The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-07-31
1MPERILING PRoTEcTIoNIsM

AS Is well Known 10 TIC dNCi csc iSeN
er of the daily press, an expedition OF
American manufacturers has recently
started for South America to study the
trade possibilities of that part of the
American continent. The gentlemen
composing the expedition are on the
quest for that quantity so contempt
uously deprecated by the disciples OF
protection--a foreign market.
This exploration Of trade fields out
side the boundaries Of the United States
must be exceedingly repugnant to the
thoroughbred protectionist and. accord
ing to the logic of protectionism, might
we'll be interdicted by law. 1t is tan
tamount to a declaration by those who
should know, that the Wanted |home
market" is not sufficient for the manu-
facturers of this country, and is also a
confession by a body largely made up
of men who support the principle of
tariff for protection, that they can COM
pete with the manufacturers of England
and Europe. The men composing this
expedition, as well as those back of it.are
business men and they know that the
selling of goods is not a matter of senti-
ment or of treaties between govern
ments, except in ways that are purely
incidental, but Of business. They know
that the people who can best supply the
wants of the South Americans for the
least price will get the trade of the in
inhabitants of the regions of revolutions
and relationships. If they do not Know
this fundamental truth it would have
I, ir,aJ
at home. But there is little doubt about
their knowledge of this important point.
One of the factors in assisting them to
attain this knowledge is the remarka-
BILE increase of our exports for the past
year.
The ability of our manufacturers, of
staple lines, to compete abroad with
those of other countries being believed
in by themselves and proved by indis-
putable facts in the shape Of exports,
the inquiry naturally arises. even from
the point of view of the protectionist,
why should the bulwark of protection be
kept around the home market? Why
should the power of government be used
to compel the home consumer to pay
more for goods than the foreign consul
mer?
Surely this reaching out for South
American markets is fraught with dis
aster to Mckinleyism, as the protective
principle has come to be known in these
latter days. Besides recognizing the
value of foreign markets and admitting
the ability of our manufacturers to
compete in large lines with those of
other lands, it paves the way for some
more invasion of this country by foreign
goods, may be, indeed the product of
"pauper" labor. For people cannot sell
without buying. Trading is not one
sided, and most persons would not want
it to be so. Buying and selling Is real
ly one act; when you do the one you are
also accomplishing the other. When
the people of the United States sell $780,
900, 900 Of products abroad it means that
they will sooner or later import that
much of foreign products. If they did
not do this latter they would be most
wofully cheated. In the first stage of
the disposition of the amount of prod
ucts noted they might receive money or
bills of exchange or some other form of
money or the credit because of the
knowledge that 1t would be convertible,
on demand, into the goods of the people
giving either. People cannot feed,
clothe nor house themselves with money,
no matter what the kind, or credits, no
matter how gilt edged. Robinson Cru
soc on an island with all the money and
all the best bills of exchange of the
world, but with no way of using either
because of a failure of the "pauper"
countries to Invade his domain with
goods would have little appreciation of
either. So 1t will be seen that while
at first blush the sale of American goods
abroad does not appear to be a swap
for foreign goods, it is just that thing
The money or credits received for the
goods we sell are only valuable in the
degree that they represent foreign goods
which to be used must be imported.
Thus at one full swoop the philosophy
of McKinleyism is demolished. In the
interest of the cause of his protege, Mr..
Hanna, should, regardless of expense. in
tercept that expedition to South Amer
lea