The Nineteenth Century , No 182, Apr 1892 [‎37r] (78/244)

1892 CHICAGO AND I 563
trade is not caused by the tariff alone is shown by tlie failure of
one of our largest manufacturers to set up and work successfully a
branch factory An East India Company trading post. in America, and the decision arrived at by another
firm of like standing that it would not pay—even with the aid of the
tariff—to attempt to manufacture in America the goods which they
declare are excluded solely by high customs dues.
Again, the tariff may or may not be permanent. It may quite
possibly be succeeded by a scale of duties lower than the one which
it replaced, and on which it was, after all, only a comparatively small
advance. Customs duties have ruled high in America for a long
time past. At the last congressional elections the country declared
against it, and though public feeling in the States seems since to
have veered round towards the protectionist quarter, it is by no
means certain that it will keep there. At any rate, the majority in
favour of protection is, if it really exists at all, a very small one, and
at any moment the system may be changed. Whether this will be
to our advantage remains to be seen; those who are entitled to
express their opinion on the question do not hesitate to state their
belief that the day when America becomes a free-trade country will
be a disastrous one for British commerce.
Finally, if the tariff is so potent an instrument for keeping out
British goods, it is the interest of British manufacturers to fight it
in every way, to destroy it if possible, to render it nugatory if it
cannot be destroyed. The United States is far and away our largest
customer. Are we to lie down supine before the barrier she has
erected to protect her own industries, wringing our hands in distress
because it is difficult to pass ? This was not the way in which our
commerce was created, nor in such fashion will it be maintained.
Eather should we use every legitimate means to get over it, or
through it, or round it. We must show the Americans that, in spite
of all the artificial obstacles they can place in the road, we can still
make our way into their markets. We must prove that in certain
classes of manufacture we can still beat them. We must seize
every opportunity of showing them—where we can—how much
better our wares are than theirs, and so long as we can do this, we
need not fear hostile tariffs. When we fail to do so, we may admit
ourselves beaten, get rid of seven-eighths of our population, and set
the rest to grow cheese and butter for their own consumption.
There is one thing certain, that we shall have—as in all trade
matters—a much stronger competition to face from other nations
than at any previous exhibition. Our manufacturers have profited
largely in the past by these great international shows, they have
gained advantage for themselves and credit for their country. A
general tendency is now showing itself in matters commercial to
rest content with things as they are, and this is evident in case of
exhibitions as elsewhere. Foreign nations are profiting by the