Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-11-12
Free Trade League Movements.

Free TRADE League Movements.
The fourth report Of the American Free
Trade League has been published. showing
that since last June it mas distributed BY
its colpcrteurs a great number Of tracts !;
and in the last eighteen months It has held
ono hundred and ninety public meetings,
aud has expended upon these meetings and
for free trade tracts, about sixty thousand
dollars.
The League has reprinted, under the
title of " Sophisms of the Protectionists, !"
the transactions of the Sophismes Econ
omiques" Of Bastiat by Horace White, in
cheap form, and the demand for it has
been excellent. It is a. volume in paper
and is for sale at the very low price Of 30
cents per copy, or 81 per one hundred CO.
pies to the trade. It is furnished by the
League at half its cost, in order that the
chcapness of the book may enable every
inquirer to purchase it.
The object Of the League up to this time
has been to force the tariff question into
politics by means of popular agitation,
engendered by systematic distribution of
tracts, and series Of public meetings thro'-
out the Northern States. With the COOP
Grafton Of the free trade press and the val.
liable aid afforded by the exhaustive report
of the Hon. u. A. Wells, this primary OBJ.
ject has been attained. The country re-
sounds with the discussion; nominations
for Congress in the West now greatly de.
pend upon the record or the opinions Of
the aspirants on the tariff question; and in
Missouri, the existing division in the Re.
publican party has been largely caused by
the tariff question.
In every Northern State where conven-
tons have recently been held the Demo-
cratic party has declared for revenue tariff
and condemned protection, while the Re-
publicans of Mainc,s connecticut, Illinois,
Missouri and Indiana have done the same
in moderate degree. -
IN several Congressional districts there
have been open OBJECTIONS of large bodies
Of voters, where protectionist candidates
have been nominated.
Although no changes in the tariff were
made by the last Congress that free traders
can approve of, except the numerous addi.
tions to the free list, yet it was apparent,
says the report, to any close observer of
the temper Of the House and its votes in
Committee Of tho Whole, that the protec.
zionist doctrines Of Kelly and Mccarthy
were secuted, and the strength of the party
broken. The large majorities which voted
for great reduction in the duties on salt
coal, pig iron. and other petted industries,
show this. Nothing but parliamentary
tactics, tho cunning Of Gen. Schenck, and
the trickerics of the protectionist majority
of the Ways and Means Committee, saved
these monopolists. Votes of the House
instructing the Ways and Means Commit
tee to bring in bills reducing the duties on
coal and salt, were smothered by that com
mittec, and the party necessity which the
Republicans were under to reduce taxation
was availed of by that champion Of odious
monopolics, Gen. Schenck, to secure in
creased duties on some articles, particularly
on steel rails. By lacking to the end o.
the internal tax bill tariff bill, in which
were large additions to the free list, Gen
Schenck was able to secure the passage o.
q few enhanced duties. No separate vot.
on the tariff portion of the bill was allowed
q Republican must record himself as having
voted against the reduction of taxation, o.
give his vote for an increase of duty on
few articles. In this way, by trickery, thu
protectionists succeeded in obtaining 8
petty success, while in the Committee O
the Whole, where manly open contes
was possible, Gen. Schenck's protectiv,
tariff was riddled and beaten. The question
divides parties, unmakes and makes politi
clans: There is probably no newspaper
that has not more or less completely taker
sides upon it. The House of Representa-
tiyes discussed it for the greater part O
three months, and in fair struggle thu
protectionist tariff Of Gen. Schenck wa'
thrown out, and great free trade move
ment has been started among the people
the result Of which no intelligent observe,
Of the changes already effected in public
opinion doubts. 20.
VANCOUVER NEWS.-We Gather from