Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-29
The Free Traders FaIIacy.

The Free Traders FaIIacy.
Germany is reported to be consider
ably exercised over our new tariff
plans. Still we cannot afford to have
everything we use made in Germany.
even to please the Lewiston Sun, and
few other free trade papers.-Kenne-
bee Journal.
Let's see.
Some of the things we use in Maine
and buy from outside Maine things
which Germany has to sell-are: ready
made clothing, cloths. dress goods.
laces. linens; leather, gloves; iron and
steel. zinc. tin, lead, cutlery, machin-
cry. steel building forms: sugar; glass
ware; chinaware; cement; 1ndian-rub-
Der; paints; chemicals, dyes; toys;
jewelry.
These articles, you understand, have
to be bought outside and brought into
Maine. The taxes on them are so hieh
as to practically forbid the people Of
Maine to buy them from Germany If
Maine had free trade with Germany.
it would save to Maine people hun
dreds of thousands of dollars every
year.-Lewiston Sun.
the Sun is of interest in the extent to
which it shows the narrowness of the
free traders outlook, and the shallow
ness of the free traders argument. The
Sun would have US buy our products
in Germany instead of making them at
home because we could save so much!
Some of the articles in the above list
notably cloths, dress goods, paints and
dyes-are manufactured right here in
Maine. Certainly it might occur to the
thoughtful citizen that if we were
sending our money to Germany for
these things it would not be doing very
much to build up home industries or
furnish employment for home labor. 1t
wouldn't help the home merchant or
mechanic, or professional man to Sc
cure an extra dollar. 1t would simply
mean so much greater narrowing of
the home market upon which they de-
pend for their livelihoods. But it must
be remembered that the above articles
are by no means the only ones which
the Sun would put upon the free list.
1t would put lumber there, and farm
products there 80" as it once declar-
ed, we can get some more to eat"
and would also put there all the prod
ucts of our mills and factories. AS
these industries comprise about all the
opportunities the people of Maine have
for earning dollar. it is not easy to
see just where, under a free trade
policy. they would secure the money
to pay for these cheap goods from Ger
many upon which the Sun asserts they
could save hundred of thousands of
dollars every year." One thing is GER
tain. Men must have a chance to earn
money. before they can possibly spend
1t. and it is just this fundamental
fact in our economic life that the free
trader entirely overlooks. 1t makes no
difference to a hungry man that a sat-
isfying dinner can be secured for ten
cents if he hasn't got the dime. 1t is
the glory Of the protective system that
1t builds up home industry, using
home money for the employment of
home people. and thereby promoting
home progress and home prosperity.
However much the Sun may dangle its
glittering bauhle of cheapness before
the eyes of its readers we do not think
it will ever be successful in convincing
many of them that it would be a wise
thing for this country to send its
money abroad for the purchase of
goods made by poorly paid labor, when
such goods are made at home by our
citizens on wage scale which gives
them a standard of living infinitely
superior to that of the old world-a
wage scale and a standard of living
that has contributed in a powerful
measure to making our country the
most progressive and prosperous on
the face of the earth. In view of this
fact we are firmly of the opinion that
it will be the part of good sense to
keep our great home market, the fin
est in the world, for the products of
home farms and home factories.