The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-29
The Consumers Inning.

. The last number of the American
Economist, the organ of high protection
in this country, begins with a letter
from Washington reviewing the recent
reciprocity convention in Chicago. It
describes that convention as "the
greatest comedy in the politics of this
country in my time,' and attributes
that sentiment to an official in the
treasury department. It does not say
that Secretary Shaw is the official
quoted, but whoever he is, he evidently
entertains sentiments not entirely out
of harmony with those Of the secretary
himself.
This Washington writer goes on to
make the most of the recent official re-.
tports. showing the marvellous growth of
our foreign trade in manufactures as an
answer to the resolution Of the conven-
ton -" that our commercial policy is an
tagonizing foreign nations, whose good
will we desire, and on whom we have
hitherto depended as purchasers Of our
surplus products. - The Economist g
writer thinks it very absurd that any
concern should be manifested by bust
ness men Of this country lest our for
eign trade should suffer on account of
our high tariff so long as the statistics
| of imports and exports show such
| marked increase Of our foreign trade
on the export side. : III i}i&&
Of course, no notice is taken Of the
fact that this convention was called
and made up largely Of producers OF
raw NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and farmers
It has nothing to say about the appre'
tensions which these people feel with
regard to the danger which threatens
their trade. The Economist 3 CORE
spondent is not talking about the ex
ports Of beef or provisions or grain
He is only emphasizing the growing de-
mand for American manufactures
| abroad z &t-teo .;::4> = -: 49, I'll. Il
/ While the arguments offered nabotf
sides, BY the, producers Of raw materia
in the Chicago. convention on the one
hand, and by the defenders OF hlgf
tariff in the columns Of the Econom1s
on the other do not meet, it is alst
noticeable that the question of tariff
reform is ignored by both in its mos
important aspect. The interest OF tn
consumer is not considered in eithe
case and this-unless we are much mis-
taken-is the interest which Is goln|
to determine more than anything els
the action Of. our. government on tn
tariff. The American consumer ha
!; willingly borne the burden Of hig]
prices SO long as it seemed necessar.
to maintain the home market in tn
possession Of the home producer an
manufacturer, but when-as has nov
come to be the case-the' home marke
is not only safe, but the foreign con
sumer is able to buy the article OF tn
domestic manufacturer cheaper than tn
domestic consumer can buy it, the lat
ter has reached the limit Of his patienc
and will at least demand that he b
treated as well as the foreign consumer
He will not ask that the tariff be s
reduced that the home market may
seriously invaded by the foreign Pre-
Queer, but he will ask that it be 8
: reduced that the domestic producer an
manufacturer may not exact from hi1
higher price for the American articl
!, than that which is paid for it by tn
foreign consumer. And this is the fe
low who is going to reform the tariff
and this is the extent to, which he
going to reform it.
+ Another explanation Of the retiremer
! of Lord Curzon, which is not creditab
r to English royalty, has come In 1t
. that when the duke and duchess of Cor
, naught visited India to take part In II
Z Delhi durbar they were given positio
!, In the parades inferior to that of tt
4 viceroy and his American wife. tt
. brother Of the king came home as ma
r as hornet, and when the prince