The herald., 1896-03-03
CONCENTRATED WISDOM

The Los Angeles Times quotes from the
Times-Index:
"a former Democrat, and an influential
citizen of San Bernardino, now has the
protection idea firmly pasted in his hat.
He says that if he pays 500 for an article
of foreign manufacture this country gets
the article, but the money goes abroad. If
the 500 is paid for an article of home
manufacture, this country has the article
and the money, too"
Upon which the Times comments as fol-
lows:
"This is all true, and the former Democrat
and influential citizen of San Bernardino
is to be congratulated on his conversion to
Americanism and Republicanism. But
his discovery is not new. 1t is one of the
cardinal truths of tariff protection"
What that 'former Democrat" most
needs is protection against being nibbled
by the COWS. Assuming that he has brains
in his head. knows how to look out for his
own interests, and, all other things being
equal, would sooner trade at home than
abroad if he spends his money abroad the
presumption should be that he either gets
more for it or the same amount of a better
quality of goods. Then if that which he
would buy at home is worth 500. that
which would be bought abroad would be
goes abroad this country gets more than
its value in additional goods.
Unless spent by a fool money is no more
valuable than that which it purchases. To
buy and sell is but an improved form of
barter. If a farmer could get more or
better quality abroad than at home, o
goods that he must have, in exchange for
his wheat, would he not be a blooming idiot
to take less quantity or poorer quality here,
rather than the greater quantity or better
quality abroad, because in the one case
this, and in the other case a foreign coun-
try would get his wheat?
That is just the size of the "former
Democrats" smartneas. Ii VIC are to take
his word for it, he has just wit enough to
prefer to pay 500 for shoddy to keep the
money in this country, rather than get the
same amount of genuine woolen goods for
less money and let the money go abroad.
He can't understand that the country is
better oil to give up the money and get
more for the moneys worth in goods,
measured by home values, than to keep
the money and not get the goods.
This style of reformed Democrats can't
understand that it is individuals and not
countries that buy goods, and that the
profits and losses of all such transactions
as he refers to must be judged by their ef-
fects on the individuals engaged i'll them.
In neither of the cases cited by him does
his 500 ''stay here" that is. with him.
Dut tlt iIldu WuO tIllIlhS l0 has Tedcn6u d
smart conclusion when he talks that way,
has reached the camp where he properly
belongs. He is just fit to be patted on the
back by the Times-Index and the Times
when he claims to have invested 800 for
something which is worth nothing, and the
bringing of which into the country is dead
loss to it. Can he get it into his head that
if he were to swap jacknives with for
eigner instead of an American there would
still be two jacknives in the country, and
that if be had sense enough to make a
better trade than he could with his neigh
Dor the country would be just that much
the gainer?-San Bernardino Sun.