The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-22
A YEAR OF FREE-TRADE AGITATION.

From the N. Y. World
The growth of free-trade principles during
the past year has been in startling contrast to
the indifference upon the subject which had
prevailed since 1860. The EV0rEd and some
other public journals all along bore testimony
to the truth that freedom of exchange is the
right of every American, and is essential to
prosperous national growth. But for weary
years it was but too evident that all we could
say upon this subject was as ''the voice of
one crying in the desert, " so few were those
who seemed to care either for their own
interests or the rights of their neighbors in
this matter. The most unanswerable proofs
of the national folly of "protection" were
apparently unheeded; nor was any greater
attention seemingly excited by appeals ad-
dressed to the sympathies of the benevolent,
pointing out the needless burdens imposed
upon the poorer classes for the benefit of the
protected" monopolists.
1t is but little over a year since Commits
sioner Wells was still an avowed protection
ist. The language which he then publicly
used would now sound equally strange to his
friends and to his enemies. 1t is scarcely a
year since Massachusetts was thought to be
irreclaimably welded to protectionist falla-
cies. To-day the proposed extortions of Mr..
Schenck's new tariff bill are denounced by
| the leading Massachusetts, newspapers; and
Boston even has done something in the way
| of an organized movement for tariff reform
thus rendering to the free trade cause assist
ance which has been all the more appreciated
| as coming from O quarter whence so little
help was expected
But while there has been this marked ad-
vance during the year, it is still more instruo-
tive to note the change that has taken place
within the last few months. One of our
leading newspapers, whose pride it is to play
the weathercock to popular breezes, said last
fall that free trade was good subject for
debating societies, but was a question of no
real practical Importance. AT that time no
one, however sanguine, would have thought
it possible that, within SO brief period as
has since elapsed, such resolutions as those
proposed in Congress by Mr.. Marshall, Of
illinois, could receive the vote which they
did. That the pIotectionists should only
have been able to count majority of eleven
votes against these resolutions-that such 8
slim majority was the best that could be mus
tered by the advocates of monopoly, sc
lately all powerful-this victory has been felt
by them to be equivalent to a moral defeat
: We have pointed out a few of the more
striking signs of the change which has
; occurred; but every one of our readers will
J probably be able to recall other illustration
, of it from his own experience. The altered
tone of public sentiment is so great tina
? none can have failed to note some of its indi
cations. r..rl...H .If r.sL... s..
For this happy revolution in opinion, free
traders are largely indebted to the persisten
{ and most successful labors of the Americai
4 Free Trade League. Its managers have dis
t charged the trust which they took upon them
selves in a way which deserves the thanks 0
) the community. The disinterested publ
Q spirit which has induced these leading citi
Q zens of New York to devote 30 much of thei
$ time to this work and to give so largely Q
. their means, deserves and should receiV
Q from all an ample recognition as well as libt
!, raj support.