The San Francisco call., 1899-12-11
Burning Denunciation
OF Expansionists.
GAME NOTWORTH THE CANDLE
EXfGNsE OF PHILIPPINE WAR
WILL SWAMP PROFIT.
Five Great Nations Are Competing
for the Asiatic Trade of SO 25 Per
Capita-America's Share
Is Cents Per Day.

Notwithstanding the drlzzly weather
last night the Turk-street Temple was
comfortably filled early In the evening
with the friends and members Of the
Social Democratic party The announce
ment that Colonel John 4. Irish was TO
address the party on Oriental Com
merce" was the magpet. The speaker IN
introducing his subject touched briefly on
the platform OF the party he was about
to address.
The reading OF some Of your principles
has disclosed the fact" said ne. that
you are thinking OF great things. striving
after lofty Ideals, and whatever may DO
said OF your party, your principles as set
down in your platform show that you
nave close at heart the bCttermcnt or
humanity. You wish 20 show your fell
low creatures the truth. You and / are
on this point Identical In our views: We
neither OF US wish 10 see our fellow men
led away. We both desire that all should
know the facts OF life; that We should
have the benefit OF an open-minded, un-
biased public LED astray by no delusiOns.
uncorrupted by sophistical notions. Some
have their attention led from higher
things by gorgeous pageants Great
mOnarchs. knowing In their hearts the
canker that is eating away their power.
divert the attention OF the pOpulace ~
magnificent Gpectacles. One Of the most
speciOus delusiOns before the nation to-
day is the pageant Of our Oriental COM
merce.
Trade is a great thing Trade Is one
Of the means OF bringing all human So
ciety together and placing u on the same
plane. Trade consists In the exchange 0f
the surplus products OF mankind And 70
obtain this surplus. 10 build up trade. a
nation must have peace and be undis-
turbed by war or internal tumults. II .
a mistake that trade can be induced Dy
war. War destroys.
I'VE are told that TO induce Oriental
trade we must invade the Orient with
fire and sword. we must bring the hOr-
rOrs Of war 10 the firesides Of peaceful
people What IS the trade Of the Orient7
our trade with Great Britain brings US
Sl3 per capita per day; our trade with
Canada brings US $l7 per capita per day.
and out trade with the entire Orient
brings us 81 25 per capita per day.
II wanted TO see why the buying capac-
ity Of Asia was 50 low. / consulted statis-
tics. / cOT-espOnded with Aslatic ecCnO-
mists and / found that I'm British India
the average annual income per head =
S6 % while the average annual income or
Great Britain per head Is S205. The av-
erage annual income OF the people OF Eu-
rope Is IN immense per cent ahead or the
There are five geat nations-England,
Germany, France. Russia and ne United
States-competing for that 81 25 per cap
tia Of Asiatic trade. We are getting far
share. not our full share. but are secur-
ing i3 cents annual income per capita
when we should get ~ cents per annum-
/ hope we will get IL.
"The Oriental trade IS being used as
pageant 20 divert attention from the
ruinOus expenditure on the Philippine war.
Wherever a feeble voice Is raised against
this awful waste a great roar answers II
with the soThism that Without war We
cannot get the trade Of the Orient I
have not heard any 81 the rulers Of Asia
any Of the Indian rajahs. and among these
men there are numbered the most bril-
liant diplomats and shrewd statesmen Of
the world. say that In order 20 get AmGr-
lean trade II is necessary TO seize terri
tory In the United States. They have unu-
tual trade and they will continue 10 have
al IL.
price OF blood and gold. Before our lag
floats over a peace that has cost hundreds
OF bright ycurg lives and lost us forever
the flower OF our youth we shall have
spent so many millions that we shall have
discounted all our profits on Oriental COM
merce for years 10 come.
we sell Si7 per head to Canada and we
don't have To cut a throat 10 do a. We
sell Sl3 per capita 10 the British Isles and
We own not an inch Of ground. except a
few rocks east Of our Atlantic seabOard,
and we have not found IL necessary 10 in
wade Britain. Is IL possible that there
Is any truth In the statement that. I'm
order 10 gain trade. we must invade the
land with which we wish to enter into
commercial relations?
II believe no wrong was ever commit
ted in this world that did not bring
every nation that commits n wrong on
another is bound 20 feel the effects.
the price We are asked 70 paw Tor an
Oriental trade Is not worth the advn1-
tage that may accrue from II. You rray
have a trade that will gid this continent
from Maine 10 California. but N II be
bought with blood 10 will prove not q
blessing. but n curse. We could get that
Oriental trade by the same means a.
we do civilized trade-by producing n
cheaper article better than any one else
and whoever does that gets the trade.
and gets II unstainad " blood"
Prolonged applause demonstrated the
deep impression the address had made on
the audience. and in the debate which
followed the questions asked shO we'd
Colonel Irish's burning words had been
appreciated.