Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-13


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FREE T4tAAbH I.HAGUEs.
bhp Sr TIC MS ~ ldfportaht ana sseaisiesn,
psiiissl poyencnh Of ihc dsy Is the organ
iseaiea ~ New York. Of . Free Trade
tsagss. ufSAiuh Wsa. Cullen Bryaas Of the
@lkiAy M, Ia President The ergan;Gs-
4da 81 these Leagues ia being extended
sheopsheut the United States. o. the
csssiag Of the Cd inst, by invitation of
Mr.. Simon Stern, Secretary of the Ameri-
can Free Trade League Of New York,
nnmtsr Of the most influential business
men Of &. Louis, met at the Lindclf Hotel,
ape ok6ulscd one Of these Leagues. a
c66stleution was adopted. the names and
members enrolled, and the committee on
organization instructed to report the names
Of proper persons for permanent officers Of
ths League 70 ~ adjourned meetiug Mr..
Storm, Secretary Of tho American League,
being called on, made some well considered,
oo8cnt and lucid remarks - 70 the objects
-ofthe League, which Ire said were to pro.
mote FREQ and unrestricted trade between
the United States and Ill other truntries.
The remarks OF Mr.. Stern contained n
suedndt histpricsi account Of the efforts Of
tho Prossstteoists n this country from the
beginning Of the Government, and arc well
worthy Of beng reproduced. They are
brief, pointed and full Of pith. There was
never time in the history OF tho Govern
ment when the Protectonists may be met
With greater advantage than now, when
revenue Il needed by the Government, and
when it 4 an absolute certainty that pro
tective duties bring no revenue. Mr..
Stern's arguments, briefly stated as they
are, fully illustrate this point
This question OF free Trade, he said,
was not new one in this country. But IN
the changed condition Of the country il
came to us under new aspects. Projections
lists we're not satisfied with the present tar
in, and in the nature Of things never would
w ooetouCN WIN uuy ihNO ~ IN .''"s
might be fixed. A proposition was now
before Congress to increase the present
tariff. II was remarkable that As carly as
1889, Alexander Hamilton had atcd that
. tariff of seven and one-half per cent. ad
valorem was necessary to enable the man
ufactnrers Of this country to engage in the
manufacture of iron. At his suggestion
this rate was established This was then
declared to DC all sufficient, and even that
impe sition was considered temporarily ncr
essary
Now the manufacturers demand u tariff o.
one hundred and nifty per cont. still saying
that they will soon be able TO manufacture
iron successfully without any protection at
oil. They never would DO satisfied. He
considered a. one Of the worst features Of
our protective tariffs, the fact that they re
suited in crowding our eastern towns with
population, and thereby left the Western
lands untitled. Free traders had asked him
whether it was possible to organize free trade
with our present heavy national debt. He
thought it was. No person who had reflect
cd upon tho subject could have failed to see
that protective tariffs, by checking or pro
hibiting importations, drive from us trade,
and consequently diminished the revenue
derived from imports. On the other hand
. revenue tariff was established for the pur
pose Of inviting the importation Of foreign
manufactured goods lie maintained that
generally ten per cent. upon imports would
bring more revenue to the country than If
teen would, while fifteen would bring more
than twenty. and SO until, by an increase Of
the rate Of taxation, importation would be
prohibited aud no revenue would be collect
cd. This had been proved by adoption Of
low or revenue tariffs IN England and
france. Another question address,
ed to him had been--"What is the
necessity Of organizing Free Trade
Leagues ?" The answer to that he thought
was also obvious. II the antagonists Of
free trade were not organized, it would not
be necessary for its friends to organize. But
the manufacturers had their trade leagues
A prominent manufacturer, (Mr. Spaguc, of
Rhode lsland) was at the head ofthc Tariff
Committee in Congress. Congress was it
self, and long has been, a protective tariff
league. Mr.. Stern then explained the
manner in which the American Free Trade
League had been organized in New York,
where many OF the merchants had paid
large sums Of money to further its objects
1t was not, however, asked Of Western men
% contribute Of their means to support that
League. 1t would only be necessary for
them to organize and spend their money to
further the objects Of the League in the
West. They only wished Western men to
promulgste free trade opinions. To show
that this movement wa not connected with
any existing political organization, he sta
ted that while William Cullen Bryant a
Republican, was President Of the American
League, prominent mcn Of other and oppos-
ing parties were members, and active and
efficient in promoting its interests in New
York.
Malignant Chrfstfnms.
Some persons pride themselves on being
blunt, or as they call it. " honest )" but
blunt people do very little good to others,
and get little love to themselves. The
Scriptures recommend gentleness and kind
ness. There is nothing in all this world Of
ours half 80 mean IS vindictivc and ina