The San Francisco call., 1896-07-02
THE ETHICS OF PROTECTION.

1t is conceded by every one that it is the
duty OF the Government to prevent the in
vasion of the country by Objectionable
persons and diseases from other countries.
We object to such intrusion because it
would be hurtful to us. There is nothing
in common between the purpose of our po-
Htical and social establishments and
whatever is at war with their object.
therefore whatever measures may be re-
quIred to protect them against their ene-
mics the Government is bound to adopt,
because the Government is the expression
OF the will OF the people collectively.
That Is TO say, the Government is the
power and the will of the people central
lied, and its authority may be diminished
or increased at the pleasure of the people.
The purpose of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence of July 4, 1776, was to enable the
people TO better protect themselves against
invaders of what they conceived to be
their natural rights, and Government
was formed that there might be union OF
effort under well-defned regulations.
If it is the duty of g people to devise
ways and means to prevent the invasion
of their homes by men whose presence
would be harmful to the morai sense, and
the invasion of their homes by diseases
that would be harmful in a physical sense,
how is it that some will say that the right
to exclude those things which undermine
the home and destroy the product of labor
does not obtain in the law of self-preserva-
ton, which permits the erection of barriers
against moral and physical disease? II
the right obtains in the first instance, it
surely does in the second. ali know what
protection against vicious characters and
diseases is for, but it appears there are
some who cannot see that there is an init
mate relation between the consequence
attending the intrusion of hurtful social
and physical enemies and those intrusions
which despoil the product of labor.
The expanding productiveness of the
people of the Orient is reaching this way.
When the sons OF China and Japan began
10 pour into this country We thought little
OF it. We now know to our sorrow what q
mistake we made in allowing this invasion
in such droves. But we are being con-
fronted by an invasion of all our indus
trial markets by the product of the labor
of q people who are just emerging from
primitive ways, but whose cunning
is quick TO see the advantage to
them which lies in our improved
machinery when combined with their
theory that 5 to 20 cents for day of
twelve hours work is munificent compen-
sation. Already China and Japan are
counting upon market in foreign lands
that shall make them the industrial
nations of the world, because no nation
whose operatives are not satisfied with
cup OF rice q day for food and a few cents
day for wages could compete with them
in an open market. Then let us close
our markets.
The people of the United States should
not lose sight Of the ethical side of the
question of the invasion of our country by
these antagonistic trade and social in
fuenees. Protection to our mills and
factories and farms and labor is not all
there is OF protection. If our industries
have to yield to the attacks of foreign
industrial enterprises and be placed on q
parity With them We may be sure that our
magnificent free-school system, our church
facilities and our social and home life will
have to yield also that we may conform in
all things TO q power that we have per-
mitted to dominate Us. There is no CON-
parison between the standard of living
among the working people of the United
States and the cheap labor countries of the
world. A cup Of rice and to 20 cents a
day is not our way of living, but if we
have to compete with people who do live
that way shall we not have to conform TO
their ways and methods?
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