Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1891 — A “Revival” Promised. [ARTICLE]

A “Revival” Promised.

When is protection ever to “do its work?” We have now had high tariff for thirty years, and still protectionists are busy making promises that protection is going to make the country prosperous. President Harrison said to the people of San Francisco: “1 feel that we have come to a point where American industries, American commerce and American influence are to be revived and extended.” American ship building has had for years absolute protection in the shape of laws entirely forbidding the purchase of foreign ships; and despite this absolute protection the President has to confess that, so far as ocean shipping is concerned, we have already gone out of business. But even the President, hide-bound protectionist that he is. is making progress away f%m McKinleyism. In his speeches on tho tariff in the House of Repx-esentatives last year McKinley asked contemptuously, “Why need we vox ourselves about foreign commerce?” He praised his bill for the very reason that it would “diminish tho importation of competing foreign goods:” and there was applause on the Republican side of the House. But io, what a change in ono brief year! Here is our President going about the country telling the people that American industries arc at the point of being “revived” since the billion Congress has voted subsidies to ships for tho purpose of increasing our foreign trade. McKinley erects his wall and frankly tolls us that it is for the purpose of reducing imports. McKinley bill and subsidy bill are both passed, the one to kill trade the other to “revive” it; and they aro both signed by the same President! It is all very amusing.