The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-12-21
EXPORTS FROM IRELAND.

P>"pAS' Tue LASH arc sldQ tnaC the
party of Jefferson and Jackson got
elected in November for the next four
years. Why should the Irish take any
interest in American politics NAV be
asked? Simply because of the tariff.
They hope to increase their export
trade with the United States under
the Wilson administration. For the
same reason that Americans complain
of the high cost of living under high
protective tariff, the Irish are iubilant
over the victory of the Democratic
party which pledged itself to reduce
the tariff on foreign imports. Moth
ing sentimental about the Americans
or the Irish when it comes to ques-
ton of dollars and cents. Americans
can be reused to the highest pitch of
enthusiasm on hearing an orchestra
play the Star-Spangled Banner and
the Irish fling their hats in the air
When they listen to the Wearing of
the Green: but When it comes to a
commercial or financial question they
Doth are cool, calculating business
people.
DO You ship any of your goods to
! the United States?' asked an Amer
lean of an Irish manufacturers. mo"
/ why not?" 1.-THE protective tariff is
in the way How does that affect
you? The American consumers ulti-
mately pay the tariff" Certainly, but
We pay it too in reducing our invoice
price to the American importer to en-
able MIN to sell our wares at a profit
in competition with the American
product. When no profit is made. or
very little, we cease shipping to AM
erica altogether and seek other mar
kets. The British colonies are big
enough for u.s.
The Irish manufacturer referred tn
did not buy any American products.
He purchased his goods in the mar
kets where he sold his exports, and
SO this country lost customer. 1t is
give and take with nations as with
individuals.
The Irish manufacturers farmers
and fishermen want to sell wooden
goods. potatoes and mackerel to the
United States when the Democratic
tariff goes into operation. No people
on earth know better than the Irish
what tariff and free trade really mean.
They have had bitter experience with
England for hundreds of years. Let
lis illustrate:
Before William III. became King,
Ireland had two considerable export
industries - cattle and wooden manu-
/ features. Protection was then the pol-
icy of monopoles. as it is still: and
as soon as the English manufacturers
found that Irish cattle, leather, tall
low, etc, We're interfering with their
profits they procured the passage of
statutes which cut the Irish cattle
trade off from the markets of the
world, whether British colonial or
European. That threw the struggling
capital Of Ireland into the wooden
trade. Forthwith cry went up from
the English capitalist engaged in the
same business. and the King was
| frankly besought to stop the wooden
industry in Ireland.
| ireland was as much entitled to the
protection theory and all its alleged
benefits as England. The Crown af-
+. fected to govern the two countries by
the same laws and to know no differ
ence between them in trade, equity or
law. This fine pretension had no
foundation in fact. Penal laws direct
ed at everything noble and sane in
national development struck down
Irish hopes wherever they showed en-
ergy; education was as good as abol-
ished for three-fourths Of the people;
| property laws confiscated land ON reli-
gious pretexts; and, without regard to
either race or creed, every branch of
commerce and industry in which the
irish people displayed ability and sue
cess was in one way or another Grip
pied or destroyed. The wooden trade
showed the greatest vitality. owing to
obvious natural causes: and William
III. promptly assured the English
manufacturers that he would do ev-
erything in his power to discourage
It," 1t was effectually "discouraged''
by statutes passed nearly 200 years
ago, all export of Irish cloth except to
' England and Wales being prohibited;