Foreign Tariffs

Protectionists, who are pointing to the calls of Canadian manufacturers for a higher tariff as evidence of a growth of protection sentiment, should remember not only that this call comes from tariff beneficiaries but also that the manifestations are not all in that line. In Europe there is no "free trade" country except England, and it is "free trade" only by comparison, for it has a revenue tariff yet there are some very pronounced voices from Europe on the tariff question and they are not calling for any more tariff.

Germany affords a very good illustration. In the recent elections there the socialists made great gains and this was unquestionably due to the fact that their speakers urged that the "hard times" in that country were due to tariff taxes and the exactions of the trusts (cartels) that have grown up under the German system. It is the pressure of hard times that makes emigration, and the emigration from Germany, Russia, Italy and other political countries has [for] years been much heavier than it has been from "free trade England." Protection has not been found to be "for the benefit of the workingman" in those countries.

The situation in Germany is the more notable because it is only a few years since the political and business leaders of that country were advocating tariffs and trusts. They got the idea that American prosperity was due to them and decided to follow our example. That was a real development of the protection idea, and it was applied to a large extent in Germany. But the result has not been gratifying. Germany has gone through three years of severe industrial depression under its new system, and the people are waking up to the fact that taxing ten men for the benefit of the eleventh man is not a good method of promoting general prosperity. It is a splendid thing for the eleventh man, but it is depressing to his fellow-citizens. -- Indianapolis Sentinel.

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Attorney General Blair has been but a short time in office, but he has already given evidence of being the son of his father in various things. He seems to have some of the same traits as the late War Governor, and if be continues as he has begun he is likely to develop into timber from which to construct another war governor -- one who will war on the corruption now seated in high places throughout the state.