The record-union., 1892-05-06
A HERETICAL CRITIC.

The San Francisco Ne1OS Letter will
probably be regarded with horror by the
Traffic Association of San Francisco for
recent utterances heretical to its creed.
1t dares to advance an analogy to the
protection doctrine by saying that "the
necessary freight charges from Salt Lake
to San Francisco are a surer, more per-
manent and in every way better protec-
ton to our struggling industries than the
Mckinley bill or any other law it is
within the power of Congress to pass"
Here is hereto indeed, and we may ex-
pect to hear Of it being put to the stake
by the Traffic Association speedily.
But the Meas Letter does not stop with
this. 1t declares that "our Eastern
countrymen meet US at Salt Lake City,
and somewhere on this side of that dis
tributing point our selling capacity ends,
and necessarily so, unless, indeed, we
had race of merchants equal to those of
Chicago and manufacturing facilities sim
liar to those found in the great city by the
lake"
If this is not SANDER, libel, scandal and
all the rest in one, in Traffic Association
opinion. then we are incapable of under
standing the spirit of truth But this au-
dacious San Francisco journal does not
limit it's atrocious doctrine to these ex-
pressions. 1t has the temerity, in the
very teeth of the Traffic Association, to
declare that one of the difficulties with
San Francisco is that Eastern CONNER
eial agents, to some small extent, actually
come on to San Francisco and undersell
our merchants in their own market If
this kind of competition is not greater
than it is, the fact is entirely owing to the
comparatively heavy freight rates, occa-
stoned by the long haul over a mount
ainous alrd, for three-fourths of the way,
an unpopulated region"
Not stopping even here the Ne1Us Letter
adds: ''It is true that if in any future
arrangement of freight rates merchandise
westward bound could be charged fifty
per cent. more, whilst our fruits and
canned goods bound east could be let off
with fifty per cent. less, much good would
result to California. Our fruit-growers
would advantage to the extent of the diff
ference in railroad charges, and in like
proportion our local manufacturers would
enjoy increased protection against the
lower-priced labor, and the more cheaply
sold merchandise of the East"
But should this" remarks the paper,
''even in modified form, ever come to
pass, what would become of that large
portion of our merchants who are merely
jobbers, hucksters or agents for Eastern
houses? They produce nothing and man
ufacture nothing. Theyto not, neither
do they spin, but are mere peddlers of in
voices. Eliminate them from the discus
sion of railroad charges, and we do not
think there would be enough of the
Traffic Association left to pay Mr.. Leeds
salary"
Be it observed that this is not an in
terror, but metropolitan critical journal
which is speaking; one that is at once
caustic and fearless, and,which certainly
has not proved the especial friend of rail-
way interests. This same paper empha-
sizes its Indictment and heresy by calling
attention to the fact that the Pacific Ocean
lies at the door of San Francisco; that
"no railroad charges encompass it around
or cross its free highway, or shackle its
commerce. Nearly half the total inhab-
itants of the globe live around its borders.
Some of them are people of our own race,
in political and commercial sympathy
with our people, ana willing, nay more,
anxious, to do business with them upon
business principles and terms, if that
were possible. All hope of them, we
have reason to believe, has been aban-
doned by our would-be customers long
ago. And why? Because our so-called
merchants are not In a position to do for
eign commerce as it is done by all other
trading communities
AhC ~fC0o A-CttSf AIdhSS tlO pause mere,
but brings on the wind-up in this terse
and vigorous manner:
They (the merchants) are not in a position
to give credit. and have not acquired that
fame and standing which entities them 10
any. They have not even had spirit enough
TO keep our port from becoming an abonnira-
tion TO ship-owners everywhere. If offered
the great trade of Australia, which so enrches
England, and given twelve months notice 10
prepare for it, they could not then handle it
Tor single month without becoming wrecked
and bankrupt. To-day Australian merchants
buy Columbia River canned salmon CalIfor-
MIA dried and canned fruits, and quicksilver
in large quantities in the Liverpool market.
and buy at prices and upon terms of credit
that they cannot obtain in San Francisco
Confidence is the basis of trade everywhere
Our merchants have not confidence enough
even in one another to trade as they ought 10
do Coin collections twice a month with
forced Bankruptcy in case OF failure TO pro-
duce the coin, is the living evidence of the
Little Peddletonians our so-called merchants
are Yet such are the men who are crying for
another transcontinental railroad, when they