Protection And Distress In France

Three years ago the French protectionist Meline betrayed parliament into the passing of a law as destractive as the McKinley robbery. Anarchism had no name, no adherents, until the industrial torture of that law begun to madden the proletaire, for in France, as in the United States, it is the rich who benefit by the tariff exactions. In all the industrial towns of the republic the same results are seen that followed the McKinley law. The f avored few prosper the millions are without work. The pro letaire - :the workmen - always easil; misled, were the first to hail the tariff as an instrument in their favor. They are now realizing the actual effect While work was abundant and well paid under a nominal tariff, work is at an end, and idleness holds seven-tenths o the industrial ranks in starvation. The tariff has obliterated a great percentag of the export trade with the rest of Eu rope. Wailing and despair are heard from everv province. Yet Meline has just carnea a law to add an additional tax on grain to protect the farmer. Trade with Spain is al most extinguished. Swiss trade with Franco has fallen off one-half. Italy and the rest of Europe are down ev ery day the importation of French handi work, and yet the McKinley spirit is de fiant and aggrossive. It is the confusión of the uneducated million theref ore tha gives apparent strength to the anarchis group, f or the proletaire, having been as sured that protection was going to giv him work and high pay, condueles tha the present condition of society is al wrong when the laws he has been raad to believe favorable to himself only en in giving the bourgeoisie bigger profit