302 - ' THE QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. 



of them to be low, and will bu}^ where they can buy cheapest. 

 What we should all really prefer is free trade in what we have 

 to buy, and a stiff protective tariff on whatever we have to sell. 

 Some of us are so situated that what we have to sell is not 

 affected by foreign competition, and so long as we remain in 

 that condition we tend to be free traders; others of us produce 

 goods with which foreign commodities compete, and so tend 

 to become protectionists. If our occupations or the conditions 

 affecting them change, we gradually but surely tend to change 

 our opinions; unconsciously, and in entire good faith, we 

 permit our interests to control our convictions. From the 

 standpoint of economics this is exactly as it should be; inter- 

 ests will differ, and we should quickest reach the greatest good 

 of the greatest number if upon economic subjects each indi- 

 vidual voted in accordance with his real interests. It has 

 happened sometimes in our history that individuals whose 

 productions were not affected by foreign competition were 

 closely grouped in one section of the country, while those 

 whose products could not compete in price in the home 

 market were grouped in some other section. This resulted in 

 sectional differences of interest, which are always unfortunate, 

 and, if permanent, frequently dangerous to the stability of 

 government. With the progress of the country, however, 

 these sectional differences tend to disappear. New industries 

 become established in districts which were once solidly 

 devoted to a single industry, and while individual differences 

 of interest and opinion remain, their sectional and conse- 

 quently dangerous character is gradually disappearing. 



The tariff problem in the United States has always been 

 greatly complicated by the fact that all parties have always 

 been agreed in regarding a tax on imports as a principal 

 source of national revenue. They have also agreed in con- 

 cluding that the necessary revenue could not be raised by any 

 reasonable tax on commodities not produced in this country, 

 but must be extended, in order to produce the necessary 

 amount, to articles which we also produce. But any tax on 

 imports, no matter for what purpose levied, is to its extent 

 protective, if the articles so taxed are produced in this country. 



