Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1891 — Killing Commerce. [ARTICLE]

Killing Commerce.

The protectionists are continually putting forward the preposterous claim that tariff duties do not restrict and cripple trade. A practical answer to this claim has recently been found in the fact that the steamship company doing business between New York and Bordeaux, France, will soon sell its steamers at public auction and retire from business. The reason assigned for this act is that tho company was doing business at a lo?s as the result of the increased duties of the McKinley law, and tho higher French duties on our grain which went into effect nearly a year ago. Not along ago it was announced that large distilleries in Bordeaux and other points in Southern France had closed their doors as the result of the duties on American corn. Between the McKinleyism of America and that of France tho Bordeaux company found that the exchange of goods between the countries was declining. The stockholders of the company were unwilling to continue doing business at a loss, hence they decided to retire from business. Tariffs clearly hinder trade.