The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1896-02-29
ALLIED AND NATURALLY RE-
LATED.

A COuceubuS OF democratic Sentl-
ment, reflected by the eastern Demo
cratic press, places bimetallism and
protection in the same category and
pronOunces them allied and naturally
related frauds. Whether or rot they
may be justly accounted frauds is open
to discussion, but that they are allied
and naturally related is probably true.
A notable proof of this has recently
been given. The opposite of protec.
ton is free trade. Protection says that
high prices for American products is
good for American people. Free trade
says that low prices for all products is
good for all people, Japan is a bime-
tallic country, and recently she has been
sending over here lot of first class
sewing machines, bicycles, matches,
furniture and other useful articles and
selling them at prices that make our
manufacturers sick. That doughty
empire of forty millions Of dried fish
eaters is also preparing to enter our
markets with textile goods, ali the way
from calico to broadcloth and Brussels
carpet. They can supply us with these
goods at about the cost of raw material
here. The free traders and gold bugs
naturally regard this as an unqualified
blessing. Cheap goods is what they
want, and they look forward with pious
delight to the day when Japanese com.
petition will have driven the labor and
Porducts of this country down to Jap,
prices. Bimetallists and protectionists
view the subject in a different light.
The prospect Of reducing American
citizens to the level of che Mikado's
subjects does not fill them with ioy.
They would rather see the American
laborer gorge himself with tenderloin
steak every day in the week then re.
duce him even to Secretary MOrton's
frugal diet which by comparison to the
japanese fare is sumptuosity run riot,
The real object sought by both protec.
tionists and bimetallists is to maintain |
high standard of prices in this country, |
Some prOtectiOnists think that protec- |
ton alone will accomplish it, and so
long as competition was confined to |
monometallic countries they were
meaSureably right But bimetallic
Japan has shown that no reasonable
protective tariff will operate as a bar.
rier to its destructive competition, be.
cause 1t produces on a silver basis and
sells on a gold basis. A sewing ma.
chine, which with freight and duty
added, that costs the Japanese manu-
facturers $25 for actual production
laid down in San Francisco, can be sold
in this country for SIS and leave a good
margin OF profit. This is because every
Item OF cost In japan is computed in
silver, while in this country the trans.
action is in gold. So the ,Japanesa
sells his machine for s15
n gold, sells the gold for $50 in silver
lakes It home, pays out &25, the cost of
production, and has SIS profit. Hence
otmetallism and protection are neces.
Iary in respect Of Japan, in order that
American products may MAINTAIN a
high standard of prices, but when We
urn to European countries, protection
lone is sufficient. These are gold
tandard countries and the only differ.
nee In their favor is that of chean
a6or. We many reasonably infer from
hese facts that 1t is impossible to es.
ape from the charge that protection
nd free silver are allied and naturally
eiated principles, but tits not so clear
5 alleged by the eastern Democratic
ress, that they are common frauds, i
u Il