The morning times., 1897-01-03
SINGLE TAX.
The Times undertakes no RESPONSE
billty for any views expressed In
this column.
Is Trade Injurious?

Many business Inen complain that trade
Is dull They desire TO see IL "liven
up and almost everybody wishes to see
business rushing once again, for then
all could find employment at remuneratiye
wages.
business OF course, means the ex-
change or trade of services, either ma
teria!ized in the form OF labor products
or otherwise. So everybody seems to
recognize that trade is a good thing and
therefore wants more of it.
The farmer and his hireling want good
roads, that they may the easier reach
neighboring villages and towns, the Cen
ters OF trade, where they may exchanges
their products. Every village, town or
city welcomes the increase OF their rail.
road and other transportation facilities,
because increased trade is considered de-
sirable. And even Congress subsidies our
shipping with the ayowed purpose Of
fostering and increasing It, and thus
eventually increasing our foreign trade.
Is Foreign Trade Injurious?
But many who clearly see the mutual
advantages OF neighbOrly domestic or
interstate trade, yet think foreign trade
very injurious. They virtually say: Inter
state trade is beneficial, but international
| trade injurious. In domestic relations they
perceive that a fair exchange is mutually
beneficial to both traders, but, II the
nations boundary line changes, so as to
separate the parties, they consider this
same trade between these same locations
and parties very injurious. Vas the trade
| between Russia and Alaska mutually bene-
fetal, and then, instantly rendered in
furious by our purchasing Alaska? Was
| our trade with her formerly mutually in
furious, and then, by our purchase Of
her, instantly made mutually beneficial2
Bywhat tIedgerdemaincanth the merechang-
| ing of an imaginary boundary line work
this miracle? Nations in their corporate
| capacity do not trade. All this trade is
| simply between the individuals of diff
| ferent locations, regardless OF the dis
| triCt, county, State, or national boundary
| lines, inciOsing or separating them. And
| the individuals making those exchanges
| ought to be the best judges OF when they
are mutually benefited. As no sensible
individuals would trade unless each one
| thought himself benefited by the trade
| all efforts TO restrict such trade virtually
| assumes that they don't know what is
| best for them, in which case they would be
| equally unfit to govern themselves through
| a Republican form of government.
Imports Displace No Labor.
One OF the main objections urged againSt
foreign trade is that ii diSplaces our labor.
| This it can't possibly do, because foreigners
will not give US their goods for nothing
| If they did, we might freely accept al
| tie valuable goods they offered us with
| out any fear OF thereby decreasing our
wealth or inviting our own ruin. Foreign
ers want pay for all the goods they send
| US and that pay can be given only in the
products of American labor. Otherwise
| we might trade them as much as possible
of the inexpensive, delusive nothingness,
| that cost US no labor. for their valuable
goods.
1t is true that gold and silver are some
| times sent back and forth in the periodical
settlements of balances Of trace, but
even then they are sent, not as money, but
as commodities labor products, and are
| weighed in the scales just as iron, copper,
| lead or any other commodity is. For even
| gold and silver are valuable only hecaus,
| it takes so much labor to mine and smelt
them. III they couiu De as easily, TaptuIS
| and plentifully produced as iron and
steel they would be worth no more than
| those metals. Hence, even when we
| send gold or silver out in exchange Tor in
ports, we simply exchange one labor prod
| uct for another, and do not displace
| American labor thereby. And, whenever
| we send it out, that is an indication that
we need the article received more than
| the article given, else We would not eX-
| change. Trading is prima facie evidence
that we can easier produce the thing given
| than the one received, else we would moi
| trade.