Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-02-12
ten asked by the thoughtless and un

ten asked by the thoughtless and un-
informed, why attach so much impor-
tance to the China trade? The Ameri-
can merchant and manufacturer have
studied the character, the customs, the
habits, the fashions, the whims and
wants Of the Chinese, and have be-
come somewhat acquainted with these
people, and are in a fair way to in
crease their already increasing busi-
ness under the existing laws and trade
treaty.
Three-fourths Of the products Of the
southern cotton mills are for the China
trade being coarse sheetings and drills,
and are gaining favor with Chinese
merchants and consumers. Deprive
the mills of this country Of this trade.
and this product will be piled up in the
warehouses, to be sold at sacrifice
prices in competition with ourselves,
and the result will be that all the mills,
as far as they can, will be forced up
on finer and more salable goods in our
home markets, which are already con-
gested for the want of consumers. This
would be blow to our southern mills,
and would certainly check the building
Of mills, at least for time, until con-
sumption caught up with the supply or
otner markets found, which would re-
qulre much time and money and loss to
the industry, and to everyone engaged
therein, from the highest official to the
lowest laborer, directly, and Indirect
ly to the country at large.
Almost the entire press Of the coun-
try and some of our foremost states
men and highest officials and shrewd-
est bushes men tell us that America
has become a world-power, and has al
ready taken her place as such among
the nations Of the world. While this
may be true to a certain extent In the
art of war, both on sea and on land, II
Is not true in the science of trade and
commerce. In the very recent past,
America, in arms, has given to the ma
tions of the world an object lesson and
demonstrated to them and to some OF
our own countrymen that she Is a
world-power; that she is unit; that
she lives and fights under one and the
same flag; that there Is no north, no
south, no east, no west-one united and
compact whole in war, but in peace
not 80 united.
In manufacturing and commerce we
are in our swaddling clothes. Up to
very recent date we have been con-
tent to conflne our discussions and
uuarrels, with one or two exceptions,
and competition, to our own shores, not
feeling the necessity Of reaching out to
distant lands. In manufacturing and
the products of our soil we have out
grown our needs, and must look to for
eign markets to take our surplus, and
China is an inviting field. Even the
foreign press complain that we are
invading to an alarming extent the
territory Of the Old World with our
products. The fact is we have hardly
entered the threshold Of foreign trade.
but there is no reason why we should
not have a share of the worlds trade.
The amount Of trade we have with
the outside world today in comparison
with Great Britain's trade Is a mere
pittance-not "a drop in the bucket.
A country upon some portion Of whose
domain the sun never ceases to shine,
with cheap and easy access to every
port and market Of the world, with
centuries of acquaintance and expert
ence, dominates the world In COM
merce and manufacturing. With her
Ships her barks, her merchants and
citizens in almost every cline, all ready
and willing to respond to her interests
call, it is not strange to conclude that
her commerce is almost universal and
intrenched IN stronghold, formidable
and perpetual, and beyond the reach OF
competition. We have this competi-
ton. with that of the continent Of all
Europe, to meet-a Herculean task
vet we have undertaken it almost In
our infancy.
Our success will, in great measure,
depend upon the action Of our law
makers. To their craftsmanship and
business judgment we confidently look
for encouragement and aid.
Take the exports in cotton products,
yarns and cloths Of Great Britain and
the United States Of the past year, and
we find Great Britain alone exported
from her shores, in round numbers,
1921, 900, 900 worth, an amount In ex-
cess of our exports in raw material OF
about $4,000, 900, while in the exports OF
the same class of cotton products from
Americas shores were only $19,O0O,OOO;
continue this comparison with other
manufacturing countries Of the world
combined, and we find our cotton-goods
export trade is indeed insignificant.
For every dollars worth Of cotton
yarns and cloths exported from this
country last year Great Britain export
ed from her shores SIT worth. With
such facts as these before US, can any
one doubt the wisdom Of the cotton
mills position in claiming the necessi-
ty of peace and friendly relations with
all the world? Great Britain throws
her markets and ports open to the
world, including the Chinese, without
exception, and invites the Chinese stu
dent, scholar and merchant into her
universities and colleges and markets
to become educated and trained In
English ideas and customs: likewise
does France and Germany for the same
purpose, while we say. exclude the
Chinese. Exclude the coolie, but let
us throIy orr norris omen to the Chinese