The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-26
MIflli zE;agle
WHAT FREE TRADE Is.
THE OPENING OF OUR MARKET TO
THE PRODUCTS OF THE WORLD.

1t Means, Too, the Degradation of Amer
lean Labor-Low Wages and Miserable
DEMONSTRATION and Ruin Every
where.
Hon. William Mckinley in his great
speech in the house May 7, said among
other things:
Free-trade, or. as you are pleased to
call it, revenue tariff, means the open
ing up of this market, which is admitted
to be bast in the world, to the free entry
of the products of the world. 1t means
more-it means that the labor Of this
country is to berenit6ed to its earlier con-
dition, and that the coalition of our peo-
ple is to be leVeled down to the condi-
ton of rival countries; because under it
every clement Of cost, every item Of pro-
duction, including wages, must be
brought down to the level Of the lowest
paid labor of the world. No other result
can follow, and no other result is antici-
pated or expected by those who intelG-
gently advocate q revenue tariff. We
cannot maintain ourselves against IN
equal conditions without the tariff, and
no man Of affairs believes we can.
Under the system of unrestricted trade
which you gentlemen recommend we
viii have TO reduce every element of
cost down to or below thar of our COM
mercial rivals or surrender to them our
own market. No one viii dispute that
statement, ana to go into the domestic
market Of our rivals would mean that
production here must be so reduced that
with transportation added we could I'M
dersell them in their own market, and to
meet them in neutral markets and di-
vide the trade with them would mean
that we could profitably sell side by side
with them at their minimum price.
First, then. to retain our own market
under the Democratic system of raising
revenue by removing all Protection
would require our producers TO sell at as
low price and upon as favorable terms
as our foreign competitors. How could
that be done! In che way only, by pro-
ducing as cheaply as those who would
seek our markets. What would that en-
taiR An entire revolution in the meth
ness here, leveling down through ev-
cry channel to the lowest line of our
competitors; our habits Of living would
have to be changed, our wage cut down
90 per cent. or upward, our comfortable
homes exchanged for novels, our indie
pendence yielded up, our citizenship de-
mOralized.
These are conditions inseparable to
Free-trade; these would be necessary if
we could command our own market
among our own people, and if we would
invade the worlds markets harsher con-
ditions and greater sacrifices would be
demanded Of the masses. Talk about
depression, We would then have it in its
fullness. We would revel in unrestrain-
ed trade. Everything would indeed be
cheap, but how costly when measured
by the degradation which would ensuel
When merchandise is the cheapest men
are the poorest, and the most distressing
experiences in the history of our country
--ay, III all human his5oTy-have been
when everything was the lowest and
cheapest measured by gold, for every
thing was the highest and the dearest
measured by labor
We want no return to cheap times in
our own country. We have no wish to
adopt the conditions Of other nations
Experience mas demonstrated that for
us and ours and for the present and the
future the protective system meets our
wants, our conditions, promotes the ma
tionsl design, and VIII work out our des-
tiny better than any other.
With me this position is a deep con-
viction, not a theory. 1 believe in it
and thus warmly advocate it because en-
veloped in it are my countys highest
development and greatest prosperity;
out Of 1t come the greatest gains to the
people, the greatest comforts to the
masses, the widest encouragement for
manly aspirations, with the largest re-
wards dignifying and elevating our cit
izensAsp, up--s'wtich the safety and pu-
rity and permanency of our political
system depend.