The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-05-09

Otner NATION we supply OuT OWn
Wants.
Taking issue with the New York
Tribunes 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 S3,941.5 $40 Ameri-
cans buy or sell more than England.
France. or Germany whose popula-
lions range around 10000 900 each9
Why should not a nation of $l0T 900,
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 hav0 reached.
II not passed. maturity II the United
States has done so well under outworn
and repressiye conditions. what might
Il not do n the bonds were cut?'
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 a shame. II never seems TO
occur TO his mind that a nation, like
an individual, buys what 1t needs and
no more. The United States is in the
fortunate position OF needing TO buy
less per capita than any one among
the producing nations. On this &C
count our country IS greatly envied by
all the wc;ld. Not only that. but all
the world recognizes that fact that We
have reached this ehviable position
through the policy Of so stimulating
and developing our great productive
resources as TO supply our wants 90 a
degree that no other nation can boast.
We have accomplished this splendid
result with a protective tariff. Yet in
the last - months We have bought
OF the outside world close upon Slf00-
100000 OF IT'S prodscts These We have
paid for with our exports Of about ST..
S50.OO00OO. or the fi.i0O. 600 900 Of
imports. $500 900 00G worth were aru-
Giles which we could have ourselves
produced and would produce % com
PEELED by trade hostility 10 DO SO.
ought we to have bought more than
$500 600 600 worth Of these competi-
tive articles? II 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
or population only proves their worse
fortune and our better fortune. IL
certainly does not prove that We ought
TO have bought and sold more. We
sold according to our surplus and
bought according 20 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 Il 81
since the party which has legislated
against foreign trade for generations
has claimed the growth OF foreign
trade as one Of It's achievements Why
Is not the growth Of foreign trade a
legitimate argument for a higher tariff
so thar &c may be checked?'
The growth Of import trade 10 a to-
tai almost double that Of ~ years ago
under a reformed" tariff might well
serve as a Legitimate argument for a
higher tariff. Il 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 go
ing to be altogether downward. There
are schedules which need revising up
ward Positive proof of that is TO DE
found in a yearly intake OF more than
$500 100000 Of dutiabie and competi.
tive articles.
As to the question how much better
we might have done In the matter OF
swelling our foreign trade 20 its pres
ent vast proportions IF the bonds
were cut" we leave the Times to ig
ure that out, merely contenting our
selves with the remark that the ma
ton which achieves the greatest pros
perity by looking after the interests
of it's own people will invariably be
found to be best able 10 buy and con
sumo products Of other nations. Some
of the bonds we're cut In 1894. and we
are now buying nearly double what we
did before the bonds were restored by
the Dingley tariff.