Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-05-18
NATURAL PRODUCTS.
SHALL WE LIMIT OURSELVES
TO THESE ONLY.
IF So, which Ones Shall We Abandon.
and How Shall We Fare II We Follow
the Free Traders Prescription for the
increase of Our F,reign Trade.

is that each country should produce
only that commodity in which it excels
in quality and cheapness, buying from
abroad everything that can be made
cheaper there. In other words, we
should not strive to establish and
maintain an industry that is not
natural one, but devote our whole
energy to one with the product of
which we can beat all other nations
On the other hand, protectionisrs
maintain that we should diversity our
industries to the largest degree posi-
BILE, making and producing everything
that the soil and climate will allow and
that genius and diligence encourage.
The best theoretical exposition of this
question is given by Sir Edward Sulli-
van in his Protection to Native In
dustry" but the best exposition of this,
as of any other question, is the practi-
cal one of experience.
There is no country on earth where
industry is so diversified as in the
United States. In fact, one of the
principal objects of our first and every
succeeding protective tariff was to Gre
ate and maintain new industries, and
today we can make everything that can
be made anywhere, and We can raise
everything needed by man, except tea
and coffee and few minor products.
This is what has given US much
employment, such high wages and such
an unparalleled home market.
In spite of all this. however, the free
traders of today are again urging that
we open our ports to the cheaper
products of other countries and devote
ourselves to gaining other markets, by
centering our energies on a few nat
ural'' productions. In other words, we
are urged to abandon a sure market
of many times the value of any that
we could have if we were to gain all
there is to be gained.
But for the sake of argument, let us
suppose the free trader to be right.
for the further one examines a free
trade theory the more absurd it ap-
pears. Let us cease producing some
things and buy them abroad paying
for them with increased productions of
other things. The questions now con-
front US: Where shall we begin? What
shall we give up? Surely not any of
the staple agricultural products. If our
farmers should abandon their land and
go to the factory and make plows, for
instance, who would use the p1ows?
We raise and shall sell more grain and
provisions than any other people, so
perhaps it would be better to close the
factory and for all to go on the farm.
But there is a surplus of farm products
now, and where could we sell double
Or treble the present production? This
again is absurd. Shall our miners leave
the mines and make picks and ShovelS.
with which the market is already full
1y supplied? Could a million iron and
steel workers turn to making boots
and shoes? No; it is all ridiculous,
turn which way we will
Fully 95 per cent of our products
are sold at home. Are we to believe
that half of this or any part of it can
be carried thousands of miles and sold
at a greater net profit than when sold
within a few miles distant from the
place of production? The whole free
trade contention is one natural, physi-
cal, economical impossibility.
The Cobdenite obscures his theory
somewhat by saying that we should
admit the raw material free and in
crease our production and sales of the
finished product. The raw material"
fallacy has been laid bare SO often that
it is useless to argue it at the begin
suppose we were to import the partly
finished material, that, perfected and
combined. makes the last finished
product, what would be the result? 1t
will be found that the value of our
manufactures in 1900 approximates
SIS 900 00O, 900. On the basis of the CEN
sus of 1890 somewhat over $4,000, 900, =
600 worth of this is what the free
trader calls raw material" At least
three persons are engaged in making
this so-called raw material to one
engaged in producing the last finished
product Shall we then throw three
men out of employment to benefit
one?
The contention that eff we do not
buy we cannot SELF is refuted by the
fact that we are, and have been for
years. selling much more than we
buy.
The free trader cannot, in the light
of experience, with actual facts and
figures confronting him. point to a
single industry that we can safely
abandon Every added industry means
increased employment and an in
creased home market and larger
profits.
No: instead of abandoning a single
industry. we should constantly seek to
enlarge and diversity. in order to en-
ploy every possible acre of land and
every possible human arm and mind
In the words of Henry c. Carey. with
every increase in the power of produc-
ton, consumption grows. and the la
hrro Iorr