The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-14

eight-fold no one will be silly enough TO
assume that the people OF Great Britain
were injured by this apparently inequi-
table trading They bought eight times
as much from US as we did from them
because they needed and could prohtably
use the things we offered for sale
us TO trade with them reciprocally. be-
cause they DO not produce the things we
need 10 buy. The imports OF the United
states are gaining rapidly. During the
ceeded a billion dollars. but our takings
from Great Britain have relatively de-
e,ined The explanation Is simple. al Al.
friendly footing with the British than for
merly, we buy less from them because
most OF their productions parallel ours
Like them we buy only the things we
need. and like them we seek them In the
markets which offer the most favorable
terms.
The attempt to bring about reciprocal
trading is responsible for all sorts OF
absurdities IL accounts for the unrea-
sonable supposition to which British Co
lonial Secretary Chamberlain gave ex-
preston recently, that IL Great Britain
had been In a position TO menace our
wheat and other products with tArin
we should have consented TO continue
receiving British tin plate. He did not
see that we are simply working out our
destiny when we enlarge the field OF our
Industrial activities. and that under no
circumstances would the American peo-
pie submit 10 any a-.eement which
would set a limit to the development OF
the resources Of the country
The theory that 1t is necessary TO buy
In order TO sell received its death blow
when the Cobdenite idea that some ma
tfons are better fitted by nature than
others to carry on the highly profitable
manufacturing business was exploded.
So long as economists could succeed In
making people believe that the world
was a sort Of industrial checker-board
on which some nations are allotted
black squares and others white the as
sertion that nations must buy from each
other in order to sell TO each other
sounded plausible. But when IL was
demonstrated that enterprising peoples
may move into any Industrial square
they pleased, and that nature has not
placed some nations on the Improbable
white agricultural squares and others
on the rich black manufacturing squares.
the theory went to pot.
II is no longer possible to delude the
American people into believing that they
must abandon any occupation they nnd
profitable In order that an outlet may
be furnished for the products OF another
industry. At one time II was assumed
that disaster would overtake our cotton
growers II we should insist upon Great
ibS HuuSuy WHICH
would interfere with foreigners market
ing their manufactures In this country
The argument was the same as that re-
Gently revived one about buying in order
to sell.
1t was said 10 us n we do not Sbuy
English manufactures We cannot hope
TO sell our cotton and other products Of
the soil 10 the people of England. But
we persisted In creating new industries.
and now We sell more OF cotton and 9TH
er products TO Great Britain than those
who bid us beware dreamed possible.
Not alone England but other countries
continue to buy from us In increasing
quantities, and our consumption OF cot
ton and other products OF the soil grows
year by year. And IL Is this fact which
justihes the policy Of the Protectonists
who hold that IL Is the business OF
statesmen 10 legislate so that national
production will be promoted. and to not
concern themselves about trade because
the latter Will be sure to take care OF
itsef IL the former is not hampered