New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-01
The Principles OF Free Trade, Clearly
Stated by IL Free Trader.

residence, at the desk IN the publishing office Immediately
The PrincipIes OF Free Trade, Clearly
Stated by Free Trader.
TO the Editor IF The Tribune
SIR: would like to your objections 10 the
Principles of Free Trade, as we who hold them un-
derstand them. will succnctly set them forth, as
follows:
l. Every man has u right TO pursue whatever
trade or business he thinks proper, provided II be
bonest; and any interference with his business by
the Government is improper, unless such lnterier-
ence can be justified by a paramount public ne
cessity.
3. All classes Of the community who are engaged
in the prosecution Of honest callings, are entitled 10
e0udl protection from the Government.
3. The man who makes barrel O flour or bale ol
cotton and sends abroad To be there exchanged ior
Foreign Commodities, is as honest man, Is doing
as much good for his country and ls as much enil-
tied to Protection, he who makes the same On
other articles of equal value for home consumption.
A. ANY article ot Foreign growth or manufacture,
for which another article OF domestic growth or ma
nutacture has been exchanged, l., when brought
here, much the result oi American labor as IL IL
had been made al home.
& If one norton O! the community is engaged III
producing articles for the sale o which they dc
pend on u Foreign market, and another portien is
engaged in the production o other articles Tor the
eale of which they depend on the Home market, any
crease sales in The Foreign market aud increase
them in tue Home market, Is oppressive, injurious
and partial egisatiOD winch ought to be avoided II
possible
g. Commerce ought to be encouraged: all the ma
tions of the earth have risen 10 wealth and dignity
In proportion as their 'oielsh oohiiHeIce was eN-
tensive.
7. All Commerce is a mere exchange OF commodi
ties not needed here, for other commodities which
are needed.
8. ANY restriction upon Commerce, winch has The
effect 10 lower the amount OF iinportauons, must a
the same time lower the amount o. eXporatl0as III
the same proportion.
9. From 1890 to 1906 (incusive) when we had t
, low Tariff imposed only for revenue, our exports
increased from SO,2U5, ,l56 in value 10 jO
from 1897 TO l3l5 The Continental System OF Ma
poleon, the British Orders in Council, our own En-
bargo and the War; caused our Commerce 10 be
crippled. In 1916 was imposed the first Protective
Tarih-increused in 32O-iurtherincreased Ia 1921,
and laid on still more heavily IN 1871, and so con
,inued iil 1882. In l9lo exports were S8l ~
452; in 1881 they diminished 10 S6 ,3lO 3o3 II
the exports had increased from 1916 10 1881 hcnwe
had Il Protective Tariff, as they did from 1870 10
1896, when we had none, they would have amount
ed in 1881 TO i37 000OO0 and o course would have
encouraged American Industry 10 u most unparal-
leed extent. From 1882 10 1911. while the Com
promise Act was in operation the Exports increased
from what they were in 1881, 10 wit ISL ,0OO0O0. TO
Sl2l,85l 803. The icct o the Present Tarii will
be 10 reduce them the first year oi It's operation
about $50, 100000, down 10 about S1u,OOe O00
10. lfit be important to have what Is called the
"balancc OF trade" in our favor, Protective Tarif
cannot secure it us, inaSmuch as the history oI
our own country shows that such balance Is a least
as likely il not more likely, 10 be against us under
a high Tariff, than under a low one
IL. Under the protective Tariffs OF 1916. 20, and
'2S the amount OF gold and silver WAS but little
increased ifany, while ii has bscnmore Than trebed
since the Compromise bill was III operation.
L. The principal, if not the only reason why GER
tain articles cannot be manufactured here chcaply
as in some other countries Is the comparative hlsh
price Of Labor This hg price OF labor proves that
there are employmcnts more prohtaby than that OF
manufacturing. 1t is better policy TO leave the labor
engaged upon the business which is profitable, than
10 encourage il TO commence that which cannot be
made profitable without bounty. The allegation
that we cannot manufacture certain goods as cheap
ly as they can be made elsewhere is only e different
form of words for this proposition, that Labor is bet
ter rewarded in other empioymenis.
l3. The true protection which every Government
owes TO its people 10 them IN ihe iull en-
oyment OF all that they honestly earn But 10 legs
late TO raise the price OF any man labor above
what the unrestricted and perfectly Tree state OF the
market would give hiru, not Protection, bat houn
ty on one hand and oppression and p!under on the
other,
IA. The duties on foreign importations are sener-
ally tax paid by The consumer, and not only loss
whom he woGld otherwise have spent H.
Is. Business can regulate itself better than Con-
gress can possibly do II.
To- Labor and Capital will be more likely 10 lnd
safe and profitable employment IL let alone, than ii
Congress intertereS with us artificial arrangements.
II. Ifa man can earn SO IN IN employment
which he now follows aud can buy yards oi cloth
for Sl0-but high Tanf induces him 10 work III
cloth factory where whole month labor will only
enable him 10 make two yards ot cloth, alhoughihe
Tariff may enable his employe TO sell the cloth al
so, yet one half of his labor Is clearly thrown away
and lost 10 the country.
aPer month presume lie means
Remarks on the Foregoing.
II is an obvious truth, as has been long since
remarked, that you may ask a question or state
an objection in five words, which would require
dozen pages properly toansweI or o5viatc It And
vet, in the hurry Of pressing duties, amid con,inu
al interruptions, We Will devote an hour 10 hnt-
ing the heads OF our reply to the foregoing well
drawn statement, though we have neither time
nor room to touch all It's material points. We
shall glance at its positions in order, VIZ;
l. This proposition assumes that Protection for
bids or prevents the pursuing of lawful and lauda
BILE business, which should be proved. The clos
ing condition only requires to be slightly amend
ed, so as to read "a paramount public good" IN
stead of necessity to render it heartily acccpta
bic. 1t is because a paramount public good is
secured by encouraging the Home Production OF
our own wares and fabrics tha: we advocate the
Protective policy. The Free Trade proposition
No. /, is defective in regarding the Nation as
lOose aggregation Of individuals, each submitting