Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-09-13
HOME MARKET AND THE TARIFF
Domestic Transportation Charges An
nuaily Exceed Amount of
Foreign Trade.

FOESl9H ITdues
Americans are much inclined to
boast of the vast foreign commerce of
this country, which has suddenly shot
upward, until now our exports and i'm
ports total almost $3,0OO,00O,OC0. But
few persons ever think what mere
bagatelle this is in comparison with
our domestic commerce, the trade be-
tween different parts of the United
States by railway, highway, river and
canal, and by lake and coastwise yes.
sells. One significant sign of the i'm.
portance and value of this home trade
is shown by the totals for railway
earnings, now jumping upward at an
annual increase of 10 per cent. Ac.
cording to preliminary report of the
interstate commerce commission, the
gross earnings of the railroads of the
United States, covering approximately
$4,000 miles of road, will show, for
the fiscal year ending June 80, at least
that rate of excess over the $2,073, ,000,'
600 earned in the preceding fiscal
year. Official statistics will not be re.
turned by some of the roads for sew.
eral months, but the increases that
have been shown month by month dur
ing the year and the final reports of
the expected 10 per cent. increase will
be realized.
If to this expected total of s2,2S0,.
100000 railway earnings the freights
collected for other transportation with
in the United States in the last fiscal
year were added, the gross amount
would doubtless exceed s3,000,000, 900.
In other words, the mere transporta.
ton charge on our internal commerce
amounts annually to as much as the
total value of the commodities han.
died in our entire foreign trade.
1t has always been principle OF
those statesmen who favored building
up our home markets by system OF
judicious protection for American in.
dustry that the home market was
many times more valuable and inn
portant than any foreign market could
ever be. In view of the fact cited
above, it would be difficult to dispute
ket has been developed largely by pro-
lection, which has provided employ.
ment for millions of manufacturing
employees at the highest wages ever
paid, thus creating an unprecedented
market and the best prices for agricul-
tural products and other commodities
which are often not deemed within
the influence of protective tariffs. To
tear down our tariff walls and destroy
this home market, in the chase for
imaginary foreign markets; to throw
several millions of workmen out of
employment, and thus lessen the peo-
pies power to buy and consume the
products of the country's agriculture
this is the net meaning of the Dem
ocratic outcry against Republican pro.
lection, and of the campaign for con-
troll of congress which the Democr" dc
party is now waging.
Any tariff in force for nine years Is
bound to develop iniquities, and doubt
less present schedules are defective in
some particulars. They should be re-
vised, and will be, if President Roose-
velt's aims prevail. But Democratic
congress will mean, not revision, but
destruction. There is no reason to
doubt that the country understands
this, or to imagine that the country
has any intention of turning congress
over to the Democratic party.-Taco.
ma Ledger.