New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-15
TURKISH FREE TRADE.


pesden,, in it's controversy with this Journal on
the influence of Free trade ia the downfall OF
Turkey. Whether Til. Post thus takes up the
subject because it feels that TAI IsdspendsR is in
need Of help, or becsuse, being compelled to write
on something, i. could find no other topic than
those Of It's neighbcrs, is question We do not
presume TO touch but at any rate, We are glad to
notice its participation in the debate.
The Post say, the spinuers and wesvers Of
Turkey have been turned out of work TO become
beggars and robbers, not b. means Of Fee trade,
hut becsuse spinning wheels and band-lOom'
have been superseded by better inventions in
other countries But TAe P0ss fails TO tell US
why these better inventions hsye not been taken
to Turkey Surely il was not because the turks
were l.zy for they had previously earned their
livelihood by spinning and weaving. Nor was II
because they could not be taught to work st the
new machines for they are not only 'nteligsn''
but naturally prefer honest industry to begsary
and brigandsge. The reason was, IS We c,n tell
The Post, that there was no protective duty on
fabrics TO make il an object for western manu-
fscturers to csrY their apparatus to Turkey 10
set il up there, and teach the people to use
il British coteons and woolens, and French
silks being admitted free. there was nothing to
be gained by transplanting the machinery 70
make them to Turkish soil, and employing
Turki.h woIkme1, who would have consumed
the products OF Turkish far aud mechanics.
Had there D.en duy, such as has existed IN
Russia FOR the last Thirty years, she hand sPInaers
and wravers would never have been superseded
except by the introduction OF modern mechanism
from the West, which would still have afforded
them employing as before. Such hasbeen the case
ia Russia, with the exception thst she hsd no in-
dustr.al population whatever to begin upon, such
as Turkey had till within about forty years; there
Protection has built up industry and in iuced the
importation of the best means OF manufacture,
SO that now Russia makes her own articles OF
necessity. and is able 10 wage war against the
most powerful nations of Europe united. Had
Turkey pursued similar course, she might have
attained similar result.
But Tie Post, like shrewd Freetrsder,
while pretending to answer the facts We have
presented on the question, lodges the most strih-
ing of them. We refer to the Sultsn's nlesyor
to introduce the making of iron, with western
science, and skill, and every material advantage
to insure success Ii foiled, because the ex-
detrimental furnace could not quite compete with
English iron in cheapness, though duty Of %
uer cent. would have been ample to carry
through the enterprise, and to lay foundation
for tie establishment of the manufacture In the
of have
been improved and cheapened, so that duty on
iron would not have been necessary; but for
want of such duty at the outset, Turkey was
left in dependence on England even for that
primary article No wonder she is now depend
ent on her for troops to defend her national
existence. When Free trade reduces an extern
siye Empire TO the condition of merely producing
grain and other raw material for export, while
importing its cOttons, woolens, and iron from
abroad the day of its final dissolution hsd better
be fastened than postponed.
The Post INDUCES in some solemn reflections
on the proposition that Free trade has not had
much OF a share in running Turkey, because an
export duty and all sorts of internal restrictions
on commerce have existed there, while Free ira ie
is the absence Of all restrictions. We are glad to
perceive that our contemporary is alive to this dis
snctiOn but we beg to suggest that If it takes any
further part in the controversy, it saould begin by
posting itself up little on the question at issue
What we are contending against is not genuine
Free tfade-which we believe in as a character
istic of the democratic socialism which il hereaf
ter to prevail in the world-but British Free
trade, or that deception, of English origin, which
The Post habitually sustaius, and whose obje,t is
to make all nations producers of raw materials
for England to buy at her own price, while sell
ing their manufactures slso at her own price.
This is the system which The Post aud its party
have always advocated; but we are glad 10 know
that our contemporary does not confound it with
the real thing, whose name it has stolen. Per-
hsps if The Post were to study the subject little
deeper, it might come to the conclusion that the
only way Of attaining genuine and universal free
dom CT trade is through Protection enabling each
nation to develop it's resources and bring its in-
dusHial capacities to maturity.
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When Gov. Hunt was renoninsted in 1884, the
Bank Superintendent made a descent upon Wall-st.