The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-11
THE MODERN FREE TRADE PLAT
FORM

early edition.
THE MODERN FREE TRADE PLAT
FORM
AMONG the questions which will be decided
in great measure by the Congressional cleo
tions held to-day in Pennsylvania, Ohio. In
diana, Iowa, and Nebraska, the most impor-
tant to this community are those which relate
to the future policy of the country respecting
the adjustment of impost duties. Many per-
sons suppose that the cause of protection can
in no event be seriously endangered. They
argue that the necessities of the national
treasury will require onerous taxation for
many years, and that as a large portion of
this taxation will inevitably be imposed
on imported goods domestic manufactures
must continue to be well protected in any
event. But the leading free-traders of the
country are not willing topermit the domestic
industries to derive any indirect advantages
whatever from the pressure of the public
debt. They avow unyielding opposition to
the doctrine of incidental protection which
was formally endorsed by the Democratic
party. They propose to levy imposts exclu-
sively on articles which are not and cannot
conveniently be produced in this country, so
that every domestic manufacturer may be left
in as exposed and helpless a condition
as if absolute free-trade prevailed.
Their beau-ideal is tariff like
that now existing in Great Britain, which
draws a revenue of more than hundred
millions of dollars per annum from only ten
articles, viz, chicory, coffee, currants, raisins
tobacco and snuff, spirits, sugar, tea, and
wine-scarcely one of which is produced, in
appreciable quantities, on British soil. The
leading free.trade agitators are constantly
endeavoring to approximate as closely as
possible to this model, and from time to time
they devise and publish proposed American
tariffs by which they endeavor to make it
appear that by imposing heavy taxes on
such articles as coffee, tea, sugar, molasses,
foreign fruits, Cuban tobacco, silks, fancy
goods opium, brandy, and wine, the amount
of revenue required from imports can be
obtained without giving particle of incl
dental protection to our manufacturing in
'dustres.
Practically the free-trade agitation has
therefore assumed more threatening aspect
than at any former period in our national
history. 1t has become dangerous not only
on account of its extremely arrogant demands
but because it has induced nearly the entire
Democratic party outside of Pennsylvania to
endorse its fatal doctrines, and at the same
time secured the aid of some of the Western
Republicans. Its managers are MAX
ing desperate exertions to obtain
working majority in the next Congress, and
while they confidently expect to secure the
n1a af
every diversified American industry, they
hope to be able to kill outright many of the
most important industrial enterprises of this
country, so that their clients or masters in
Great Britain may re-establish their CONNER
cial supremacy in the United States.
The complete triumph of this scheme
would speedily result in irretrievable ruin,
and its partial successes can be attained only
by inhicting vital injury on American pros
perity. To Philadelphia and Pennsylvania,
free trade, or the sort of free trade which the
enemies of protection now openly advocate,
would be especially injurious. A foreign
enemy landing on our shores could scarcely
do us more injury than that which will in
evitably flow from the enforced suspension
of operations in our furnaces, forges, rolling
mills, workshops, and manufactures; and as
this dangeris seriously threatened, we hope that
men of all parties, after the election is over,
will unite in demanding from the newly
elected Representatives the utmost fidelity
and zeal in behalf of protection. The back
bone of new Democratic members, especially,
should be strengthened. Their partisan col
leagues from all other portions of the country
will be radical free-traders, and their votes in
Congress on collateral, if not on direct, issues
will constantly be solicited by the enemies of
Pennsylvania industries. These men should,
therefore, all be made to feel that neglect Of
the interests of the State will be deeply re-
sented, and that they cannot yield for one
moment to the Establishments to which they
will be subjected at Washington without be-
ing called to account by indignant consti-
tuencies.
eTHE WORK of converting citizens unaccus-
toned to the use of arms into effective sol
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