New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-12
FREE TRADE vs. PROTECTION.
DISCUSSION BETWEEN HORACE GREELEY AND
PROF. PERRY AT BOSTON.

in Music Hall to hear the discussion OF free trade and pro-
lection between Prof Perry and Horace Greeley. The
Professor opened the discussion by saying: "Ihe sub
iect Of free trade separated from those other subjects
which are often thrown around 1t to confuse IT, makes 1t
annual 10 common sense and relies the healthy assent
which never fails 10 elicit from appropriated under
subject of taxation Free trade has nothing TO object to
any form OF legitimate taxation not even TO customs du
assert nothing else but taxation shall hide under
cover OF taxes that all taxes shall be levied taxes;
mar the Government shall get all the people
made TO pay and that these taxes shall be open and above
ANYHOW The only source from which taxes possibly
be paid the gains OF the peoples exchanges Az
great collector Government is interested IN having
proftabc as possible 50 fhat the fractions Of the
gains which it takes to itself in shall be as
large as possible. Any interference with trade
made necessary by considerations Of public
Stopping the renting of unit houses or tho sale Of unfit
food has nothing whatever IN conflict with inc doctrine
strans restraints that can be defended the score
of public morals, do we attack We attack, and God
wiling shall overthrow those other restraints in trade
that claim for themselves an economical benefit that
profess to be able work the financial miracle Of making
profitable the stoppage of profitable commences that dare
appear among the people In their own nature as re-
straius but wrench word out of honest English with
winch to up that nature; that would not stand
minutes chance under an appropriate designation but
designation Of protection Let that word in that be
forever accused becauset is fraud because 1t is lie
in" Every trade involves two persons, aud virtually
only twO each of whom tenders to the other something
esteemed Each person has satisfied want OF the other
and has had his own want satisfied a a
opportunities among men introduced these exchanges at
e S od will az thus expressed
that men shall trade and trade increasingly 30 natural
is il TO trade, artificial and impertnent are resc-
tions that the system socaed protection"
heard OF In the ancient world Protection is o very
modern delusion The gifted Greek never lighted on II
even in his speculations the practical Romans as good
citizens ever lived, whose armies conquered the world
and whose laws hold II conquered never thought OF
the cities middle grew rich in ignorance OF a.
The Athenans. indeed sometimes forbade the export OF
hgs and the Romans sometimes OF corn and the middle
ages had their Guilds but any system of protection as
applied TO foreign trade was not theirs The Greek tariff
onehaf per oentum for Protection. properly,
begun in the English Navigation law OF 1900, and in the
Protection is 200 years old rather would be II the
ton that developed it had not long since cast 1t of In
perpetual in maintaining it. France, where the
people do not govern sun e9S part anI TO- te
winds, and even Russia about relaxing her commercial
letters natural is 1t to trade that one thinks OF
applying restrictions within the country itself Massa
chusetts exchanges products with Louisiana With
with Canadai The benefits of an exchange de.
pend in no degree upon the accident that
Just natural to trade with foreigner provided he
wants to trade with you, is with fellow citizen, aud
down But the theory Of protection thrHsts itself in and
says: "You shall not take those commodities OF foreign
at the cheap rate at which they offer them to you
| you take them you must pay for them great
deal more than the owners ask for them. great deal
for the sake of taxation order that certain other
parties may have chance 10 sell similar commodities AT
but expedien TO make what naturally cheap artl
feialy dear Protection necessates loss losssbegns
the moment protection begins and continues until pro-
lection ends Let suppose free trade TO exist does
not compel anybody to trade with foreigners It does
not even recommend anybody 10 trade with foreigners
1t simply allows anybody TO trade with foreigners pro-
yided ne nnds ~ PonaPe 10 40 TO- wh eo
citizens by throwing usually greater cost OF transpota
ton across the path OF foreign trade ana ~ 10 oy ~en
nd dad
cost OF transportation that foreign traffic comes into
native finding a market for his commodity with the
foreigner and the foreigner finding market for his com
for Svernment to thrust in protective duty shutting
the foreigner out and what ia the thing shutting
eVftabIS gain. Gain destroyed IS loss incurred and
this loss IS an uncompeDsated loss-a dead loss
lave the disturbance OF the existing channels OF trade
the immense expenses OF surveillance smuggling me
merchants say, one lately said TO me, THE Govern
ment treats US as we were seS OF I Inc hE
mlnshed by the stimulus which has been appned 10 one
part the vital force 10 stimulate with having been
withdrawn from other paris the stimulus ltSeli Is soon
exhausted Protected interests are always clamorous
for protection We have had eleven different acts
since 1851 and are already threatened with another aud
could expect but losses from system that pro
fesses to be wiser than nature is that claims to be
able TO lay burdens so cunningly that the burdens
themselves, become positive productive agentsome.
thinks It appOron the motives and distribute the re-
wards Of industry better than natural law can do It,
/
acknowledged at length that 1t losing system for
them from first 70 last England did not abandon pro
profitable that could last dispense with but be
the thinkers who were allowed to guide her pubic
had demonstrated that protection always loss
and always would be- aud because practically III accord
with those demonstrations there was an increasing
deficit in her annual budget which her statesmen did not
know how TO but which covered under the lead
OF Robert Peel who was himself under the lead OF Adam
Smith, by revenue increasing through remission OF
duties We raise less than five dollars per capita by our
tariff England raises four without friction and
Will pnm
TO protection r. that 1t violates natural right
but outright tde right to sell Nothing ia pcpery that
be Sold and everything is property that can be bought
a man has a natural right TO sell whatever property is
his OWL whether 1t be service commodity If nation
will not buy it cannot sell since buying and selling Ia
RECIPROCAL act Now law that makes II more difficult
man sell his property robs him Of that property
1t property only as he can sell IT, III he lie now Obliged
10 sell 1t for loss, part Of his property Is destroyed
But protective duties are designed 70 prohibit citizens
TO sell In cheaper market They designed TO cut OFF
part OF foreign commodities which would otherwise be
and thus these commodities lose their best market that
IT, they lose part OF their value that u.s. their owners
millions in the form Of honest taxes but never with our
consent one frscGn Of any mans property under the
he buy and sell 10 do this ~ an outrage Inc Gov
eminent is not wise enough 70 90 IT, ana never VIII DC;
And this leads me TO say that there are two classes OF
prOtectonists: those who are measnraDy honest ana
t trOsS "T With Mr. Greeley IT, as appTeIend it
that he has got entangled In some half dozen words
ana one OF tnesc WOIus 10 pIOttCIOH. M WIN ~
sounds well; word IL is associated In our minds with
security OF property But look beneath the work and
you find that the word 10 not properly descriptive OF the
thing Restriction describes IL more justly Instead OF
being anything positive II Is something negative. In
stead OF creating anything 10 destroys something In
stead Of being beDe1cent power IL Is gigantic per
centum TO be paid. Another word is " home Industry
Nothing lie more comnendabe than home industry, and
ii strikes great many points that the way ~ encourage
demand and not to cut off that demand by legal restro
ton. Home industry "a abundsnty able TO take care OF
itself IL the Government will take its grip of from II.
unrd "a 81 infa man
have infancy they either turn out produce or they
do IL they turn products there maturity, and
nothing In infancy Massachusetts began 70 make cot.