Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-05-14
British Free Trade and American Free
Trade.

f1Itisn Frce ir8ue ana American Il RET
Trade.
Free trade in Great Britain was established
tor the benefit of the manufacturing classes.-
! There labor is cheap, and the manufacturers
/ by long experience, after centuries of protec
ton can defy the competition of the world Ii
our own country the wages of operatives art
higher than in the old world, and manufacture.
are III their infancy. Our manufacturers, con
sequentiy, cannot compete successfully witt
these OF Europe, and require protection. Bu
Democratic political economists entertain
different opinion They follow the example OF
Great Britain, and throw open our markets to
the competition of the world. They even &c
further than this, and tax some Of the raw nl.
| terlals used III manufacturing, thus discriinin.
ating against home industry.
The consequ noes ofthis absurd policy, we
should think, are apparent to all who are not
wi.iully blind. Many branches Of lnanufac
lures in tins country are IN 4 depressed state
whist our markets are gutted with the produc.
tons OF Great Britain and other foreign coun
tries. On the other hand, the manufacturing
industry of Great Britain was never in Il more
prosperous condition, and her ngrkets are glut
ted, not with our manufactured goods, bat with
our rae mrtcrai-our cotton, gram and pro-
vlsons-which, II worked INTO manufactures at
home, would give employment to every com
petent man and woman IN the country. The
British tree-trader5 understand ani eXuit over
the advantage which they have thus acquired
over Brother jonathan. We have before US
an English paper containing a speech recently
made by Mr.. Cardwell, NJ. p, to the assembled
electors CT Liverpool. some extracts from which
may not be unIntorcstlng on this side Of the
water. He says:
"Now, listen to me for single moment, and
Will tell YOU ,cho has protected and cacouraged
nature industry. and WHO HAS MADE THE roR-
EIGNER PAY. Gentlemen, in the wear 1912.
when we began this course, YOU sent abroad of
your manufactures less than E50, 900 600 worth:
and, IN the year which has itlst closed. YOU sent
nbroad nearly G75O00000 worth. IApplausel
NoE, gentlemen, | want to know who paid for
that 50 per cent. increase ofvour labor: They
were sent abroad, and YOU did not send them
abroad for nothing: bat The tore;raer, TO gio,n
you Ssnt them. pt,d The English artisan for the
TABOR ne h1d employed IN their production. TAP
pause j"
The United States has taken more than her
share otthe increased export Of British manu-
tNctured goods, and has thus "protcctel and
encouraged British industry" ut the expense Of
her own But hear again this advocate of free
trade He says IN the same speech:
"NelI, then, gentlemen, ! am told that
was taken to task with respect to the manu-
lectures OF America. | am told that it was
said 0ten Ito.d you that the americans joluiG ii
6etcr to send Their cotton here 10 be manufactured
than to manufacture Il Themselves that the ate
aent was neither true in fact nor correct in IN
terence. Whether It was true in fact am
not going to trouble Won with figures, but this
- tlnr of I {. 4. !
Ictley, Of Liverpool, most respectable gentle.
men, but not, so far as know, bigoted in IA
vor free trade. CLEAR, hear and laughtar.)
Gentlemen, there Is their statement; any nun
who likes may read it, and that is my answer
as regards the fact. ('tear, hear, and cheers
But, now, as regards the Inference why, saws
the speaker, of course they do it, because il
pays them better Well, so say I--of cours:
they do. (lIear, hear and laughtcr) Does
any living man suppose that if it did not pay
them better they would do it? And say that
Is one OF the blessings of the free trade poi
cy-
1t bIesscs himth gives and him tina, takes
Loud checrs.) II compe's the .7nericrns 10
send their cotton 10 Manchester, greativ to the
benefit Of LjrnpoOi, through tchich ii passes;
and, at the same time. it enriches themselves
III other ways. makes them feel to us dcbt
Of Er1tltuie, fills their hearts with thoughts of
peace, and makes them our honorable rivals in
the warfare of commerce, instead of being our
dangerous enemies in the conflicts hope now
almost forgotten-the conflicts of war; (Ap-
plause.p
What do our working men think of the poll
cy which eompels the Americans to send their
cotton to England to be manufactured, and
which imposes upon them in addition such
debt of gratitude? And yet TINS policy is laud-
ed and copied by Democratic legislators, as
admirably adapted to this country
1t was contended by the advocates of treo
trade IN this country that by Abandoning the
policy we should secure the whole
world as market for our agricultural produc-
tons. Robert J. W alker, author ofthe Amarl
can y tree trade system, in his reports promul-
gated some Wild predictions of increased ex-
ports OF breadstuis. " g have tried free trade
and the following statement, exhibiting the
shipments OF breadstuifs since the present tariff
went into operation, shows the result: