The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-18
AN INSTANCE FROM JAPAN.

The tariff questionable question OF
! protection-is yet one in which the
American people have an abiding faith
Back of the Mckinley enthusiasm is
! the belief of the American people that
the protection principle is an Amer
! lean principle The people may not
/ have mastered all the details Of tariff
| schedules, nor have worked out all
! the technical ramificatiOns of free trade
! sophistry, but they have come to the
! conclusion by general principles, and
| from good horse sense that as long as
] the country exists, as patriotism exists,
/ as independence is cherished, those
/ things that tend to build up American
Industries, give employment TO Amer
! lean labor, furnish consumers for
American agriculture, bring the con-
sumner and producer into the closest
proximity and in fine. which tend to
make this nation a complete Self-sus-
tanning independent commercial entity,
are not only correct in principle but
vitality important TO our nations wei
fare.
The people Of this nation believe that
higher rate of wages prevails in this
country than any other, and they as
Sociate this notion of higher wages
with prosperity and intellectual and
moral progress. They believe that by
n judicious application of the principle
of protection is found the secret of
maintaining and fostering that econ
Omic condition Of relative higher
wages. This notion has become 50 in
Stilled into the minds of the people that
there is not likely to be any departure
from it in the immediate future. All
departures from this principle when
closely analysed viii be found TO be
apparent and not real. The people
have i way of reasoning on this ques-
ton that produces an abiding cOnvic-
ton. They see with certainty that
free trade, free interchange of pro
dGctS, must be upon similar or equal
conditions. The result must be TO re-
duce the trading nations 10 the same
wage condition. Lower wages com
peting with higher wages must reduce
the higher wages TO the lower level.
As an illustration Japan has made
considerable progress of late in manu-
featuring, which has led economists
To gather data as affecting her condi-
ton. Her progress is marked. Her
proweSs in the war with China aston
ished the world not a little, bug the
record of manufacturing more than ac-
counts for the wonder. But after all
Japan loses sight Of the individual in
her progress. The individual is merci-
leSsly ground in Japan-long hours and
low wages Before Japan can claim
the right 10 compete ON equal terms
With America she must give the in
diNidual equal terms with the Ameri-
can. She must reduce the hours for
work TO something reasonable. and
pay wages that compare with Amer
lean. A japanese iaborer viii work
from twelve 10 fourteen hours for less
than 20 cents. His labor viii produce
a toothbrush. for example. for IL to
cenCS-the best at ) cents. America
VIII tolerate no such competition.
While America believes in protection.
and While there is a Republican party
TO enforce the will of this people com
petition on such terms viii not be tot
Grated.
II i sometimes urged that we should
buy where we can buy the cheapest.
Ia view Of the condition Of labor op-
preston in many countries this is an I
unsafe maxim. Rather buy where 4
You pay the largest proportion Of the
price that goes 10 the lat'orer who pro- /
duceS the article purchased The cam f
paisn OF 1895 viii give more attention
% the principle q protection than
knowing ones win at present admit 4
Aud years VIII 80 BY and conditions 4
VIII change materially throughout the I
world before this nation wiz surrender
this economic theory.