Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-01-24

Our American Policy and the Cob
den Club.

An important article was contributed
70 the pages of The The International Re-
view for December by Hon. John L. Ste
vens, Minister to Sweden. upon the In
Auesce Of European Industries on the
United States Il contains brief sketch
Of the condition, trade and resources Of
every country in Europe. pointing out the
causes which in the most Of them have
tended and are more and more tending to
keep up the stream of emigration TO
the United States which began in 1920.
The following remarks concerning the
Golden club and our American policy will
especially interest our readers:
The members Of the Golden Club are
intelligent and respectable gentlemen and
it il not At all surprising that they are
particularly concerned for the enlighten-
ment Of the people Of the United States.
The real difference between them and the
advocates OF the American policy pertains
to the solution of the question of transport
tation. Shall the mines and the untitled
acres be carried to the laborers, or shall
the mining operatives and the farm-hands
be removed TO where their labor will bring
them more pay and more Of the comforts
Of life? Shall the surplus labor and cap
ital Of Europe go to the immediate field
Of American resources, or shall the Amer
lean raw products be carried and handled
TO increase the value Of British iron, coal.
and manufactures 1t does not require
elaborate ciphering to prove that it is
much less expensive to transport the Ia
borers and capital to the country which
produces the staples of manufacture and
cheap food-supplies than to transport the
raw staples and the food three or four
thousand miles across the ocean. II is
not 1t all strange that the patriotic British
citizen should argue in favor of bringing
the prairies Of the Mississippi and the
West and the wool farms Of California te
help increase the dimensions of his little
island. and to render more valuable its
limited number of material resources.
We cannot severely criticise this sturdy
Saxon home-sense and pocket-nerve Of the
English citizen. But let him not seek to
elevate his insu,ar interest to the dignity
Of scientific and universal principle.
The American policy does not claim to be
wanting in regard to American interests.
The American policy operates to make the
grain. pork. cotton. and corn-felds of the
United States more valuable by drawing
the surplus labor of Europe to their neigh
borhood. and to develop the coal and iron
mines which in total amount are more
than six times those possessed by Europe
The American lab6rers, whether OF native
or foreign. will be slow to complain that
the revenue policy of their country is so
adjusted as TO give incidental protection
to the products of their brains and sinews.
While our revenue necessities are annual
~ growing less. the ability of the country
70 pay is rapidly increasing. BY the time
our national debt shall have been extin-
guished. our manufacturing interests will
have become impregnably intrenched
against all external dangers; and by the
immense general development of the re-
sources Of the country. whose products
and wealth shall have their outflow across
the oceans. the nations of the world will
BE- benefited.