Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1869-04-30
MA Reform League, based upon the

MA. Reform League, based upon the
principles of Free Trade. has just been organ
lied at Boston. 1t numbers amongst its MEM
bers some of the most influential men in New
England. 1t opposes special legislation Of
every kind. 1t announces its belief in the
propositions that every man is entitled to the
results of bis own labor, to sell at will in the
nearest market AMI buy in the cheapest that
Government interference with the industrial
efforts Of the citizen is an Infringement of his
natural rights; that reciprocity of trade gives
to each nation, under system of mutual ex-
change, the greatest results from the least ex-
penditure Of toll; that all raw materials, ma
chinery, fuel and lumber, should be admitted
duty free; that such customs duties as it may
be necessary to impose, should be levied for
revenue exclusively and not for protection
that currency Of real value should take the
place of deprecated paper, and finally, that
Government appointments should be made
on the sole ground of fitness and not as the
reward OF parry SeTVICeS.
In New York, the Free Trade League has
also set vigorously to work in vindication oil
these doctrines, and at the West, and North
west, they are already accepted with ardor
by the Chicago Tribune, the Cincinnati Com
mercil and host Of minor journals. At
Brooklyn, Henry Ward Beecher has openly
repudiated, at Free Trade meeting. the
heresy of high protective tariff which be
has he'll and maintained so long. The New
York Tribune snaps and snarls at the new
movement, sedulously avoids the publication
of the speeches made, and of the resolutions
adopted, but no longer charges that the League
is instigated by British gold.
All these things point to change. The
cry for reform comes from the Republican
ranks. The new converts to this old Demo.
cratic doctrine are Republicans-some Of then
Abolitionists of the deepest dye. They are
beginning to discover that protective tariff
works with shocking inequality; that it in
terferes with the rights of labor, enriches q
few, impoverishes many, breaks down oul
commerce with foreign nations, and checks
domestic industrial enterprises.
These are the lessons which they are learn.
ing-tardiy, it is true, but not less surely
The evils of which they now complain have
been wrought by their own party and, in nc
small measure, by themselves. The enormous
public debt which has furnished the excuse
for 50 much reckless legislation, is owing in
great part to the policy which they have sup.
ported, and the corruption they have foster
ed. Now that the burthen upon the people
is so great that they stagser under it; now
that they mutter here and there ominous
words of discomfort, and are demanding some
prompt and certain mode Of relief; even Bos-
ton begins to cry out: 1--WE must protect the
laborer. In so far as we tax bis tools. bis
fuel, his food, his clothing. we tax the process
by which he earns his wages. We must pro-
mote the policy of non-interference. We
must defeat copper tariff bills, Moorhead tariff
bills, wool and woolen tariff bills, Iron and
Steel Association tariff bills, and demand ol
dss 81 Sbisit5g lseenae At tie least
cost to the community"
These are brave words, and they indicate
that, at least, some members of the Republi.
can party are sick unto repentance. If they
are sincere in their good intentions, let them
prove their sincerity by first restoring to the
people Of the Southern States the rights Of
which they have been deprived. Let them
use all legitimate means to reinstate them in
a prosperous condition. 1t is in that section
that all the great staples Of commerce-cot-
ton, sugar, rice and tobacco-are produced,
and these constitute our main reliance in any
system of exchangeable commodities. As for
absolute free trade, the enormous public debt
has made that an impossbility. Under any
circumstances the taxes for revenue alone
must be heavy, and the most that the Reform
League can hope to do is to put stop to
special legislation and by tightening the bur-
then of taxation prepare the way for a re-
sumption of specie payments. If it succeed
in doing this, it will have accomplished a
good work.-Baltimore Gazette.