New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-03
THE LOGIC or PROTECTION.
BY EMIL SCHALK
WORLDWIDE COMPETITION MAKES NATION
AL PROTECTION A NECESSITY

WORLDWIDE COMPETITION MAKES NATION
AL PROTECTION A NECESSITY.
It may be laid down as an axiom that a Gov.
ernmont is the more perfect the more completely
it protects its citizens, provided IL does not st1s
the freedom which stimulates individual effort
In other words. the more the Government facilL
tates and lightcns the struggle for life for ITO
citizens without interfering with their legitimate
freedom the more it approaches perfection. On
the contrary, any institution which renders the
struggle for life more difficult is mistake; 1t 10
the reverse OF good government and Of progress
in civilization Such an institution is Free Trade.
For it leaves the individual without protection IN
the most important effort Of his life, the effort to
gain living. In the natural state. competition
in the struggle for life between individuals takes
place only when they crowd each other and com-
pete within restricted space for their food But
with man in the present state Of civilization the
struggle extends over the entire globe. The
locomotive and the steamboat have obliteratcd
distances; they have brought the pole ana the
equator together; they have pttcd the hot against
the moderate zone, and thereby have precipltated
simultaneous fight for life among the inhabitants
OF all zones and climates
/ The farmers of Great Britain are strong,
sturdy, Woodworking race Of good Anglo-Saxon
stock There is no better race OF men In the
world they are the very pioneers OF civilization
in many parts of the globe. But to live and resist
their climate they need good houses, plenty OK
home comforts, fuel, heavy clothing and boots,
and especially solid food and plenty of it TO
enable them to accomplish work enough to keep
themselves and their families alive. They are
hard workers. and at the same time heavy con-
sumers not by wanton waste but by dire necessity.
In India there lives another race, weak, OPP
pressed born 10 slavery and to starvation. IL
lives in open huts without home comforts, With
out fuel with but little clothing, and can exist
on a handful of crushed wheat each day. The
British farmer and this poor race IN India are
both producers of wheat and competitors IN the
English market The one needs small fortune
to support himself and family, and has but one
harvest year to do it with; the other needs al
most nothing, and has two harvests year where-
with to supply that nothing Inc one needs
wages counted in dollars to keep him alive; the
other might lay by money wages OF 10 cents
day
Great Britain does not protect its farmers. In
the mere wheat-grOwng contest between the two
races it is not the best man that wins; II is the
man who can starye longest and the Hndoo,
favored by his climate and by centuries OF heredl-
tary starvation, can outdo the British farmer, ana
still cultivate wheat when the sturdy Briton has
been starved SIX feet under ground. IL has been
suggested that this farmer before he dies, should
be,,5w his attention on something else He might
try raising cattle and sheep, and he has done so;
but the locomotive and the steamboat and the
ingenuity Of man have again the best OF him.
" Palace cars are built, bringing live cattle from
Texas 70 the seashore, to be transported thence
across the ocean on cattle passenger steamers.
Landed safe and sound in England they compete
al 81 CiiSh farm he IPlg prdtOF'
vessels are built which bring frozen carcasses OK
beef, slaughtered for the English market IN
perfect state of preservation from the half-wild
herds OF cattle on the boundless pralrles OF Soutn
America. AS for sheep, what chance mas the
British farmer against the sheep-walis of Aus
trala and the shecp-rasing of South America
The days of the British farmer are full OF
trouble, but his prostitution is but one Instance
among many. Some years ago cotton mills were
started in our Southern States. Northern plants
and machinery were transferred to the South
The freight material was saved, and the
labor OF a heavily consuming class Of workers was
exchanged for the labor of class consuming less.
The transfer from the rigorous climate OF Massa-
chusetts TO the mild climate of Georgia meant
large reduction in wages. The competition by
Northern States in the class of goods now made
At the South in course Of time Is apt To become
In this instance the country suffers
40 loss: what one part loses the other part gains.
But some enterprising Manchester cotton spnners
bave transferred their machinery and plant TO the
cotton producing part of India, and, prohtng by
the low wages prevailing there, have driven
English cotton goods out Of the China and Japan
markets; they are now driving them out OF tho
markets on the east coast of Africa, and Australia
will be the next field of their exploits What VIII
be the ultimate effect of this competition on the
cotton operatives of Manchester? Are llindoo
cotton goods to prove destructive to English
cotton goods as Indian wheat TO English wheat?
And should some other enteIprising Engllshmen
AXE advantage Of the gradual opening OF China
md establish silk works there among the SILK
growers on 10 cent wages, what will become of
he London and Cheshire silk spinners, already
Jadly demoralzed and largely reduced IN num-
Ders by thirty years of free trade ? what
rec trade vista this is! China with 400,oGO,OOO
people and 10 cents wages per day! What VIII
,eccme OF free-trade England when China turns
% manufacturing? We may admire her pluck
)ut we cannot help smiling at her iree-trade Wis
loln, and as to the final result can only pity
ler. EMIL SCHALk.
Mr. BLAINE AND THE TARIFF OF 1916.