The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-06-20

lection did this, but if those who
make the claim would only fnr
nish, along with their list of
prices in this country, the prices
in England at the same time, and
thus show that every fall in price
here was preceded by a fall to an
even lower point there, the fact
that they would bring out would
be merely that protection has pre-
vented the price from falling as
fast here as it otherwise would.
The true causes of the full-im-
provements in the process of max.
ing steel and the expiration of
patents guarding it-are, of
course, never alluded to by the
faithful Protectionist. Second,
the English must be those who
suffer from our high duties, be.
cause they are so anxious to have
us lower them. But they are not
anywhere near so anxious as peo-
pie pretend. What is told us
about large disbursements by the
Golden Club is sheer invention.
A great many lines of export
trade, including most of that to
South and Central America, Japan
and Australia, the English have
long had "sofJ thing" of, owing
to our persistence in running up
the cost of our raw materials and
machinery for manufacturing, and
in preventing our citizens from
owning ships to send there. We
are now able to get a little more
of such business into our hands
than formerly by selling to for
eigners at far lower rates than fel.
low citizens, but this is a tenn
porary condition. Were we to
adopt a commercial policy like
their own we might permanently
become Formidable rivals to the
English in shipping, as we promis-
ed to become before the civil war.
COUNTER ARGUMENT ANSWERED
Notwithstanding this state of
affairs, of which observing and re-
fecting Englishmen are perfectly
aware, do not deny that, if the
question Of our tariffs were to be
left to them, they would probably
think more of gaining custom
with us than of losing it with
ren otter countries, ana vote a re.
duction by large majority. But
the laughable part of the business
is that that fact, if it be a fact,
should make any difference to us.
Let me put test question. One
of our farmers, we will suppose,
lives across the river from large
town. He raises, we will suppose,
better oats, or turnipS. or some
thing than Jones, just over the
bridge, and can afford to sell
them at a lower price. Now if
Jones mounted guard over the
bridge so as to keep him from get.
ting across with his produce,
would he object to it or not? And
what would we think if the towns
people, hearing his complaints,
should set them down as a proof
that he was the only sufferer by
the closing of the bridge. and
that they were just as well off in
putting up with the inferior and
more costly goods of JOnes9
INCITEMENT TO COURAGE.
Let Inc close with a few words
addressed to the American farmer
himself. Do not be misled, in
considering what your interest
truly is,by plausible irrelevancies.
DO not be persuaded into forget
ting that American labor can be
protected only by or at the expense
OF American labor. and that what
ever one trade gains others have
to stand the charge of. Done be
cajoled into the delusion that you
need "Protection" in this market
when you know that you are able
to meet competitors in foreign
markets. Do not let people throw
obstacles in the way fyour reach
ing foreign markets under the
plea that these are suncertainn
and unreliable" If they really
are so exports will fall off of them
selves, imports with them. "Pro.
lection of home industries" will
therefore, be quite unnecessary.
Do not let people brighten you
with the prospect of competition
in your own field of labor, with
wOrkmen thrown out of factories,
when the highest reasonable esti.
mate of the number of workmen
that absolute free trade could
throw out of employment is less
than the number that would find
re employment in manufacturing
goods for export, and less than
that ofOur able bodied immigrants
in three years. Do not let them
ascribe the general prosperity of
our people-not so high, You very
well know, as it ought to be-to
taxation, until allowance is made
for the fact that this country has