The New York herald., 1869-04-04
FREE TRADE, THE TRUE AMERICAN SYSTEM
Lecture by Professor Perry.

Arthur Latham Perry, Professor OF Political
Economy in Williams College, delivered lecture on
the above subject last evening at the Cooper Institute
before large audience. David Dudley Field pre-
sided and introduced the lecturer In few appropri-
ate remarks.
Professor Perry saidhe spoke that night unde the
auspices Of the Free Trade League. He came there
fore, to tell them their story. and in familiar
way 10 tell them what they wanted, whv
they wanted It, and how they expected to get 1t.
Cicero enumerated among the ties that bound men
togcther-De Repubttcd Hem Seytente-a thinking,
a living sentiment concerning a republic. Now,
there were certain things concerning this repub-
the S nsae e na ne who free
Selonscd @ dersns political oaanzatonsy; n t@sy
were a solid unit They believed that every protec.
tive duty, so called, should be totally and finally
what they wanted. They did not constitute "a a
political party; Perhaps they never should consti:
tSe political tic n party but they expected to control
that while they had stricken or the letters
S% Sesn the Of oss unSsara hSy hs% C
shackles around the commercial freedom OF thirty
s so n s aad no
had, OF late, forgotten and ignored the noble watch
word Of their early history and success. II any body
wanted TO know what would be the party OF
the future he thought he could tell. II would be
that party-whatever name 1t might bear-that
tie cry those three things-"A whole country, hard
money and free commerce" tApplause.) They
had objections to duties land In the name OF taxes
which were not destined TO realize revenue to The
government What we wanted was q system of tax
alton, both foreign and domestic, which would
interfere as little possible with what would other
wise be the ongoing OF the peoples industries lie
supposed three-fourths OF the commerce OF the
world to-day was under that system of Tree trade
which we wanted we only wanted that the United
states should keep in sympathy with the progress
Of the world and Keep step 70 the music OF the ma
a w yh had had In
country to a good degree already. They were not
innovators. They were conservators. A little over
England. which constituted little more than
third Third a., OF her gross revenue, was derived
II they chose TO enumerate them singIy:-Sugar
m0lasses, tea, coffee, wine, spirits, tobacco aud
snun A little over ninety-six and a half per cent
OF England's internal revenue was derived from
spirits and malt licenses, and while collecting her
revenue only at few points. yet II was difrused
over the whole community, and not as burdcnsome
TO the people as productive TO the crown Thus
England raised 1i2,000,000 annually by customs
revenue. Look at Germany with its 10000, 900 OF
industrious and enterprsing people, under the
nolveren. lie held In his hand the latest tariff OF
the lollverein-a tarifr that went into operation on
the LIST day or last June. The very highest rate OF
duty levied under this tariff ten per cent, while
the average was not much over-if anv-fve per cent
on goods Imported. The revenue from this five per
cent was greater than Germany ever received under
the Old government. The present United States tarf
ing Bag and yet IL was not so big the rates OF
duties assessed In it; ana cumbersome as It was II
was not so cumbersome and complicated as the
methods laid down In II for levying these duties
After referring to Belgium as another example, he
SAID that the United States was the only nation
that In the face OF principle and In spite
OF national examples, was taxing the back track
ping up debts like Peon upon Ossa-so high that
we could scarcely collect them ad pdtorem. We
wanted freedom of trade, because our present gov
ernment was essentially unjust and struck blow at
the right OF property We wanted II because the
present government was infamousy wastefu and
because the present government dscrimnated
against the poor and In favor of the rich and they
would go on keeping II before the people until
cess was triumphantly achieved.