Arizona republican., 1904-01-04
A Generation of Protection.

The Republican yesterday MORNING
contained an editorial based upon
some observations by the Boston Jour
nal upon the tariff system of this
country and it's effects upon the ma
terial prosperity CT the country. The
tariff can hardly be said to be a par
ticularly opportune topic for the reason
that there is no considerable element
in the country DESTROYS of a change
of the system, but it is always pleas
ing subject of discussion by republican
newspapers.
A review by the department of COM
merce and labor printed in this issue
of The Republican contains addition
al reasons for generalization CT the
party which has established the pro-
lection of American Industries. 1t is
shown that within thirty-three years
the production of steel in this country
has increased from a little mere than
10000 tons to almost 100000 tons.
tenfold In 1880 our imports of manu-
facturers' materials amounted to $327,-
$4,000 and our exports Of manufact-
ureres to $134, 22S, 900. In 1898 we import
ed manufacturers materials to the
amount of $3.50, SOS, 900, but the exports
of manufactures had Increased in still
greater ratio, for they amounted to
mere than s4O7, 200. 600.
In 1880 there was no tin plate man
ufactured in the United States and
there were imported more than 484 000.-
600 pounds. Before ten years had elaps-
ed the business of making tin plate in
this country had been established and
the industry was put under protection
amid the derision of the democrats. In
1898 the imports of tin plate amounted
TO C2S,O0O 600 pounds, but there were
manufactured at home 99,000.0 900
pounds, Last year the imports fell to
1O9 O0O, 900 pounds and the manufact-
ures rose to $4,000 900 pounds. There
was an infant industry nursed into
vigorous life in spite of the declara-
ton of the tariff reformers that it
must die of hamilton.
Mr. Walter J. Ballard of Schnecta-
dy, \. Y, recently collected some in
teresting figures on the operation of the
protective tariff. Said he:
From 1890 to 1908, inclusive, is la
years. During So IL years of that pc
Rod the United States has been under
q protective tariff, and IS - years I'M
der a low tariff.
THE real value TO us of either tar
If is-how much foreign money we
can take in for goods sold over and
above the money we pay out to foreign
countries for goods bought. The ex-
cess of money received is national
gain. How does our foreign cash ac-
count for merchandise bought and sold
during the III years stand? A tabula-
ton prepared by the bureau Of Stats
tics of the department of commerce
and labor, and published in the Con-
gressional Record a few days ago.
gives the answer in detail. That tabu-
lation summaries as follows:
Under a protective tariff-Thirty-
one years of excess exports, S5,47O,-
423,925i less "a 1-2 years of excess i'm
ports Qncluding three of the civil war
years., S1,0tI, 81 ,Oo4. Net excess eX-
ports, s4,O99, 026.S6
Under low tariff-Forty- and
one-half years of excess imports. ST.
O6S,S72, ISL; less ten years of excess ex-
ports, s55S,s17, 23O Net excess imports,
S514,954,sSl. Total protective tariff gain.
s4,61s,9s1, 7e2.
lin other words, protective tariffs, in
providing more work. more wages,
more homes. more education and more
of the comforts of life, have done it to
the extent of over four thousand six
hundred millions of gold dollars trans
ferred from foreign to American pock-
cts.
rs not that worth standing pat
on?"