The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-05
DOES PROTECTION PROTECT THE
WEST?

To the Editor of the Eagle.
have read an article in the EAGLE of
the LIST inst, by DR.. Miller critscising the
SlusS interview. I used to think just as
! the doctor does until the old Middle states
and New England got to bowling for free
raw material, free sugar and free WOOL
etc. | always took the position that
when the eastern states had become full
~ capitalized and their various plants
! established in general manufacturing that
that they would convert the west and
south into brewers of wood and drawers
of water. We have now about paid for
the great factories of the east and they
as owners of our gift are cOrralling every
raw product of field, farm and mine and
have organized trusts to say what we
shall pay for their products and what
| they will pay for ours. Already the pow
erful competition with these great con-
Germs of the east which we have
50 magnanimously aided in building up
prevents the planting of successful man
ufactories in the south and west. We
have arrived already at the period of
difficult competition even on the basis of
non-organization. But since those fell
lows got to pooling we are knocked
out altogether.
We ask for protection to sugar and
they give us free sugar and a duty on
eggs. Now if there is anything i'll the
United States that can stand mundane
competition it is our American hen.
The Kansas variety, two seasons in the
year, fills all the buckets. washtubs and
l. 4 La ~
But we still pay large prices for foreign
sugar, with millions of acres of western
and southern sugar lands idle and drug
on the market. 1t usually takes from
one TO one and a half dozen eggs to buy a
pound of granulated sugar, after the
eastern faction has made over 80 per cent
by tariff and base adulteration on that
sugar.
We ask for free silver that our western
mines NAV throw their rich products into
the volume of national money and meet
the pressing requirements of the vast ex-
panse of population and business in the
great west. But as our Just demands are
made, hue and cry of jObbery, bribery
and corruption is hurled at the west.
And when it came to a vote in the house
of representatives that thin and selfish
Il
from an eastern Republican, vanished
like a snowbank struck by the sirocco;
and we are left to work with a dollar
made by the government OF the whole
people. after the plan of the protected
east. j. e. a dollar which grows in value
while they hold it and loses while we
hold it.
If we get in the south and west little
Of 2 h, hot ho1
and are having in d general and agriCul-
tural sense, and are thus compelled to re-
pienish our losses incident thereto by
borrowing the surplus capital of the east,
we shall soon have nothing worth pro-
tecting-and having nothing to trade or
to trade for. will stand as free traders to
man. To explain: the west develops
values by thrift and enterprise; on these
values all sorts Of investments of eastern
capital are legitimately made; the out
flow of interest begins, prosperity and
credit remains But the steady paw
ments for eastern goods and raw mater
ial. principal and interest. eventually /.
draws the money east again. Some fail .
ureS eusue: a local scarcity OF money F.
sends the prices of produce down and /
interest. always high. much higher. The I
eastern man gets scared and boards his
money. The western man in debt /
with no resources for re- /
funding; his enterprises violently /
interrupted, sees the values of all his I.
possessions slip away from him: he Is .
begEared and enigrates: things get 50 /
low that mortgages take everything. /
The eastern man. overloaded with idle I
capital. viii not hear 10 proposition to .
increase the value of money because /
there Is too much money.
Now AT this juncture il a silver bill I
could be passed it would inspire conf T
dence, open our western mines. start up
enterprises. diversity labor and raise pm +
ces. The debtor could and would paw
the creditor: labor would everywhere be +
and prices sustained. The
eastern hoard would be drawn into the .
active movement and nothing worse re
suit than lowering interest. But as il Is /
now they ruin Us and injure themselves. /
And II il were nos - t--sS that under the /