Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-10-22
DOWNFALL OF FREE TRADE.
EEsland's Foremost Stntesmen be-
IieNe That Protection Must
BE Resorted To.

Prime Minister Balfours pamphlet en-
titled, Economic Notes on lnsular Free
Trade" is substantially a confession
that a modified protective policy may be
a necessity to the British empire as now
situated Mr. Balfour says he approaches
the subject from the free trade point of
view, but not precisely after the manner
of Golden. His conviction is that con-
iitions require a fiscal policy varying
with circumstances, and that the British
people have no right whatever to re-
gard any plan as perfect, merely because
ii is simple unartificial, and, above all,
familiar" In Mr.. Balfours opinion, re-
suits have driven his countrymen to ask
whether fiscal system suited to free
trade nation in world of free traders
remains suited in every detail to free
trade nation in a world of protection
lists" Here is an admission, says the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat that, in adopting
free trade, England expected other ma
tions to follow the example, and the
world we'll knows that English free trade
propagandists and agents have labored
hard to persuade foreign countries to
adopt the doctrine. This crusade having
failed. Mr. Balfour recognizes the need
of shifting the point of view. The noun
tain will not go to Mahomet, so Mahomet
must take the alternative under consid-
Grafton.
Mr.. Balfours argument is plainly that
of a nominal free trader who will yield
more ground the moment British public
sentiment seems ready for it. He owns
that free trade may not save nation
from suffering more by the adoption of a
protective policy by its neighbors than
do those neighbOrs themselves, nor even
from being worse off than it would have
been had ii never pursued a free trade
policy at all" An intimate knowledge
of British fiscal affairs and tendencies
has led the prime minister to doubt the
expediency of continued fight for free
trade, almost single-handed, against the
most of the earth. He declares that the
British position would he still more un-
desirable We're it not that foreign coun-
tries owe England a great deal of money,
and that areas remain that are not pro-
tected or protected only in part, Only
save free trade island from a helpless
ness in which all that is produced could
be sold only at loss In that case
capital either flies to happier regions or
Is lost; labor either emigrates or sinks TO
savagery. and unless other help arrives
our (hypotheticaD island returns to the
state of nature from which it had surely
been better that it had never emerged -
Not a bright picture, surely, from one
who says he is still free trader under
reservations. AS for the future. Balfour
sees no satisfactory symptoms for Brit
ish interests, and he goes on TO say: The
highly developed industrial countries,
like Germany, America and France give
no sign of any wish TO relax their pro-
tectionist system. The less developed
protectionist communities, like Russia
and some of our own se!f-governing col
onies, are busily occupied in building up
protected interests within their borders
"a process which is doubtless costly TO
them, but is not on that account the less
injurious to US" Therefore. Balfour's
conclusion is hat England should resort
to protection far enough to induce an
equitable tariff disposition in other ma
tions He would do to foreign countries
what they always do to each other, and
instead of appealing to economic theories
in which they wholly disbelieve, use fiscal
inducements which they thoroughly un-
derstand." So the prime minister's free
trade, as he himself unveils it, is re-
taliatory protection, not free trade nor
anything resembling il in the theory or
practice. There is, in truth, little differ
ence between Balfour and Chamberlain.
Both are convinced from existing British
fiscal conditions and prospects that pro-
lection in some form must soon be re-
sorted to, and that the necessity will
present itself to all cabinets alike.