The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-01
FREE TRADE AND MISSIONS.
MOLINE, Oct. 81, 1884

or more especially upon our Mexican
missions
1t is well known fact that heather
countries have come under the intluenc
of christianity in the. same proportion
that christian countries have had com
merCial relations with them The Eng
fish missionaries recognized this fact, ant
we notice in all the missions of England
disposition to advance their civilization
as well as christianity. and if we MOTTO
the development Of the maritime power
of England, we find she has no little in
fluence in this direction, but has beel
singularly anxious for the spreading o
christian faith.
When mission work first started il
China we made little progress, but wher
the increased consumption of Chinese
| products in this and other christian cOan
tries made it an advantage for China tC
open more ports TO the world, and learf
the English language in order to do bust
ness with and increase the trade with the
English speaking people, then it was that
the hopes OF the missionaries frightened
in the faith that the dawn of christian
civilization had begun. They knew that
it was but "A matter of time when christian
literature, or at least literature tinted
with christian ideas, would float through
China dissolving the night of traditional
darkness and the chains bigotry would
break under the hammer Of religious
| truth. We know also that those countries
with which we have had the largest trade
| have made the most advancement.
| Let us but look at the Sandwich Islands
and note their increase of trade and the
advancement in civilization rs compared
with that of Mexico. Its farm advance,
but while there had been water navigation
and but little obstruction in the way OF
trade between us and the Sandwich Isl
ands, Mexico has hemmed us ont by 4
high tariff.
To what extent it has done and is do
ing so today, may be seen ny the follow
ing statement:
A few days ago | had the honor to
meet gentleman who had spent a few
months in Mexico last winter, and asked
him as regards the tariff to which he
replied that they had no general govern
mcnt tariff, but each state makes its owl
regulations as regards it, and it is strictly
arbitrary. 1t averages all the way from
5 to 5000 per cent-the state of Shenawa
having the lowest They have to pay
tariff to take things through the different
states.
In answer to questions about the rate
per cent, he said on lumber it. is $50 pc
cent or glass bottles 300 per cent. A
key of nails that costs $f15 in Ell Paso
Texas, costs S49.S5 wehen it gets tC
Mexico.
| He also showed me an article of clothing
which cost him $275 in Illinois, and ht
refused $3.50 for it in Mexico, because
| he needed 1t and could not duplicate i
| for that sum.
Now it is principle that the cheapen-
ing of an article increases its consumption
In our own country we have ocular dem
| Onstration of this-for instance. But a
few decades ago carpets were used only by
the wealthy, while today they are found
in the parlors of our middle classes and
occasionally among the average poor
But while carpets have within that time
sold for Sc and s. yard, it can now bC
bought for so cents per yard. While
there was but little invested in the pro
duction of carpets, today in the city oil
Philadelphia alone there are annually pro
duced S22 10000 worth of carpets
When matches first came out they solo
for one cent apiece, and pins were as
great IA luxury. Today they are a par
of our civilization. If lady saw ont
then lying upon the ground, she would
stoop to pick it VI, but today, unless SHE
happens to need it at the moment. it is
beneath her notice
There are collar buttons, cuff bottoms
silver and gold watches. watch chains and
a thousand other articles we might cite il
we had the time and space, that have fol
lowed the same course, but cannot men
ton now, but will suffice it to say that
while calico and other cotton goods were
high i'll 1860 there were produced anC
consumed in the United States annually
| 81, 200, 600, 600 worth, in 1879 So, 63I 900
600 worth of goods. Considering thu
amount exported from other countrie,
and the gains in population, we have had
great gains in the cotton goods consumed
per capita Now if this is true in the
United States how much more would it he
true in Mexico? By taking down the
tariff on her products she could increas {
the production of her own products and
with the money received she could buy of
us the products that We produce.
1t is also a principle that country is
| advanced in its commercial relations to
another in the same proportion that there
is difference between these respective
states of civilization-tha is to say If
they have articles in common and produce
articles in common then the one increases
the trade at the expense of the other, but
| if the articles they produce are different
they are mutually benefited without the
injury of the trade or manufactory of
either country.
If we compare Mexico with this coun-
try We find that she cannot injurc us in
any of her trade. She has no fuel such
as have to carry on extensive manufactu~
ring, while her hides, tallow and other
raw materials might be shipped in cheap
ening the price of shoes. harness, belts
for machinery and other articles manu-
| featured from these raw materials here.
IN Again we must remember that inven
TTi0n and art have in them the thoug ht ant!
ideas of the people by which thay are
produced.
The idea of pleasure, comfort and les-
ure, the saving of time. the economy OF
force. are all intimately connected with
and productive of christian civilization.
While christian pleasure, pure in its char
acter destroys sellishness and promote,
love so requisite to christianity.
Nothing outside of christianity itself
more depictures the brotherhood of mar
than our invention and mode of living
the appeudages of our institution and
civilization. c. H. PLAR.