The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-22

controlled by the home manufacturer
through the ordinary means of trans
portation and the cost thereof.
If the English cotton spinners and
weavers can buy raw cotton in the United
States, pay railroad charges to the sea-
board, ocean freight eastward to Liver
pool or Manchester, again more railroad
charges and cost Of distribution among
the mills of Lancashire, and then ship
back to the United States the woven or
printed fabric with more ocean and rail-
road freight charges, and all the cost of
handling many times and Of anal distri-
button, and sell such finished cotton
goods in the United States at anything
but a great loss, then there is something
radically wrong with the system of cot
ton manufacturing IN the United States,
and this industry had better plead senility
and not infancy as it creeps beneath the
protection mantle. The ancient story that
the cost of manufacture in this country
is increased by the higher wages paid to
workmen holds water no longer. The
difference that does exist between the
cost Of labor in our Eastern and Southern
cotton mills and factories, and Of labor
in the Lancashire mills and factories is
merely fractional on the finished product.
But whether or not the American man
ufacturer is able to profitably compete
In an open market, he is forced to admit
that he cannot dispose of all of his wares
at home He is compelled to go abroad,
and the only open foreign mar
kets of any importance where he
has found it possible to do a
satisfactory or profitable business are
those markets which are maintained free
and open by Great Britain. Wherever a
market is controlled by France, Germany
or Russia, that market is closed to the
American manufacturer, or is placed IN
der such restrictions as to render profta-
BILE business next to impossible, or, at
least, as Improbable as it is for the
French, German or Russian manufactur-
err to do business in the United States.
Hence the manufacturers of the United
States, during the minority of their in
dustries favored McKinleyism, and now
are favoring McKinley's s. so-calIed policy
of expansion. They need open foreign
markets and they must have them.
1t is reported from Washington that the
United States government has made a
demand upon the respective governments
of France, Germany and Russia to Sc
cure the freedom of all. markets within
their alleged spheres. of influence" in
China 1t is not stated. however, if such
demand has been made upon the Chi
nese government, which might have some
thing to say to such an arrangement, If
it involved extension or enlargement Of
existent treaty rights. In making this de-
mand the United States lies open to GER
tain counter demands as to such foreign
markets as may be controlled by this gov
eminent, and possibly TO our home mar
ket. For if the United States demands
free trade facilities from foreign ma
ton, the chief consideration therefor
would, in equity, be the concession of
free trade facilities, in return.
Thus the United States is. placed in this
position: It's Republican administration,
heretofore dominated by protectionist
| principles and committed to policy ne
cessitating the imposition Of prohibitive
| customs duties on imports, demands that
! China and the different powers interested
in that empire shall indulge in free trade
to accommodate the protected industries
of the United States. OF course such a
demand will be acceded to, provided the
United States can do one of two things
either enforce it, or offer a sufficient
! equivalent
1t cannot be supposed that an offer to
open the ports of the Philippine islands
which we do not control yet-would be re-
garded as anything approaching an
equivalent for the privilege of
freedom of trade over the whole
of INA, or for even one-fortieth
part of that empire. Then what could
be added by the United States to make
such demand acceptable or even worthy
Of consideration? The markets of the Ha-
waiian islands, of Samoa and the West
Indies are mere fragments, and nothing
remains in the shape of a pacific COM
mercial equivalent but the market of the
United States.
And so it is found that from high pro-
| lection to free trade, via expansion, the
Republican administration may find it is
but step, and perhaps 1t is the inten-
ton to take that step. For it would be
an unfair and Illogical proposition on the
part Of the United States if it demanded
that the foreign powers submit to what,
| to them, would be grave commercial DIS
advantages, while the United States is not
prepared to otler some equivalent COM
pensation, or itself submit to similar dis
advantages.
AS for backing such demand by force
1t Is only robber nations that do such
things, and this is not a robber nation
LET US HAVE A TEAM