The herald., 1898-01-18

transportation facilities between the two
places has Injured to the benefit of both.
II one looks over a file of the excellent
local papers In our county towns. frequent
suggestions of the unpatriotic character or
trading with outside towns, and especially
with Los Angeles, will be seen. Even
Santa Monica, which Is e-eminently the
seaside resort of Los Angeles, advocates,
from time to time, home trading Between
the lines stands out the hostility to free
trade with Los Angeles.
The proposal of the Express to nullify
the constitution so as to protect Caltfor-
mia butter is a logical outcome OF the fal-
lacies of the protective theory now in force
to curtail American commerce with for
eign nations. The next logical step
would be to protect Los Angeles butter
against Northern California butter. and
SO, on the theory of producing all you con-
sume would lead us to absolute barbarism,
and each man, or at most each family,
would live for itself. On one side, this folly
of restricting freedom in trade leads us to
the hopeless conclusion that the cheapest
man is the best producer. If this Is true,
humanity is doomed. The only possible
living outcome of the theory is an extern
sion of the protectionist socialism prac-
tised for the profit of the rich and power
full, to the German socialism, with all its
inquisitorial tyrannies, proposed for the
benefit Of all.
| On the other side. the theory leads us to
the absurd conclusion that the less COM
munities or persons trade with each other
| the better off they are. This is simply a
reversion to a barbarism that no longer
exists, even amongst the most savage of
humanity. We are bound to assume that
| IL trade prohibition against eastern prod
| ucts is good for us, so equally trade prohi-
bition by the other states against us
would be good for them They could quite
reasonably make a protective tariff on
| homeseekers leaving their borders for Cal
| ifornia. or levy blackmail on the capital
homeseekers sought to transfer to this
state. They could prohibit orange impor-
| tation for the benefit of the apple growers
| (all fruit dealers know how these two
products affect each other), and so on lad
| infintum.'
| If we take up for moment the protec-
| tive tariff on oranges We must note the
| imminent danger that 1t will prove gift
| of Nessus.
A protective tariff is avowedly to increase
| the product of the favored article within
the protected area. This can only be done in
| two ways: Either by drawing new pro-
ducers from foreign countries. in which
case the home labor is forced into con-
| tact and competition with the labor de-
nounced as cheap and therefore superior
| or by diVerttng labor Withln the country
from occupations naturally remunerative
into the favored occupation made more
profitable by government force.
Capital and labor, In either case, bott
become the playthings Of politicians
The experience of this country Is with.
| out a break on the results of Legislative
| fayors to some at the expense of all.
The production soon goes beyond the
power of the narrowed market to consume
Then comes forced combination or death
| This is the reason that no other country
| in the world has such trusts or combines
as we have. The last stage is an enforced
| limitation of the product, irrespective o.
the plant capacity, or limitation Of thu
price within the protected district, In 81
| far as the legal favor or tariff permits
| and the sale of the surplus to the worlt
at open world prices less than the hom'
! price. This Is what we have now in Amer
lea. Home prices are more or less main
tanned here by the tariff-trusts. and the salt
II the surplus to foreigners Is cheapel
than the home consumer Is forced by Law
and combine to pay. Thus our copper
nails, maehipery, rails, etc, are often sols
cheaper in foreign markets, with freigh
/ added. than they are sold here.
4 Ii the orange business the teriN will b
~ iu$ttatlen a dwarf oatitei md latol
(4c1 = he1llpys e9ve'oF ~ M