The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-01-12


Nj. George odgsr has addressed enet1cr
letter to the Tlefs enthls question. repiy.n9
% q leader on she eSoleet IN TIA, paper. He
writes,
That have folt Il necessary 70 reply as all.
4 due 70 the fact that the working oen of
Grcaf Britain have last entered into the pcs.
session Of political power They are, n
may use the expression, a new element In
the state. and the question as % how they
may seek 90 influence Il is, no dcooi, mat.
ter OF great interest 70 the Ecnefnl public.
am anxious, also, 20 add somclhlnK % what
have alrsady sald. inasmuch a. lhc ques-
tlon of free trade 4 10 ~ a matter Of 1np1tmo
interest a. a commercial people. aud how The
working men stand affected to it win, b.
many persons, be taken as n mUasurc Of their
fitness for political power. On whatever
slde wc may stand. In such = discussion, the
matter In dispute can no1 9e oeefraicd.
Whether We shsll 20 on an trading people,
tying up the hands of our rivals In trade lest
they should compete dangerously via "a
aud having In return our own nanda tied up
by them Cor a Ike reason, or whether. trust
ing TO a lfeer intercourse, and The ultimate
larger advantages Of more liberal Inter
change of commodity, We shah lay aside the
hgainrcs BY which We have been cripplinE
each other. arn questions Of 100 much In
portance 10 allow Of any mistake or mlsconr
ccption, so far as the opinions Of any large
class OF the community are concerned.
felt this very strongh;s when read in your
first article that thli working classes, ~
represented In their trades unlons, arr pro
teetionists to a man.. especially when saw
that you meant to convey BY that the Idea
commercial policy. My letter wa polni=
blank denial Of this. I knew Il 10 Be aa far
away from the fact as Il was possible 20 get.
II you had said that Engilshmen were cow
ards 'slo a man because some Few Of them
prefer whole skin 10 the rlsk Of lighting IN
good cause; that irishmen ITO a man"
were assassins, because dispossessed tenants
sometimes shot down their landlords; or
that Scotchmen "to man. wore kil.s, be-
cause a few enthusiasts donned that garment
as a holiday decoration, You could not have
been further from the lact than you were Ia
making the charge you did against the mem
bers Of our trade associations. And now,
sir, ask you, In all fairness, whether you
were justified In meeting my denial a. you
did. You did not Insist that you were right
as 10 your fact; you did not point out In the
recorded on known proceedings OF working
men, anything to sustain your statement.
but you took my admissions as 20 the IN
easlness Of two or three trades which believe
they have suffered BY the French Treaty, and
put Il forward as proof that all working men
would at once rise mp In favor Of protection
II tull tNAt lul cu0l NAuN- IL AA@ NAAIIN WHNs
This Is no proof that working men are pro-
tectionists. Il Is merely an assertion a. 10
what they might be under certain clrcum-
stances; IN fact, Il Is rather a giving up Of
the statement to which l objected. But II
you will permit me to say 50, your new
ground Is quite as untenable as that you have
given up. Your presumed fact was mis-
take. Your conjecture ls, l think, nothing
better; and l say so for the following RIA
sons: We have seen Il repeated In the press
that our iron trade ls leaving ns through iof-
eign competition; that our English railway
builders, and Others, are getting
their engines aud castings from the Contf-
nent, In consequence Of the greater cheap
ness Of these articles II has been stated,
also, that carpentry work was regularly i'm
ported lnto England, 20 the great deirlmeut
Of our English carpenters and joiners. It's
certain, at any rate, that these trades have
been for a long time In bad condItiory apf7
L Il certain. also. that the men IN them hat8
The strongest unions In the country. Where.
however, ask, have either Of these trades
held any meeting to ask for protectloni
They have been In she very preeicament In
which you said they wonId cry out for pro
Nobody can stand up and say that they have
put themselves In the absurd position i'm
lgined by you, Of asking protection for
themselves at the expense Of others. One
more fact for which l can voucb, having
been personally concerned In Il. When,
ew years ago, through the fiscal arrange
nents Of Sir Robert Peel, the shoemakers Of
he West-end Of London were threatened By
severe continental competition. instead Of
lying TO the Legislature Of the country A.
skiing for protection, they met their mast.l8
md agreed with them to lower their wages
IN all fancy goods, that their employers
night have better chance Of holding their
round against this new competition, and al
he same time, lest they should not be able to
ustain such competition successfully them
elves, these very men, who had thus agreed
o reduce their wages, set apart portion Of
heir subscription to aid them In emlgntlon.
Fe did this, too, when France did not set In
spirit Of reciprocafion with us, a. / have
cen ms own work, and the work Of my
hopmates in n West-end establishment,
aken into the streets and soileG In the mud,
hat It might obtain entrance into France
rec Of duty. "Can Mr.. Odger. al this time
{ day." you ask, "hope 10 shirk the conciu-
lon that he and his are proteetionisis. by
lleging that all he wants L reciprocity -
o which / reply, / do not want 70 shirk
nything; my desire is TO meet all points Of
bjcction fairly aud frankly, and, therefore,
n this natter ! reply shus; When the
rench Treaty was entered Into, We might
ave gone Ia the direction Of protection, In
-eedom. But whichever direction We Sc
,cted, adjustment and regulation would
ave been necessary Reciprocity IN
let, would be as much needed under the
ne system as the other. Freedom Of trade,
protection In trade, are relative, not abso-
lte, terms, aud the mere exietCnce Of com
Iercial treaties, or whatever else such uu-
erstandings may be designated, leave no
oubt Of this. What mean b "reclproes-
p Is, that those who draw up commercial
eaties should do so In the Interests Of all
,nccrncd, aud should possess sn1lcient
n0wlcdge Of the matters they are dealing
ith, 10 secure those interests n fair pro-
ortions for all, dividing AZ the same time, In
ke manner, such disadvantages and incou-
sniences as may follow these expzrimcufal
lfional bargainlngs. am anxious to state
lese things row, that the Liberal poliiieians
England generally, may be assured that on
! great questions Of sound aud liberal
olicy, the working men, IN their mafses.
III Be on their side. We feel, now. that The
pportuuity Is open 20 ne for ias frss iius
make our cognfry nation inhabited b.
nited people, palriotIcaIly pursuing national
ierests, aud Of preventing Il any longer
TO Be 4 number Of distinct op-
1siBg classes, fighting for political power.
ID using il when obtained, IN an 6xcluslrd
I'd selfish spirit
Tru YoTro Ma q The r.erlod rnra fkn~a