Evening star., 1902-01-13
Proposed Tariff Stirs Up Bitter Strife
Between Glasses.
AGRARIANS ARE ALL-P0WERFTL
Industrial Depression Has Rather
Benefited Their Crusade.
ANTI-AMERICAN FEELING G

stag, $50 have been marShalled into line
for the ultra-protective tariff BILL 1t was
a sweeping triumph for the agrarians. Upon
the floor of the legislative chamber was
heard only the self-confident agrarian who
swaggers about in broadcloth, white vest
and dangling gold watch chain while COM
planning bitterly that creditors are besieg-
ing his estate and that the wolves prowi
near his castle door. But it was behind
the kulissen, as the German dramatic critic
says, that the important proceedings, dur
ing the preliminary debate on the tariff
bill. were enacted and where the pressure
was brought to obtain a majority. First
the conservative and reichspartei present
100 strong and still cherishing bitter re-
sentiments against the governments anti
clerical attitude. especially in Posen and
Silesia, wavered for awhile but finally gave
way. The agrarian brought out his heavy
artillery. and used all the mesmeric inf1u-
enceS of which he is master. To remove all
doubt Count Kanitz, spokesman of the
agrarians and Count Won PoSadowSky, min
lister of interior, together with half dozen
''ringleaders, also switched sufficient
number of national liberals into line to
make the enactment of the high tariff bill
a foregone conclusion. OF the twenty-eight
members of the commission to which the
tariff bill has been submitted, at least
| tWSHlS are ouSuiSHI " dSi oIuSIS
Antipathy to America.
Observation-Disclosures" like anti-clerical-
ism, anti-imperialism, Jew-baiting and pro-
Boerism, has become a distinct creed in
Germany. Its genesis is both due to polit-
ical and commercial prejudices. Indeed a
more fitting title to the proposed tariff
bill would be "A bill aimed at the American
INVASION than "A bill to amend the tariff
system" The ante-holiday debates reveal
ed that not only is Germany shaping for it
self weapon to contend against the United
States but that the advantage hitherto en-
joyed by the ''Yankys under the favored
nation clause will be withdrawn. The
treaties negotiated in 1892 and September,
1900, in which dfferential tariffs are extend
ed to the United States in return for the ad-
mission of German still wines, tartar and
art works, are to be annulled when the
first opportunity presents itself. Wherever
the tariff bill, with its 241 distinct items.
fails to provide an effective embargo
against American imports the inspection
and appraisement Offices will be employed
President Roosevelt's annual message de-
prived the advocates of delay of the last
straw of hope that the Senate foreign re-
lations committee would enact tariff treat
les Count Kanitz and his associates not
only insist that there is no hope OF a
peaceable adjustment of the commercial
relations between Germany and the United
States but that Germany has no other al
tentative except to meet the foe with his
own weapons. He claims that the United
States places a duty of 27.50 per cent on
German imports while Germany only APP
plies a tax of SO per cent of the value of
''Yanky'' goods. But Count Kanitz is a
clever mathematician. He possesses the
rare art Of addition and multiplication sys-
tenn which can make any set of figures
bear out a desired argument.
Origin of Protection in Germany.
Until 1879 Germany was on a free trade
h9 eli inc ~,
mercial and financial crisis of 1877, which
involved all Europe and the United States
as well, that the cry of protection was first
raised here. Bismarck sent a letter to the
upper house of deputies. the bundersrath.
in which he argued that German labor and
industries could be protected and enhanced
only by tariff system. A tariff of $50
marks per double centner, equal to 200
pounds, was enacted, which raised the price
of breadstuffs in Germany, SO that bread
riots" took place in the provinces and hard
ships ensued which did more to increase
the reacttonary socialistic movement than
any other individual factor. In 1893 the
tariff wheat and rye was reduced two
marks, and instantly there was a reduction
IN food prices, peasants were able to live
more comfortably, and wages increased.
1t was period of "Caprivism," which ne
gotiated reciprocity treaties on the ground
that Germany would only injure itself by
excluding cheap breadstuffs from lands
| where there were DOuntlIul narVeStS and
surplus stocks, while Germany with its
narrow confines and immense population
could under no circumstances raise enough
grain TO supply the home demand.
Until the Leipzig bank tumbled to the
ground last spring and carried along other
powerful institutions, bringing about gen.
eral financial panic and withdrawal of
credits, Germany swept onward as an in
dustr1al nation, while the general standard
of living was elevated all along the line
Only the old estates, where cheap peasant
labor formerly plowed the ground and gath
cred the harvests for the feudal land own
ers. had not shared in the season of pros
perity. Until the financial crash came the
agragrians had not solitary tenable argu-
ment to present in favor of protective
tariff policy. Moreover, as long as Capriy
was at the head, the bigoted, narrow policy
of the agrarian party had no show But
Won Bulow proved to be an easier conquest
An agrarian himself in sentiment as well
as family relations, he assented to the pro-
posals for a protective policy, which is to
build a Chinese wall around the empire
True to expectations, the agrarians made
use of the existing bad times, due to reck-
less speculation, overcapitalization of stock
corporations and misuse Of trust funds TO
blame everything on to the low tariff and
especially the reciprocity treaties negotiated
by Chancellor Won Caprivi. That, in a nut
shell. is the history of the tariff movement
and the campaign carried on by the domi-
nant party.
Bitter Hatreds Engendered.
Fragmentary cable dispatches and the
reports of the speeches delivered in the
reichstag fail to convey knowledge to
the outer world of the bitter class hatreds.
clashing Industrial. commercial and finan-
cial interests which have been aroused by
the tariff. Strange as 1t may seem, II
is nevertheless fact that the representa-
tion of the industrial and liberal CONNER
cial elements in the fatherland, which are
strongly opposed to the tariff bill, is COM
posed of the social democrats The large
Industrial centers of Germany are the
breeding places of social democracy, and
almost without exception send solid dele
cations of social democrats and liberals to
the reichstag. Berlin has a solid social
democratic delegation in the reichstar.
The electoral system Of Germany is still
based on the old Bismarck laws disfran-
chisfng the populous centers by giving the
provincial districts as large a representa-
tion, according to area. as the city with It's
closely wedged population. Thus 1t comes
that the social democrats, with larger
popular vote than any other political party
numbering 2.000 900 ballots at the last gem
erai election. have nearly two score less
members of the reichstag than they are