The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-07-10
THAT CHINESE WALL.
what Pa sssction Gave TO China-Do we
-,ed H. He-ss

-sed IL He-sS
In a recent speech in congress Sena-
tor Mantle, of Montana, tried TO revive
the Chinese cheap goods scare ana
warned Americans against the danger
of Asiatic competition As an arau-
ment in favor OF rebuilding the Nc
Kinley high tariff wall around the
country he said:
"The Chinese empire possesses III
great abundance and variety every
natural resource necessary to make
her "A great producing and manufac-
! turinr nation. Her soil andcllmate
and her immense territory are such as
TO enable her to produce enormous
supplies Of cotton and wool, as Well as
other raw materials. Her people are
eoual TO the Japanese in respect 10 IN
dustry and in their initiative ana ADAPT
ativc faculty, and superior to them In
respect to their powers OF application
and endurance. Wages in Japan are
ridicrlously low as compared with
American and European standards,
but in China wages are even lower
than in Japan.
This is true statement OF the con-
ditions which exist in China, but IN
stead of helping the protectionists IL
is the strongest possible condemna-
ton of their policy. The Chinese are
the Oldest of civilized people, having
reached a high stage of enlightment
when our ancestors were savages
Arts. sciences and letters tiourished in
the Celestial empire centuries before
the Romans invaded Britain. Unfortu-
| I. 4. . "a, al of the
| Chinese there arose in their country
! about 1000 years ago pig-taiieu,
5 souint-eyed Mckinley, who preached
| the doctrine that the way to become
rich and powerful nation was to shut
out all foreign trade. Being cum
\ ming rascal. he succeeded in making
: the people believe that they would b'
i more patriotic If they refused TO oul
! goods from the outside barbarlans
and a royal degree was accordingly.
!, issued which absolutely, forbade Tor
: eigners trading with the Chinese. I'M
system of protection TO home industr
:, was maintained until recent perloo
= and even now the greater part OF Oh
= ma is closed to cutsde commerce an
= enterprise.
+ In view of the fact that China is tn
- one country in which protection Ia
been fully and fairly tried FOR tho'
sands Of years. the terrible pover'
and degradation of its people is surel
| the best proof that trade restriction
| n failure. With enormous deposits
| coal and iron: with immense forests
E valuable timber; with boundless are
of fertile farm lands, and with mi
and healthful climate, the Chinese a
still the poorest of all civilized peopl
on earth. Wages are lower, FOOD
meaner, and the general condition
the masses far worse than among al
other people.
When the American workingm
are urged to vote for re-establishi
Ii in this country the policy which J.
proved so disastrous in the Chinese c
pire they should ask: "lf protect
raises wages, why has ii not done SO
China? That country had absol'
protection for 5000 years. Why
the wages of its workers so low?
trade restriction impoverished
Chinese and checked their devel'
ment, why would it not have the sa
effect on the United States? VIVA
the matter with your commerce-exc
sion theories in China?
WuIDDFS GRAHAM