What Does the Following Quotation Mean: "In 1899, McKinley Spoke

What does the following quotation mean: "In 1899, McKinley spoke of lowering tariff barriers in a world that technology had made smaller"?

A) After technology had connected the United States to the rest of the world, it made sense to lower taxes on goods to and from other countries.
B) Because the population of the United States had been decreasing slowly over the nineteenth century, it made sense to lower taxes on goods from other countries.
C) Since the United States was so dependent on technology from other countries, it made sense to lower taxes on this technology.
D) Because taxes had decreased over the last decades of the nineteenth century, technology exchange between countries had increased.
E) Until taxes on goods exported to other countries were increased, the rest of the world could not benefit from American technology.