Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-30
ORGANIZED OPPOSITION TO AMER
lCAN INTERESTS.
WASHINGTON, April 9th, 1870.

WASHINGTON, April 9th, 1870.
There has been held recently in this
city meeting of persons from different
sections of the country, for the purpose
of organizing and stimulating efforts for
the dissemination of the doctrines of Free
Trade. Their ostensible designs are COW
cred by the plausible words-Rerenue
Reform. This reported gathering is but
one of the numerous manifestations of an
extensively organized movement for the
undermining and overthrow of the funda-
mental principles of political economy and
governmental science on which the pres
ent prosperity and future welfare of the
country substantially rest. Next to the
heresy of secession which cost the Repub-
lie such a stupendous expenditure OF blood
and treasure, justly may be regarded the
rampant notions of the Free Traders.
What potentially pushed secession into a
terrible reality with the American people,
was the substantial encouragement which
it received from France and England
the two leading manufacturing nations of
Europe inspired by the
wish to supply American markets with the
productions of their skill, labor, and cap
ital. Hoping the South through rebellion
would become an immense Free Trade
Confederacy to receive their manufactures
and return them at cheap rates the raw
material for their factories. these nations
gave Just the kind of stimulation to the
slaveocrats of the South to cause them to
inaugurate civil war for the dismember-
ment of the Union The war thus pro-
duced covered the land with graves and
brought upon the nation an immense debt.
To pay the expenses of the war produc-
ed by the European monopolists and Sc
cessionists, as well as to provide for neces-
sary expenses of government, a large
Tariff Revenue is unavoidable. This tar
if imposed on the productions of France
and England is having its marked effects in
building up manufactures, encouraging ag-
riculturc, and compensating labor in this
country, so that the European monopolsts
who aided so largely in creating our Ma
tonal Debt, are receiving the selt-inticted
retribution which they so justly deserve.
With their own hands they helped raise
the wall which is operating so bcneticially
for American skill and capital
Hoisted thus by their own petard, these
foreign capitalists now turn to the only al
tentative left them-which is to conspire
for the overthrow of the American policy
of Incidental Protection. The Importing
Interests are as readily and rapidly con-
centrated and organized for the propa
gandsm of Free Trade, as were the slave
holders for secession and civil war Tn
der the seductive guise of Free Trade
some excellent people are deluded and
misled by the foreign monopolists just as
many good citizens were carried away by
the plausible notions of State Rights.
And to-day these misguided individuals are
busy in their plans and efforts to place
American skill and labor on the precise
level with the half-paid skill and labor of
Europe. A propagandism more hostile
to American interests, more palpably at
war with the history and common sense of
the American people was never organized
and stimulated The narrow designs of
these advocates of Foreign Interests is OBJ
vious by the opposition they make to the
free importation of Tea and Coffee, none
of which is produced in this country-ar-
ticles which enter so largely in the living
expenses of the laboring masses.
These blatant advocates of Free Trade
are wonderfully consistent in not being
able 10 see ,chy tea and coffee should. be ad-
mitted free, which no Americans can pro-
duce, AS well as the productions of iron,
steel, cotton, and wool, which millions
of Americans wish to produce for the sup
ply of the markets of their own country.
Just so also these Free Trade propaganda
lists are indifferent or opposed to granting
subsidies to steamships lines and to the re-
mission of the duties on iron and other
materials which enter into ship-building.
They are hostile to all discrimination for
the protection of American interests They
would have everything move on the dead
level of their European nations.
That the present Tariff is imperfect,
that it needs notifications and the increase
Of the Free List is conceded by all friends
of Incidental protection. Made rs War
Tariff, at a time when it was thought nee
essary to tax everything to save the life of
the nation, it is not strange that it has
numerous imperfections. Let the Free
List be enlargedby all those articles which
do not come in competition with Ameri-
can production--let errors be eliminated
as they shall be shown by the experience
of the country but to the clamors of the
Free Traders and Foreign Importers, the
people of Maine and Of the Union should
as soon Weld as they should to the thun-