The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-02-10

into the markets of the world in
competition with the products of
American labor? Why should we
! heap higher and heavier the burden
OF taxes on the American people:
why should we maintain vast
Army and Navy to defend distant
4 possessions; why should we waste
/ the flower of our youth in the death
ly Tropics; why should we maintain
military rule over conquered prov
! inces 10000 miles from the seat of
government; why should we embroil
/ ourselves in European quarrels and
bring the nation into perpetual dam
| ger OF war merely that we may open
the way for American syndicates to
crush American industry with the
weight of Asastic competition? Sir,
once before the effort was made to
unite American capital with Chinese
labor here in our own country, but
the American people declared that
this unhOly uniou should not be
cOnsummated on American soil,
Applause
/ ut is now proposed that the nup-
tials shall be celebrated in China,
but the American people are not
only required to dance at the we'd
ding but to pay the fiddler. Laugh
ter and applause Sir, if American
capitalists choose to plant invest
ments in China and cultivate them
with Chinese labor, we have no
right to forbid them; but I protest
against this Government being made
party to the transaction. Iprot2st
against making American labor paw
the cost of its own degradation. /
protest against the American people
being taxed for the destruction of
American industry. Prolonged APP
plause.
why, sir, should we be so eager
to find new fields for American cap
ital? Have we exhausted all the on
portuIities and fully developed all
the marvellous resources of our own
country? Sir, we have yet a COM
paratively virgin territory, with
population of only % persons to the
square mile, against $50 in Germany,
$40 in England, and $40 in Belgium.
We have yet vast areas of virgin and
uncultivated soil. We have vast
forests that have not yet echoed to
the woodman's We have great
mountains swollen with their ac-
cumulations of mineral wealth.
Why should We scatter our Ameri-
can dollars amid the paupers of the
Orient or the jungles of the Tropic?
"Sir, in the Southern States of this
Union there are mountains of un-
touched mineral wealth, there are
vast areas of cheap but fertile lands,
there are tempting opportunities in
almost every field of industrial ac-
tivity for the profitable investment
of American capital. There is not a
dollar of available capital in the
United States that could not be
planted in the South in field or fac.
tory, in mill or mine and yield a
swift and sure return and every dol
lar of these investments, sir, would
go to the purchase OF American ma
terial; would go to the development
of American resources; would go to
the payment of American labor:
would help to bring peace and pros
perity and happiness to American
homes. Loud applausel
"But, Mr.. Chairman, our imperial
list friends are gentlemen of bound |
less resources and infinite versatile
ty. They know how to touch the |
highest and noblest as well as the !
lowest and basest springs of human
action. If there are those who are
not lured by the prospect of an ex- |
petition of plumber, they are ex-
horted with pious fervor to join in a |
holy crusade. If man listens I'M
moved or unconvinced by the argu-
ment of gain, he is then invited as a |
last resort to join the movement for |
the love of the gospel.
"There are in the imperialist camp
Christian knights, who smite for the I
love of God, as well as roaring free
hooters, who are frankly "out for the |
stuff" Laughter.l We are to go
forth now on a mission of civiliZa-
ton and Christianity as we'll as /
of bloodshed and plumber. Our
distinguished Secretary of the l
Treasury a few days ago blessed
mankind with a brilliant maxim to
the effect that the principals of
Christianity and 8 per cent profits
may go hand in band.
"Mr. Chairman, perhaps they may
but / doubt whether any man in a
really Christian frame of mind ever
thought of the two in the same con-
nection. Laughter. L doubt wheth-
er any man ever did an act for TIE
love Of Christ and also for per cent
and | think that this maxim should
be read in connection with the
twenty-fOurth verse Of the sixth