The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

4i— l—
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Free-Trade League in the North-Western

States.

The letter of Mr. John Bright, on the sub-
ject of Free Trade in the United States, has pro-
duced a great effect in Illinois and adjacent regions.
A Free-Trade League has been established, with
head-quarters at Chicago ; and branches are being
organised in connection with it in all the large
cities of the West. The following remarks by Mr,
Horace White were made at the inauguration of
the Free-Trade League in that city :
" Chicago is a commercial city—a city of trade. Freedom
of trade is its life. The North-west is an agricultural
community. The North-west asks no discriminating
duties for the protection of her great industry, and wdl
consent to no discriminating duties for the protection o. f
other industries at the expense of her own. She
welcome manufacturers, for they are a benefit to the State'
In all that is said concerning the blessings of a diversified
industry I agree, provided the arrangement is effected on
fair terms. The competition which is such a terror to
manufacturers of the narrow-minded sort, but which In
really the life of human activity and enterprise,
and at the
same time the protection of the public against the evils of
monopoly—the competition, I say, between the East and
the West is more to be feared (if competition is ever to be
feared) than any possible competition between the 13754
and European countries. But we can have no protective
tariff to shield Western manufacturers against Eastern
manufacturers. The cheapness of food and the cost of
transportation from the East to the West is sufficient pro-
tection to Western manufacturers, and at all events that
is all they can have. Hence the North-west has no inte-
rest in common with the Protectionists, but many
inte-
rests at variance with them. It would be well for those
who complain of the absence of manufacturers at the
West to reflect that the only reason why they have 11(4
been established is that capital and labour could be moreprofitably employed in other vocations. Certainly it has
not been for the want of protective tariffs, for we have
them in abundance. Among the more immediate wants
of the West, I may mention cheap iron. Cheap iron
mean cheap railroads; cheap railroads means cheap
transportation. A Free-Trade League, organised for the
dissemination of truth on these questions, seems altogethe
appropriate in our city, which is the natural centre of so
large a portion of the. North-west. Quite likely we shall
encounter opposition. No great truth has made its Ivay
to popular acceptance in a moment. But surely no sod
can be more inviting than this for the cultivation of the
principles of free trade, which is the natural handmaid of
free labour. I have said nothing about the revenue, beff"
caus3 we are not discussing that portion of the tariff
which is levied for revenue, but only that portion which
is levied for protection. We are all agreed as to the 710-
cessity of a revenue. We aro all agreed as to the neces-
sity of taxes and tariffs to meet the expenses of th°
Government and to maintain its credit. We differ only
on the question of taxes levied for the benefit, or the en
courageinent, if you please, of private individuals."