Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-07
TURNS TO PROTECTION.
Germany the Scene of an Earnest
Struggle over the Tariff Issue.

Curtis in Chicago Record-Herald).-
The people of Germany are approach
ing a great industrial crisis, caused
by the introduction of high pro
tective tariff into the policy OF the
government. The tendency of all
Europe is towards the protection oil
domestic industries by imposing du'
ties upon foreign merchandise /
have recently described the situation
in Russia and the adoption of pro-
tective policy there. England is at
present the only nation in Europe
that upholds the principle OF free
trade, and requires her agricultural
and mechanical Industries to look al
ter themselves in the great struggle
for business. Bismarck was the IA
ther of the protective policy in Ger
many. Just as he was the father OF
socialism. although every man you
meet might stoutly declare that he
was neither a protectionist or a so
ciallst Ever since the empire tho
tendency of Germany has been to
build up its industrial enterprises by
| the aid of the government and pro
| tect it's farmers so far as possible
from foreign competition, and finally
| it has decided to follow the example
of the United States and impose tar
iff upon everything that is imported
from foreign countries except certain
raw products that are required in the
German manufactures and are not
produced at home.
| For two or three years commits
sion OF experts, representing the Gus
| toms service and the principal indus
tries involved. including several pro
fessional political economists, have
been engaged in the preparation of
tariff which is supposed to be a sci
entific triumph, the most perfect and
logical legislative composition that
has ever been produced. 1t is based
upon the same principles as the Nc.
| Kinley act of 1890, and resembles in
almost every schedule that document,
but the average German is too proud
and too patriotic to admit that the leg
| islators of his country are initiating
the United States. He is exceeding
ly sensitive upon this subject. Ev-
| cry man | have talked with has tax
en- pains to volunteer the assurance
that the p&litical economists of Ger
many had thought it all out and had
evolved the principles and devised
the details long before the congress
of the United States ever approached
the subject, and that their new tar
iff is an absolutely original and unique
creation. based upon theories invent.
ed and developed by the highest sci
entific craftsmanship in the world
When you call their attention to itE
similarity to the Mckinley act they
shrug their shoulders and say:
"Achl Achl Mein Gott! How
rediculous,"
The new tariff is to go into effect
in 1904, provided the reichstag ap'
proves it, but before t hat haprps you
will see one of the hottest and most
Interesting fights that ever tool, place
in human politics. Political lines in
the reischtag will be disresarded and
the members of that body will vote
Independently of previous party Ill
iations, according to their own inter
ests and those of the constituents
they represent. The Germans are
quite as human as the yankees
selfishness actuates all mankind 10
about the same degree. Like Arte
mus Ward, we are all willing to sac.
rifice our first wife's relations pro
vided we escape injury, and hence
each industry in the empire, howeye Ell
small, is preparing to act according
to the laws of self-preservation
The reichstag is composed of of 397
members. about one for every l32,-
900 inhabitants, who are elected by
universal suffrage for term of fiy.
years. The present reichstag ex,
pires by limitation in 1903, one year
before the proposed tariff takes eff
feet. and will hold two sessions before
an election can be held. The mem
bers of the present reichstag were
not selected to decide the pending is
sue, and the opponents of the tariff
are demanding postponement of its
consideration until after another
election. at which it may be submit
ted to the people before its adoption
by the government The government
declines to yield this point, and pro
poses to force the bill through as rap
idly as possible. perhaps from the
fear that it may never again have SC
large majority of loyal supporters
in the imperial parliament.
Unfortunately for Germany her
people do not raise enough to feed
their own mouths, and are compelled
to import vast quantities from the
United States and other countries
In 1898 Germany imported food pro
ducts to the value of s409 900 900, and
in 1899 $3.50, 900, which were abso
lutely necessary to sustain the peo
pie.
Public discussion of the proposed
tariff is becoming very earnest and
general. Meetings are being held in
every part OF the empire, at which ex
perts are discussing the subject from
all standpoints, and campaign of ed
ucation is going on in every village
similar to that over the silver ques