in
kerosene oil would be a greater menace but for the possible check of
competition from abroad.

Such artificial restrictions, again, prevent the naturally rapid growth of
international commerce, which gives the surest foundation for more
permanent conditions of peace and greater extension of welfare over the
world. The tremendous interests of the commercial world are the strongest
safeguard against unnecessary warfare, and the best protection to any
nation is the fact that it makes itself needed by all the rest of the
world.

Thus inter-dependence of nations rather than independence is the essential
aim of those who seek the world's welfare. An alliance of two peoples for
commercial purposes is the best guaranty of mutual support of national
institutions.

In proof of all these statements, the experience of the world in widely
varying regions is appealed to. The natural breaking down of prohibitory
tariffs has given opportunity for observation. Especially has the commerce
between states of the Union, where it is absolutely free, shown the
general advantage of such freedom in rapid development of wealth and
welfare. While these states have a common interest in government, they are
nevertheless widely distinguished in peculiarities of local government and
in characteristics of people. While, therefore, there is possible doubt as
to the wisdom of rapid removal of restrictions, there is every probability
that such restrictions will gradually be outgrown. Even the temptation to
make retaliatory duties, where other governments restrict against our
products, is growing less with increasing experience of the true advantage
in exchanges. The world is gradually coming to see that the better market
any region of country affords for the rest of the world, the better market
the rest of the world affords for it.

_Incidental tendencies from tariff._--The incidental effects of restrictive
tariffs, and especially of the necessary instability of restrictive
legislation, are too interesting to pass by, though very limited space can
be afforded them. In the first place they contribute to a speculative
enterprise which leads to waste of wealth in unpromising undertakings
because of a necessary over-estimate of the advantage given. On the other
hand, a reduction of the same tariff after a series of years is almost
sure to bring panic in that line of industry previously fostered. So the
fluctuations of tariff laws are one element in pe