The herald., 1897-04-21

bor.. could do any foreign business
against a free port without harbor.
Indeed. under the new Dingley bill
imposing artificial trade impediments 10
the extent OF 56h per cent, Los Angeles
as free port could afford to burn, sink
or destroy half the foreign cargoes
Drought to her bays and still have 6h
per cent advantage against any other
American port
Think of the folly of such a costly
and wasteful systemi It does seem in
credible that intelligent people should
not perceive that every impediment TO
trade lowers the value of all produce.
ANY freight rate or customhouse duty
that increases the cost Of products d.
minishes the value of the home product
exchanged for 1t. A bad road. q poor
harbor. a band Of robbers or nest OF
pirates increases the cost of trade, d.
minishes the value of wages and works
to the same effect as customhouse i'm
pediment to trade does.
Ine moment a man produces more or
anything than he consumes he naturally
desires to trade off the surplus to other
producers for parts of their surplus pro-
duets. 1t is clear that the less cost OF
tariffs, freights, middlemen or time and
interest the more his product will be
worth to him. Every fine you impose on
his trade, every addition to freight
charge, every tariff cost, every unnec-
essary charge, reduces the value OF pro-
duct and the value of wages No one
can deny such plain fact.
The protectionist replies by an eva
sion. He says free trade is theoretically
correct but that 1t is practically wrong.
Theoretically the world goes round the
sun, practically the sun goes round the
world. The thinker who accepts the
nallacies of protection must stand ap-
pahed at the outlook for humanity.
The lower the wage to the individual
the cheaper and better is the product"
This protectionist formula destroys all
hope for humanity. II capacity and char
acter are worthless in productions; II the
lowest wage payer is to be the industri-
al conqueror, the outlook Is black. The
natural tendencies of production, II this
be true, will finally establish the slave
holder as the cheapest and finally as the
only producer. The slave Is the Ideal
cheap producer Of the protectionist.
When the protectionist took the next
step from the force of a growing altru-
ism and from an exclusive regard for
the manufacturer. who was said to be
hurt by the existence OF high wages,
commenced to claim that protection Gre
ated or maintained high wages, he took
a step in socialism he did not understand
The principle that the rate of wages
and the employment q lborers Is a func-
consequences. The idea that the power
of the state can be used to take from the
produce OF some and give this to others
in the interest CO the capitalist alone Is
a wild folly.
The next step In this socialist propa-
ganda of the protectionist is already
foreshadowed. 1t is the taxing of the
vast fortunes of the few to advance tho
interests of the many. The introduce
tion by the protectionist of the American
republic to privilege and tax-made for
tunes to enrich the rich has given our
lady Liberty taste for fakirs. She has
commenced flirting with every confidence
man that comes along.
The way out is by direct legislation.
Let the whole people propose to vote
their own laws. This is the only road out
of our politico-economic moral morass.
Neither the United States senate nor the
legislatures OF states nor the councils
of cities any longer represent the peo-
pie. We have outgrown the representa-
tive system. No one can represent the
interest of a state on all ques-
tions in the United States senate. There
is no means of knowing what the major
ity opinion of the people really Is on
more than one or two questions at any
election for representative. Personal
questions and partisan bias cloud over
the main issues A return to popular
government in reality by the initiative,
referendum and imperative mandate is
our hope of relief. This proposal In no
way involves a continuance of the weak
and irresponsible methods of local gov
ernment nor of the ridiculous multiple
cation of elective subordinates which at
present paralyzes the election choice.
My opinion about the citrus fruit tariff
is that the growers advocating 1t will
find that some tariff points must be re-
duced or dropped When the sacrifice is
made they will find history repeat itself
and that the fruit men will be the easi-
est to lay on the altar of protection.
The strong and audacious lobbyists Of
the great combines will make short work
of the poor fruitmen they have used.
The orange grower is going to be bun
coed again. Tempted to stand in on the
steal for h show of the plunder, he will
sell his soul and see the big thieves walk
off with al of the swag.