Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-07-31
scriMt Health.
IHAT o.aiMssg Wall

WI hat Projections Gave to China-Do Wo
Nesd # RerrY
IN recent speech in congress- Srna-
tor Mantle, of Montana. tried to revive
the Chinese cheap goods scare and
warmed Americans against the danger
OF Asatic competition. AS an argu.
ment in favor of ~eLuildinr the Me.
K'nley high tariff wall around tho
country he said:
THE Chinese empire possesses in
great abundance aud variety every
natural resource necessary to nuke
lief II great producing and manufac-
Curing nation. Her soil andclimut e
and lrer immense territory are such as
to enable her to produce enormous
supplies OF cotton aud wool, as we'll as
otter raw materials Her people are
equal to the Japanese in respect to in
dustry and in their initiative and adapt
fttve faculty, and superior to them in
RESPECT to their powers OF application
and endurance. Wages in Japan arc
ridiculously low rs compared with
American aud European standards.
but in China .gages are oven lower
than in Japan"
This is true statement Of the con-
ditious which exist In China, but in
stead of helping the protectioH:sts it
ia the strongest possible condcmna-
ton of their policy. The Chinese arc
Che oldest of civilized people, having
reached high stage OF enlightment
when our ancestors were savagcs
Arts, sciences and letters ilourished In
the Celestial empire centuries before
the Romans invaded Britain. Unfortu.
pately for the continued progress of the
Chinese there arose in their country
ABOUT 1000 years age u piE-tailcd,
sguint-eycd Mckinley, who preached
the doctrine that the way to become n
rich and powerful nation Was to shut
out all foreign trade. Being cum
nis9 rascal, he succeeded in making
the, people believe TINT they would he
more PATRIOTIC If thcy refused to buy
GOODS from the outside bnrbarinns,
aud II royal degree was accordingly
Issued which absolutely forbade for
eigners trading with the Chinese. This
system of protection to home industry
was maintained until n recent period,
and even now the greater part Of Chi.
nn is closed TO outside commerce. and
enterprise.
In view of the fact that China is tho
one country In which protection has
been fully and fairly tried for thou
sands of years, the terrible poverty
and degradation OF its people is surely
the best proof that trade restriction is
failure. With enormous deposits of
coal and iron; with immense forests OF
valuable tim Der; with boundless areas
of fertile farm lands. and with mild
md healthful climate, the Chinese are
stu the poorest OF all civilized peoples
on earth. Wares nrc lower, food Is
meaner, and the general condition of
the masses far worse than among airy
other people.
When the American workinpnet
are urged to vote for re-csta blishing
in this country the policy which has
proved so disastrous in the Chinese en-
pire they should ask; "If protection
raises wages, why has ii not done so in
China? That country haG absolute
Protection for 5000 years. Why are
the wages of its workers. so low? If
trade restriction Impoverished the
Chinese and checked their develop
ment, why would it not have the same
effect en- the United States? What's
the matter with your commeroc-exclu-
zion theories in Chimp
WUIuDFS GRAu.M