The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-12

with the enormous increases Of traae
in the Omitted states and Germany.
and he asked how the country could
expect to support its growing popula-
ton with its trade practically stagnant
for thirty years. lie proceeded.
ION the other hand. the protected
countries which, you have been told
and ! myself one time believed were
going rapidly to wreck and ruin have
progressed infinitely better IN proper
ton than ourselves, and instead Of, as
Golden believed, our remaining the
workshop for the world we are sending
less and less Of our manufactures
abroad, while the protected countries
are sending more and more of their
manufactures here. Thus our manu-
featured exports from Ell6,000O0O in
1872 have gradually dwindled to f73,
100000 in 1902 to the protected coun-
tries Of Europe and the United States.
"In the same period our exports to
nonmanufaeturing countries like Egypt,
China and South America have prac-
tically remained unchanged This loss
Of trade to the protected countries has
not been noticed hitherto because dur
ing the same period our exports to the
British colonies have Increased in ratio
to counterbalance this loss and are
now more valuable than our trade with
the whole Of Europe and the United
States together. Our colonial trade, In
fact is the most rapidly increasing, inn
portant and valuable Of all our trade.
Meanwhile foreign exports to the Unit
ed Kingdom have risen from E630O0,-
600 In 1872 to f149,000.000 IN 1902.
do not comment on that, but when
am told that we ought to hold the same
opinions as our ancestors / reply that
we should If the circumstances remain
ed the same
Il have made these figures clear 1t
is plain that our imperial trade is es-
sential to our prosperity. If it declines
or fails to increase in proportion to our
population and 70 the loss of our for
eign trade then we shall sink into a
fifth rate nation We have reached our
highest point and am not certain but
that some OF my opponents regard that
with absolute complacency. | have the
misfortune to be an opumist | do not
believe in the setting Of the British
star, but then | do not believe ia the
folly of the British people | trust
them and trust the working classes. l
have confidence that they who are our
masters. electorally speaking, win have
the intelligence to see that they must
wake up, that they must meet the new
conditions with an altogether new pol
icy.
"Have you ever considered why Can
ada takes a SO much larger amount per
head Of British manufactures than the
United States, Australasia thrice as
much as Canada and South Africa
more than Australasia? These are. all
| protective countries. / see that some of
our labor leaders are persuading the
wQrkmen to maintain the system Of
free imports. | undertake to say that
! not one Of them could visit the colonies
for six months without singing a diff
fercnt tune. The vast majority Of the
workmen in the colonies are protec-
tionists, and | am disinclined to accept
the easy explanation that they are all
I fools. l fail to understand why a man
who is intelligent here becomes an
idiot when be goes to Australasia He
does, however, get rid Of number OF
old world preiudices and superstitions
Now. what is the history Of protec-
ton? First, there Is tariff and no in
dnstries. Then gradually primary in
! iustries for which the country has nat
ural facilities grow up behind the tar
if wall. Then, secondly, industries
spring up--frst OF necessaries, then Of
luxuries, until at last all the ground
. is covered
I 'SThe countries to which | have re-
ferred are in different stages of the
protective process. IN the United
States the process Is completed. She
produces everything and excludes ey-
I erything. There Is no trade TO be done
( with her for paltry shillings head.
/ Canada has been protective a long
time. The principal industries are
there, and you can never get rid Of
them, but the secondary industries
have not jet been created, and there is
an immense trade still open TO you to
maintain and increase Australasia is
less developed and takes more than
Canada. In the Cape there are prac'
( ticaliy no industries.
I'VE can intervene DOW. but It is
4 doubtful whether we could intervene
/ twenty years hence. We can say to
our great colonies: We understand your
views and aspirations and DO not de-
sire 70 dictate, or think ourselves su-
4 perior to you; we recognize your right
4 to develop your industries 50 as not 70
I be dependent on foreign supplies, but
there are many things you do not know
| how to make for which we have a
great capacity Of production; leave
them 70 us, do not increase the tariff
walls against lis, let Us exchange with
you for your productions. Do it be-
cause we are kinsmen, because It is
good FOR the empire as a whole and
because we have taken the first step
and set you the example. We offer
you a preference; we rely upon your