The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-31

The cutlery which is raised whenever
sOTue foreign Government takes action
which may cut into our export trade is
in itself strong evidence that CONNER
Cial conditions in the United States
have undergone marked changes during
recent years. But short time ago the
extreme advocates Of tariff obstruction
TO commerce put their advocacy solely
upon the ground that We must protect
our infant Industries against foreign
competition in the American market
Republican stump orators, and news
papers Of the same party faith. were
loaded to the muzzles with figures
showing the enormous cOnsumptive
power Of the American people. the al
most incalculable value Of the American
market 10 the American producer. and
how necessary 1t was that foreign goods
manufactured with pauPer labor should
be kept out OF the country.
At that time-say d decade or 50
back-nearIy all Of our exports were
agricultural products. The Republican
argument was that Europe could not
get along without our foodstUffs. and II
we could only keep foreign manufact-
uTes out Of the American market the cup
OF our industrial happiness would be
full to overlooking. The argument had
a plausible sound, and il may al one
time have had some little merit. al
though IL must be- confessed that even
while the exclusion policy was in fun
force we were not always on the top
most wave " Industrial prosperity. In
fact, we had both good times and bad.
with the bad generally 70 the fore all
through the period from 1873 70 1885
But all that apart. il is clear that We
have now got beyond the point at
which we can afford to be content with
the American market for American
goods. Our manufactures have attain
cd such proportions that the output on
certain lines is far beyond the con-
sUmptive capacity Of the American
people, even when business Is booming
and consumption at the highest notch.
When business receives "a check. and
consumption falls of. it leaves a stul
larger surplus for which it is matter
Of prime necessity TO find a market.
These facts are extremely significant
For the fiscal year just ended our tC-
tai exports amounted 10 nearly billion
and a half dollars. and Of these not
very much less than one half were OF
products other than agricultural Hun
dreds Of millions Of dollars worth of
manufactures were exported. great
quantities being sold IN the markets OF
our European competitors, against
whom we have been, and stiI are,
guarding ourselves in fear and tren-
bling behind an almost impossible tar
If wall Our exports 20 Germany haze
been increasing al an extraordinary
rate. Ten years ago We stood fourth
on the list of the countries tom which
Germany bought goods. Now we are
first. our sales TO that country having
reached the total last year Of two hun
dred and sixty-five millions Of dollars
Against these we imported only one
hundred and four millions Of dollars
worth Of goods from Germany. Thus our
trade with that country shows a bal
ance in our favor Of about one hundred
and siAty-two million dollars.
This is fairly illustrative or general
trade conditions as affecting the United
States. Ia round numbers We are sell
ing twice as much as we buy. and any
thing which now cuts heavily into our
exports either Of agricultural products
or manufactures is bodyblow AT our
prosperity Nor does this tell the whole
story. for our exports Of manufactures
have but Just begun, and the magma