL FAVOR.
Advocated Only by the Professional
Free-Traie Reform Element and by
a Limited Number of Weak. Kneed
Semi. Prot~ectionists.

a Limited Number of Wcak.kueed
Semi. Protectionists,
One point in connection with the COS.
sip about alleged necessity for revision
OF tie tariff cannot fail to be observed
by those who are considering the ques.
ton i'll I'LL it's phases, and th,it is tina.
except among the professional tariff
reformers the demand is not yocifer-
ously emphasized in any quarter ex-
cept where there has always been u
manifest weakness on the doctrine and
policy OF protection. You look into any
section of the country where there has
always been u lame and halting SUP
port given the cause of protection, and
you will find all the Republicans that
are to he found anywhere who are fear
full that the trust 'gobble'uns' will get
the people and the Republican party il
the markets of the United States are
not speedily turned over to the foreign
producers.
With these exceptions, and u few rep
rcsentatives in Congress who are ready
to get into the current of any passing
breeze OF popular clamor, rather than
take their part in shaping public senti-
ment rightly, there is absolutely no
support for the talk about the necessity
for revising the tariff. When the people
reflect upon the results of the past year.
not only in domestic trade, but i'll the
marvellous development of II interna-
fiO.,a1 fro6n f0rfS noynorni,,r v,hin1,
will soon he ready for inspection, there
will be n speedy fading of the Babcock
idea of reforming trusts with the aid
Of foreigners.
1t is we'll to reflect upon the fact, i'll
this connection, that not n single mem-
Der of either house of Congress, who
has any really close participation in the
preparation of laws bearing upon the
tariff or finance, las uttered one word
in favor of the Babcock idea. This is
significant, to say the least.
The preliminary figures furnished by
the Treasury Department covering the
trade of the United States with foreign
countries have been completed. and,
subject to a few changes, will stand as
representing the most remarkable year
in the experience of the nation with
international trade. One thing is demon
stratcd by the results of the last years
business, and that is that those who are
of opinion that there should lie n revi-
sion of the tariff must find the reasons
for such action by the neXt Congress
elsewhere than i'll the results obtained
in the field of our trade relations with
foreign countries. So far as that trade
is concerned. the advantages. to what
ever cause due, have been largely With
the producers of this country. Our laws
Of trade have certainly beer promotive
Of the best interests of the country, so
Car as international trade is concerned,
to Il greater degree during the past year
tina during any recent year i'll the ma
TONS life. The most significant fact is
the remarkable gain in our exports of
domestic products. The returns to the
treasury have not yet been completed
to an extent which makes it possible
to show the relative gains of manufac-
lures and farm produce in this in
creased export business. but it is inter-
esting to know that during the year
ending June so we sent abroad com
mOdities to the amount of $50, 600
worth more than We're sold abroad last
year. and almost double what we sold
abroad during 1885. The influence of
wisely framed laws is also shown in
the fact that while IL export trade
was growing so handsomely. we bought
in foreign countries about S2S. COO
worth less of commodities than we
bought in the previous year. which
means that the producers of this coun-
try had n wider field among our own
people for the disposition of their prod
ucts. The net foreign business done
by our people in thetwelye months Just
ended aggregated nearly two and a
half billion dollars, and the striking
fact which stands out in bold relief in
this connection is that the aggregate of
our sales abroad exceeded our pur-
chases abroad by the sum of S664.OOO,-
GOO. The tremendous Importance of
these figures is made clear when it is
considered that this excess of exports
over imports amounts to almost the
total aggregate import or export bust
ness of the country in any year pre-
vious to seven years ago. If there is
any comfort in these figures for tariff
revisionaries they are welcome to 1t.
The fact Of the matter is the trade sta
tistics of the fiscal year just closed
leaves them without a leg to stand OH.
In this connection it is well to note
| the fact that the treasury finances were
never in better shape than at present.
The total available cash balance is up.
ward Of Sill, 100000, and the net
amount Of free gold in the treasury,
the property of the Government, is
about $GO,OOO,OOO. This. is a handsome
showing, considering the reductions
made in internal taxation. and the bond
purchases made by the department dur
ing the past three months.-American
Economist.
When the Time Comes.
The time will come when the tariff