Evening journal., 1906-08-16


to that our trade with Porto Rico. Ha-
wall, and the Philippines, which
amounted to s75OOO,OoO. and we have
in the last year a grand total Of sS.-
O45, 100000 as the amount of business
done between the people of the United
States and the rest OF the world. This
is greater than the forign commerce
Of any other nation, Great Britain
alone excepted. and that because that
nation imports her food products, her
imports being almost double her eX-
ports. while our exports exceed our inn
ports by half million dollars
Under the policy OF protection the
United States produces One-third of
the manufactured and agricultural
products OF the civilized world. our
labor receives double the compensa-
ton that labor receives in Great Brit
ain, and three times the compensation
paid to labor on the continent Of Eu-
rope. Ninety-three per cent. Of this
product is consumed by our own peo-
pie. and the comparatively small sur
plus that goes abroad makes us the
greatest exporting country on the
earth.
In the rapid development Of the
country we not only live better than
any other people, but from the savings
Of production we have become the
wealthiest nation on earth.
Steel Trust Does Not Dominate
While this unprecedented prosperity
has come IN less than a decade OF Re-
publican administration and the Ding
ley tariff law has demonstrated that IL
Is a revenue-producer both for the peo-
pie and the Government, we OCCASION
ally hear the old wall that the tariff
is the mother Of trusts and the shelter
of monopoly. The tariff revisionsts
are, however. answering their own
complaints. I find in the New York
Times. one of the ablest and most un-
compromising organs of tariff revis-
ion. an editorial showing that the giant
steel trust IS no longer looked upon
by free-traders as a monopoly, and
that It has steadily declined in its pro-
portion of steel produced since its or
! ganization. The Times says:
Steel Trade
"The widest interest i'm the steel cor.
poration report attaches to what i'
| least discussed-that is the conditions
in the trade as reflected by the first.
hand facts now available. II is true
that the steel corporation is not the
steel trade. Big as it is, It is neither
| the majority interest nor even the con.
! trolling interest. In fact. its propar-
ton Of the trade is relatively declin-
| ing. while concurrently II is breakina
| it's own records of production and
| earnings It's production OF pig has
auctuated since its organization within
a narrow range and without decided
trend, standing now at A per cent
of the country's total. Its production
Of open-hearth and Bessemer castings
has fallen by about 3 ger cent. TO a
per cent. Its dominance is greatest n
the wire-nail product, which. although
declining. remains at &c per cent. II
short. the trust is not by any meant
a monopoly. and yet it is impossible
that the trust should prosper and thi
trade languish.'
All legislation, and especially reve
nue. legislation, is the result Of com
promise 1t must inevitably be so il
order to command, as. OF course, j.
necessary. a majority vote in botl
House and Senate. It is, therefore
Impossible to secure perfection in eacl
schedule Of a tariff bill; but have NJ
hesitation in saying that the presen
revenue law, known as the Dingle.
law, all things considered, is the mos
perfect and just customs-revenue laN
ever enacted. The general distress an
Industrial conditions prevailin
throughout the country at the time o
its enactment helped TO make IL 81
because it brought all the people 10
gether. In times Of prosperity, whe
II is attempted to enact tariff legisla
ton. the selfishness of the people
appealed to, but when there is indus
trial depression different interests ar
more inclined to get together for III
general good.
The Dlngley bill was substantial
! the first legislation under the admins
1 tration OF William Mckinley. II wa
enacted at a time when the revenue
E Of the Government were short whe
Y all our people. on farm, in mine. an
) in factory. were unable to realize res
I. | sonable profits upon their respectiy
2 products and when consumption wa
at minimum for the want of stead
!. ] employment bg ouA bttiit az Ia
d wages. In its operations that law hs
!. spread more evenly and justly over a
{. production in the United states tina
/ any tariff law previously enacted. u
der it's workings there came hope. col
= fdence, employment, profitable PR
4 duction, and universal prosperit
/ which has grown and increased fro
year TO year up to the present tim
Under it the people worked out the
own salvation.
It did not, and does not, please Il
Democratic party. That party d
nounces the policy of protection
robbery and declares for tariff 4
revenue only. This has been the pos
ton of the Democratic party for maj
| years; Il is it's position to-day and q
| position of all its leaders, includii
William ]. Bryan and John sharp W
Mams. the leader of the minority
the House OF Representatives, vi
| time and again during the late sesst
Of Congress proclaimed the policy
his party TO be. If clothed with pow
not to destroy protection absolutely
one fell swoop-over night, as he e
pressed it--ibut to journey towards
| tariff for revenue only. He would n
kill the patient outright at one strol
but would gradually starye il TO dea
Such policy means less wages
= labor both skilled and unskilled,