The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1905-09-16
THE ALTEnAAit IVES.
WHAT MUST FOLLOW INCREASED
FOREIGN COMPETITION.

BE Displaced by Cheaper Goods or
Else American Wages Must Re Re-
duccd TO Cheaper Production.
While our free traders. revislonists
AMI rociprocity:tes are chasing the for
eign markets rainbow all foreign man
ufncturing countries are seeking means
OF protection from American goods
through tariffs or colonial preferences.
Today the United States has a larger
share OF foreign markets than any 9th
er country. These markets have been
gained for the most part through su-
periorlty OF our manufactures and the
necessity OF having our cotton and GER
tain other agricultural products. We
have not gained these markets In COM
petition In the same line OF products.
Europe must have large share of our
cotton, our corn, our copper. our oil
and other products. and Europe will
have such OF our manufactured wares
as are superior TO her own.
What Europe must have and will
have is entirely without relation In any
way TO either her tariffs or our tariff.
Canada buys more from us than from
the mother country in spite OF prefer
entail tariff Of 80 1-3 per cent in favor
of the latter. II Is time that our chas-
ers after foreign markets learned this
feature of our export trade. That
trade at present is most satisfactory.
A generation ago, in 1870, when we
hat I'M M =
our exports were less than $500, OO0-
600. Now they are $1,000, 100000. Ev-
cry year for the past decade, with one
exception, these exports have increas-
ed mt an average rate Of nearly $780,
100000 year. During this period we
have passed free trade Great Britain
and taken the lead as an export ma
ton. Our imports have Increased, too,
and yet we have an annual favorable
trade balance Of some $400, 1000, 900,
which settles all foreign obligations
and prevents drain Of gold.
Can we improve this most excellent
foreign trade condition? Can we gain
more markets? Can we compete with
foreign manufacturers In their own or
other countries? There Is but one an
swer-only by reducing wages to the
European level. That IL absolute. Are
We ready to make that sacrlhcef IL
10 up to the revisionists and reciproci-
tyites to tell the wage earners Of this
country II that Is their object, for In
no other way can we gain increased
foreign markets save In the natural in
crease such as we are at present en-
joying through necessity and superiori-
~ of wares. If through lower duties
or reciprocity treaties we give to for
elgners our own market for the hope
of theirs, what shall we have gained
What shall we not have lostY Our own
home market is today worth more than
all the markets of the world combined
for imports.
This home market IL secure. Foreign
markets at best are visionary We
might increase our sales to. say. ST.
OOO,OOO,OOO, but at what a cost! Re.
duce the duties on silks, and France
will sell us the silks we use. Reduce
the duties on pottery, and Belgium will
make our wares. Reduce the duties
on cottons and woolens, on boots and
shoes, and we shall be at the mercy
of foreign manufacturers unless we
workmen. We would no longer sell
more than we buy. We would no longer
have the purchasing power that makes
us the greatest consumers of the world
We would be an idle, impoverished
ruined people, third rate nation. We
would have constant deficit anl
would have to resort TO direct taxation
TO meet expenses.
To gain $50O,OO0OO0 worth more Of
foreign trade we would have to sacri
fee billions of dollars in wages ano
billions more in profits. III we would
have more markets, IL we would In
crease production, we have the mar
ket right here at home. AT best W,
could not increase our foreign sales
more than S50O,000,00O. There Is an in
creased market of that value righ
here IN our own country to be gaineC
without any sacrifice or any lowering
of wages, and, besides our own in
crease in population, we are gaining
nearly a million consumers every yeal
who must he fed aud clothed.
We might much better sacrifice al
our foreign trade than to sacrifice any
part of our domestic trade. But w,
do not have to sacrifice our foreign
trade. AS we have pointed out, 1t il
made up of products and wares thai
the foreigner must and will have, anC
II will go ON increasing year after yeal
in spite of tariffs or any trade barriers
that can be erected.
This question of revision or so called
reciprocity can be agitated by oul
economists and by the beneticiaries OF
foreign interests, but the ones who are
the most affected and should be the
most Interested are our 3OOOO,O0 wage
earners and those dependent ON them
1t * to them n question OF life and
death, question OF riches or ruin.
There is no halfway In the matter
no compromise, any more than we car
compromise with death. We mus
awake TO this danger which threatens
us in the renewed efforts OF foreign
IN, rests 10 gain our markets. We