Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1891 — CURRENT COMMENT. [ARTICLE]

CURRENT COMMENT.

A TARIFF TEST. St Louis Globe Democrat. The only true test of any law lies in .its practical enforcement,, and this is particularly applicable to tariff legislation. It is impossible to tell in advance how a given act is going to work, so much depends upon circumstances. The only safe course is to wait and see what the effects are before pronouncing judgment. That is what the people should have done in the ease of the McKinley bill. They were asked to give it a fair trial and to render a verdict upon it according to its results. The fact is now*plain that they acted too hastily in condemning it. We are informed by the official returns that the mischief which was predicted lias not come to pass. The Democratic talk about the destruction of our foreign trade fins turned out Jto be Stuff and nonsense. We are both buying and selling more than we were before this law was passed. During the last seven months our imports have increased $22,000,000 and our exports $28,090,000 over the corresponding period of the previous year. The .amount of duties collected has decreased, by reason of the enlargement of the free list; but that means a saving to the people, while the revenue still remains large enough to meet all the ordinary demands of the government. This is a kind of testimony that can not be impreaclied. It represents the actual operations of a law which has been more lied about, per-, haps, than any other piece of legislation that was ever enacted. The people of other nations have not quit purchasing our products in any degree because of this law; on the contrary, their purchases have increased. We are taking more of their products, in turn, and we are not paving as m uch for them as we did before by about $65,000,000 a year. The wisdom of the measure has been vindicated in a direct and palpable way. Trade has been made freer, and at the same time protection has been made more effective. The importation of foreign products of a uon-competitive nature is facilitated rather than hindered, while the home market is carefully reserved for the home producer whenever he can supply what is wanted. This is what was promised by the advocates of the. McKinley hill. They felt confident that it would prove to be a blessing'to the country, and time has shown that they were right. The evidence is positive and' conclusive in support of the proposition that the new law has not harmed the country in arty particular, but lias benefited it in several ways. ■ Our foreign trade for.the last fiscal year was the largest in all the history of the country. That does not look as if we were being shut out of desirable markets by bur tariff policy. It indicates that wo are ex tending our commerce without sacrificing the advantage of our protective system, aifd that the duties have been decreased in/suoh a form as to give the people the whole gain in the matter.