Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1903 — POLITICAL COMMENT. [ARTICLE]

POLITICAL COMMENT.

The Tide Rai Not Turned. Last spring the United Stated apparently Owed Europe $300,000,000. Speculators had ■been heavy borrowers abroad. The short corn crop of 1901 had told heavily against us, and with the decrease in exports of agricultural products and certain manufactured products there, were many faint hearts to believe that the tide of commerce flad turned or was about to turn. The complete figures of our foreign trade for thq calendar year 1902 show, however, that the tide has not turned, and the reports for the first month of 1903 show that it is not likely to turn. The $300,000,000 debt to Europe has been liquidated, and the United States is again the creditor of Europe. Our exports of manufactures in the full .year of 1902 had a value of $410,650,967, an increase of $15,500,000 over exports of manufactures in 1901. This increase is the more significant because there was, on account of the increased home demand, a decrease of $4,500,000 in the exports of iron and steel manufactnres. There was, however, an increase of $12,000,000 in copper manufactures and of $7,000,000 in manufactured cotton. The latter Increase is credited to peaceful conditions in China, the Chinese buying 125,000,000 more yards of cotton cloth in than in 1901. Our exports of breadstuffs were less by $80,000,000 than in 1901. There was a falling off of $24,000,000 in provisions and of $19,000,000 in animals. The decrease in the sale of breadstuffs and provisions is chargeable in part to the drought»of 1901 and in part to the increased demand in this country. Our exports of coal fell, on account of the strike, from $22,000,000 in 1901 to $13,000,000 in 1902, while our"exports of agricultural Implements, manufactures of leather and wood, and of woolen goods incroased.

The export movement for January, 1903, was so favorable that It Is believed the trade balance in our favor Dec. 31, 1903, will approximate $500,000,000. This estimate takes due account of the effects of the anthracite coal strike on manufacturing plants and of the Increasing home demand for Iron and steel manufactures. The figures for 1902 and for the first month of 1003 certainly show that the tide of commercial prosperity has not turned against us.—Chicago Inter Ocean.

In Case of Revision. We should like to know when Republicans have ever gained anything by adopting Democratic policies. We should like to know what reason there is to doubt that if the American people desire to abandon the Republican policy of protection and readjust our tariff on a basis which will Invite foreigners to take our markets they will Intrust the Democrats with the job. If the people want an agent to break up all vulnerable American Industries they will choose one which can be trusted to do it. They know that the Democracy is reliable for that purpose, for It has been tested. It effectually “revises” the tariff whenever it gets a chance. From the Republican standpoint the tariff needs no revising. This Is not to say that it Is a perfect or an imperfect tariff. It Is a tariff to which the business of the country has become adjusted, and under which we are prospering. It is a tarlflj which cannot be changed, except to the Injury of some American Industries. It is satisfactory to protectionists because It protects. That Is what a protective tariff is for. What Democratic “tariff revisionists” want Is a tariff which does not protect. What tariff revisionists who call themselves Republicans want Is a tariff which protects their products while destroying that of products which they wish to buy. Of the two breeds of tariff revisionists the Democratic is the more honest, for it proposes to “revise” everybody’s protection out of existence and Says so. A Democratic tariff revisionist is a misguided and crazy citizen. A “Republican” tariff revisionist is a hypocrite. He is stealing the Republican livery to serve the Democratic devil. If Republican statesmen expect to maintain the national prosperity, and if Republican politicians expect to retain the national offices, they had best •top trying to Inject Democratic doctrine Into declarations of Republican policy. If anybody Is to “revise” our tariff, the Democrats will get the Job. — San Francisco Chronicle. Why Change It? The Ledger, like a good American, has bfcen studying the tariff for a good many ye*rs. It was born after the great silver campaign, and never bad to waste any gray matter on that issue, so It has bad all the more time to devote to the tariff. The Ledger found the tariff a well established American policy that had been learned from England, who learned It from Germany, and our government lias had a tariff since it started and has used it both as a revenue gatherer and as a protection to home industries. The tariff has fed our infant industries until they have grown so large that they have spread and overlapped., several foreign countries and have made the world’s balance of trade lean our way, and the golden stream Is filling our treasury. That means that our mill will run when foreign mills cannot. That our people will get thedividend* the wages and salaries of prosperity when foreign nations are pinched by depression. This condition

exists now. Why should this country seek to change It? General Luke Wright, who has Just come back from the Philippines, comes, like General Wood, with all sorts of plans to reform the tariff by putting on a patch to fit tfie wants of those who want to dominate the commerce of the islands. Our country should not cripple any of its Industries to build up a foreign land, even the Philippines.—Birmingham (Ala.) Ledger. Selfish Tariff Reformers. The present tariff law more nearly subserves the Interests of all classes than any ever enacted in this country. It protects the manufacturer from competition of dCeap manufactured goods from abroad, and at the same time protects the producer from like competition. Best of all it protects American labor from the competition of the pauper labor of other countries, whether used to produce cloth or shoes or wheat or barley and cattle and wool. The Oregonian is mistaken In asserting that the farmers are seeing that “the great protected manufacturing concerps of the East are getting far more out of the tariff than they do.” The farmers of the West are satisfied with the present conditions, which are the best they have ever known; they are satisfied that the prosperity of the Eastern manufacturers and the employment of thousands or workingmen is a factor in the prosperity of the farmers, as the Increased consumption of our products shows. Says the Oregonian: “Half the protected corporations of the country are themselves now, and for months have been, carrying ©n a vigorous Warfare for tariff reduction through reciprocity treaties, for free hides and free wook” This is true. But will the Oregonian point out one of these corporations that has demanded a reduction of the duty on manufactured products? There is not one. Their demands are selfish, and to comply with them would be to work injury upon other classes in order to Increase their profits.—Helena (Mont.) Record.

What Causes Prosperity. Republican policy has not caused the rain or the sunshine, but it has supplied and protected the market open to the things the rain and the sunshine have brought forth. Nature has glvfen the land, with all Its latent possibilities, but the land would be going to waste if there were no marts for that It yields. Industry has been stimulated from the certainty that Its efforts would not be for naught. A glauee back at the awful times of the early nlpeties will recall to mind that even then the acres were as fruitful, and the hand of toll as calloused by honest endeavor. There was the rain and the sunshine. Harvest followed seed time. Yit the looms were silent because none' had the mean* to purchase. To gather the crops was futile, for none would buy. The country was poor because of the artificial and unwholesome financial atmosphere, and this atmosphere was the expression es Democratic faith pat into works.—Tacoma Ledger.