The San Francisco call., 1904-08-18
NEXT GREAT BLUNDER.


The next great blunder Of our early his
tory consisted in their taking up arms against
King George and his forces. when the latter
were actuated, as they themselves confessed.
only By the kindest designs Of ''benevolently
assimilating' 10 themselves our resources and
our opportunities.
You sir. you who have Republican son-in-
law, and therefore. possess culture by affinity at
least, viii hardly believe that our ancestors
were stupid enough TO fight against the prtn-
ciple which We frankly recognize in the
Philippines. viz. that il is perfectly right.
,n,blernize two entirely different sorts Of gov
eminent for ourselves at home.'' pro-
tecting individual civil ard political liberty.
and pretending 10 furnish full ana equal op-
poFtunities for industrial development, and an
other for others in the colonies - absolutely
discretionary in its character and avowedly
limiting industrial development there by the
necessities Of commercial exploitation for the
benefit Of the home merchant and the
home manufacture.
The next great historical blunder, in spite
Of which, strange TO say. we have
cannot too often repeat. prospered right along
in every step Of our history. with now and
then a temporary drop back, was the i'm
notation by our ancestors Of the nations in
dustrialism upon the altar of free trade within
the common domain. notwithstanding already
existing State lines furnished convenient place.
opportunity and temptation to establish Gus
tom-houses. those potent encouragers Of com
merce.
What we ought to have fought for during
colonial days was high protective tariff 10
keep British products out Of the American
keep American products out Of the British
market; thus enriching both Britain and
America Then, after we had accomplished
our independence. ana each state had become
a separate sovereignty, South Carolina ought
TO have protected herself against fPennsyl-
vania and New England Pennsylvania ought
10 have seen to it that line OF custom
houses prevented the invasion of her sacred
soil by the products Of the Jerseyman. the
Marylander and the Delawarean. We ought
to have encouraged interstate trade by stop
ping It as much possible thus pursuing in
that regard the enlightened policy which pre-
walls in regard TO our international trade.
How in the world II has happened (though
7 confess Il did happen) that during colonial
times where there were no custom houses be
tween the several colonies and when all the
products OF Great Britain had free access to
our markets, our laborers yet worked at
wages very much higher than those which
then prevailed in Great Britain, cannot un-
derstand. How II has happened, since be
came a Federal nation, the comparatively
pauper negro labor of Central Mississippi has
not been able 20 run the high-priced white
labor Of Central New York out OF the farm
ing business. I also cannot understand.
Nor can l understand how II is that wages
in California should have been for years two
or three times what they were in Maryland.
peuper labor OF Maryland had free access to
California, and although that comparatively
pauper labor itself was secured by the con-
stitution itself in the privilege OF migration
to and sojourn in California.
Stranger yet the pauper labor OF all Eu-
rope was daily hocking both to Maryland and
doubt even II Uncle Joe Cannon himself can
fully understand-these foolish facts.
STATUTE is MISSING.
We know that the reason why labor was
more highly paid, even in colonial times, in
America than the same labor for the same
work paid in Great Britain, must have been
the existence of some sort of protective"
legislation, keeping out Of America the pauper
Of England. Scotland. Wales and Ireland It
IS true that have not thus far found the
law upon the statute books, and we are told by
ignorant historians that there was no such
lation has been yet found not, II must
have existed. because superior wages and the
prosperity OF the workingman must be had
and only be had by force OF a policy
OF legislative protectionism- The lost statute
Will be found after awhile-never fear. sir
because the theory cannot be sustained in
any other way, and the theory, as our Re
publican friends tell u.s. is "our fixed national
policy" hence 10 doubt It would be dis
loyalty.
A wise man entertains sovereign con-
tempt for q great many sorts of errors, but
the designing idiot who says that the price
Of labor depends upon the amount of work
70 be done in country and the number of
men capable and desirous OF doing tin a
word on demand for or suppl OF labor.
That particular sort Of peculiarly inspired
idiot attempts 70 explain that the high wages
which were paid in California and all the new
States for those employed farm, in store
mine or forest. in comparison with the wages
pall IN oider states. Rhicn were without free
lands and with comparative abundance Of
laborers, is 70 be accounted for by the com
parative scarcity Of workingmen and the COM
parative abundance Of new work in the new
States
The same featherlsss biped-we cannot be
too severe on him, sir-carries HIS explanation
further and tells you that the superiority of
our wage rate in colonial times and always
since then. over that existing In Great Britain
and on the continent. due TO this same
fact, viz. paucity Of workingmen and abund-
snce of work
How lacking in subtletY OF Intellect! In
stead OF seeking in remote meta physical places
reasons satisfactory to q curious mind he