The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-07
THE CHINESE WALL.

Four years ago when Congress was at
work on the Diagley tariff bill those per-
sons who have always Iabored under the
6elusion that a nations foreign
Is much more important to its people than
i-s domestic trade warned the country that
the measure when il became law would
be a Chinese wall. not only keeping for
eigners out OF our markets with their
goods. but preventing us sharing in foreign
markets 1t was not a new warning. since
the Chinese wall OF the protective tariff is
so venerable an illustration that few can
recall the date in the distant past when
they first heard 1t. Many believed it; but,
being compelled 10 choose between a wall
that would give us the certainty of home
markets and an open door that would ad-
nit all Corners and give us an uncertain
place in the so-called worlds markets the
larger part Of the American people ac-
copied the Chinese wall. But the intention
of the warning of the Chinese wall was to
impress Americans with the idea that while
they might supply themselves with manu-
features. they could not hope to go abroad
dlu z lltHi III E4UlOPt thu DlAl'o III
competition with Great Britain. Germany
and France. 1t is certain that American
manufactures have supplied the home mar
ket with an abundance of the best goods
in the world. with the exception of a few
articles that can be more economically
supplied by other countries.
OF late. however. these same persons
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that we had walled ourselves out of the
markets Of the world appear with the
alarming cry that. despite the Chinese wall,
the United States has. as Unexpectedly TO
Americans. as the rest of the world. seized
a considerable portion of the foreign mar
kets and is in a fair way to capture all of
them that it has goods to supply. in spite
of the efforts of other competitors. 1t
might be inferred that these good friends
had dynamited the Chinese impediment.
and that. passing over its ruins. we had
fallen upon the foreign markets In a man
ner that has paralyzed our competitors.
Such, they tell us. is not the case: the wall
to keep out foreign competitors is as for
midable as ever. but 1t does not avail to
keep Americans at nome. Iney explain
that by our wonderful application of ali
of the means of production and our SUI
perior ability to organize industries we have
been able 10 scale the wall and pour our
selves into the worlds markets as a
conquering army. They admit that they
never suspected anything of the kind. but,
unexpected and marvellous as ii is. they
recognize our power.
Now, these free-trade friends come to
us with a new warning, since they can do
nothing but warn. 1t is that If the United
States still continues TO seize the trade
of the world and does not tear down the
Chinese wall so that the world can reach
our markets we shall in a few years so
iInpoverish our competitors and customers
that they will become pauperized for the
reason that we shall have secured and
brought home all their money in exchange
for goods. Shall we listen to this warning
and throw down the wall? Not yet: but
there are those of our friends who think
that a few gates in the wall can be judi
ciously opened when it appears advan-
tageous.