Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-31
More of the Free Trade Doctrine.

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ARE the Western kind. The Western
farmer has had great prosperity. How
did he get it? II was not protection
that did it: for the Western farmers
product is sold in Europe in compete
ton with the farm products OF the
world. Wheat has been the great
money getter; and the Western
farmer has got rich producing wheat
and selling it in England in compete
ton with the wheat of Russia and
Argentina and any other part of the
world that cares to offer its wheat in
"a free market.
Now wages are highest in the United
States and lower in Russia than al
most any other civilized country. Now
will the kennebec Journal please ex-
plain how il is that the Western
farmer in this land of highest wages,
is able to compete with the farmer OF
Russia. the land Of extreme low wages.
and get rich at it?
There's a question that we believe
the Kennebec Journal cannot answer
consistently with its protecuonist re-
|ligion. We believe it has never been
answered from that standpoint.
With it We would like to have the
Journal explain how il is that the peo-
pie Of England. without protection. and
without raising wheat enough OF their
own. eat more wheat and more Of other
good things than do the people of
Russia who have protection and who
have wheat TO sell.-Lewiston Sun.
The leaning of our good neighbor
seems to be toward establishing an ir-
|reconcilable antagonism between pro-
have no conception of the balance of
things These two great interests re-
ferred 10 are constantly interchange
able. If the United States buys one
third the productions Of the earth ii is
because We have the money with
which to pay. We have the money be-
cause we have the employment, and
the employment brings the wages and
with the wages we acquire the habits
necessities of tomorrow.
Then. if. after paying these wages
which enable us To buy so much more
than any other nation. the surplus Of
our production is sent abroad 10 even
the balance Of trade we ought not 10
complain. No one who keeps up with
economic conditions of the world COM
plains that goods are sold abroad
cheaper than at home. These crops
a IN, Of ar,
needs or they would have been dis
posed of here. We prefer TO buy
from ourselves and when the measure
is more than full it runs over.
Every other country meets the same
problem. England has an export
price less than its home price-and our
contemporary refers IN that free trade
country. 1t is no use to stop raising
crops or manufacturing goods because
an excess on hand. 1t is better to
keep the farms and mills going even
at loss in some seasons. than TO halt
with the disastrous consequence. which
We have pointed out as resulting from
the Democratic doctrine.
There is an enormous human ele-
ment in the great national machine of
production and for the WELL being of
which the manufacturer and the
capitalist are responsible. Mills had
better be kept running and farms Gull
ltivated at a loss in some specific in
cidents than to halt in the march of
progress with the consequent unset
thing of the whole industrial condi-
ton.
There is no market in the world
equal to the American home market
side. supplying each other and dump
ing the excess upon the worlds mar
kets at what can be obtained.
The Democratic policy of destroying
our home producing power is certainly
effectual in putting an end to selling
goods at less prices abroad than at
home. But we believe previous ex-
periments have proven too costly for
the people to desire to try it again.
AS to the last question We cannot
understand how a man who knows so
well of the conditions in England and
in Russia can have the face to pro-
pound it, 1t is rankest nonsense. No
one can answer such a question with
out going into the endless detail of
conditions in both countries which no
one would care 10 wade through and
few would then understand. No
American. raised in the abundance of
our land of plenty. can have any con-
ception of conditions in Russia unless
he has been there or had il brought
home TO him in some extraordinary
manner. How many are there who
know the real difference between con-