Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-05-09

Wants.
Taking issue with the New York
Tribune's contention that commercial
isolation cannot be charged against a
country whose exports have in the
last ten years of protection exceeded
those of the United Kingdom and have
gone far beyond the exports of France
and Germany, while as to the total of
foreign trade the United States stands
third among the nations, the New
York Times says:
why should not S3,941 $40 Ameri-
cans buy or sell more than England,
France, or Germany, whose popula-
tions range around 40,000,000 each?
Why should not nation of S107 ,000,-
600, 900 of wealth surpass each of sew
eral nations of which any two hardly
surpass its resources? Why should
not an undeveloped country grow
faster than those which have reached
if not passed, maturity? If the United
States has done so vel. under outworn
ard repressive conditions, what might
II hOJ do IL lllC JULIUS NIAC NuI
Not to buy as much as you sell, and
preferably more than you sell, is in
the eyes of the average free trader a
sin and shame. 1t never seems to
occur to his mind that nation, like
an individual, buys what it needs and
no more. The United States is in the
fortunate position of needing to buy
the producing nations. On this ac-
count our country is greatly envied by
all the world. Not only that, but all
the world recognizes that fact that we
have reached this enviable position
through the policy of so stimulating
and developing our great productive
resources as to supply our wants to
degree that no other nation can boast.
We have accomplished this splendid
result with protective tariff. Yet in
the last II months we have bought
of the outside world close upon 81 ,400,-
100000 of its products. These we have
paid for with our exports of about ST.
S50,000,000, OF the 81 400, 100000 of
imports, $S0O,00O,000 worth were arti-
cles which we could have ourselves
produced and would produce if com
PEELED by trade hostility to do so.
Ought we to have bought more than
$S00,000,000 worth CT these competi-
tive articles? If so, why? We did not
need any more; then why purchase
more? The fact that the per capita
average of either exports or imports is
larger in European countries of small
er population only proves their worse
fortune and our better fortune. 1t
certainly does not prove that we ought
to have bought and sold more. We
sold according to our surplus and
bought according to our requirements.
AS matter of fact, we bought be-
yond our requirements. On this ques-
tioon of enormously increased pur-
chases of commodities produced by
foreign labor the Times remarks:
And, by the way, how long is it
since the party which has legislated
against foreign trade for generations
has claimed the growth of foreign
trade as one of its achievements? Why
is not the growth of foreign trade
legitimate argument for higher tariff,
so that it may be checked"
The growth of import trade to a to-
tai almost double that of II years ago
under a reformed" tariff might well
serve as a legitimate argument for
higher tariff. 1t is very certain to
serve that purpose when the question
of tariff revision shall have been forced
upon the country. Let no one suppose
that when the time arrives for alter
ing the schedules the alteration is 60
ing to be altogether downward. There
are schedules which need revising up
ward. Positive proof of that is to be
found in yearly intake of more than
SS00,000,000 of dutiable and competi-
tive articles.
AS to the question how much better
we might have done in the matter of
swelling our foreign trade to its pres
ent vast proportions ''if the bonds
were cut" we leave the Times to fig
ure that out, merely contenting our
selves with the remark that the ma
tion which achieves the greatest pros
perity by looking after the interests
of it's own people will invariably be
found to be best able to buy and con-
sumo products of other nations. Some
of the bonds were cut in 1894, and We
are now buying nearly double what we
did before the bonds were restores by
the Dingley tariff.