The New York herald., 1871-03-09
FREE TRADE AND THE COAL CON PIRACY.

Lecture by James w. Gerard, Jr., Before
the William M. Tweed Association Of the
Eighteenth WarG.
lecture was delivered last evening at the rooms
Of the above association, by James w. Gerard, J
the subject OF "Free Trade"
MIR. w. II. Mulhall, the chairman OF the associa
tion introduced the lecturer in a very neat speech,
stating that the meeting was called for the purpose
Of free interchange Of opinions with reference TO
the present wants and future condition and priy-
leQes OF the laDoring class.
Mr. GERARD, coming forward said:-Mr.
Chairman and Fellow CltlZens-It gives me great
pleasure to see you meet here this evening and to
discuss with me the much-abused privileges OF the
mechanical and industrial classes OF this nation
We are met here to canvass as citizens as thinkers
and voters and to meet the great questions that
will be presented to us In the next five years. They
are questions which are vital to every poor man In
this country. You are here as Political reformers
You are the ones to meet these grave questions.
THE GREAT QUESTION
which we will discuss tins evening is the exorbltant
price Of coal, which has been raised to such high
price by scheming monopoles and gigantic corpora
lions that the poor laboring class Of the country
cannot afford to purchase it, thereby causing misery
and sickness, and perhaps death. This exraOrd
nary tax is for the sole benefit Of these monopoles
and is injurious to not only the poor man, but to
the community at large and to the laborer
at the mines. II you reduce this tax on
foreign coal the mOnopolies and brokers will cry it
down and raise the tax again. American industry
must be protected; ii not the labor interest viii
suffer- But Claim that whatever little protection
Door man has az present from the tricks OF these
base cOnspira tors does not protect MN enough We
want more protec&on. All great changes are brought
about by the popular Will OF the people, and all
great reforms have had their origin III the will OF
the masses. They not brought about by stateS-
men nor Dy monopolles, but BY those who feel the
ENORMOUS TAXATION.
LOOK at the great Reform I'LL, and the Roman
Catholic ana the Jewish acknowledgements IN Eng
land There was great pressure OF outside opin-
brought to bear against the passage of the
above acts but even the House OF Lords had to bend
to the voice OF the masses II has been estimated
on good authority that this tarirr monopoly
have made some $30,o0o0O0 by the en-
hanced price Of coal in the last lew months.
This money does not 90 INTO the pockets
put into the nands Of a few wealthy corporations,
who are thereby enabled to brlbe congressman and
parties high In Office to Keep this exorbitant tax on
foreign coal standing They are also enabled by the
same means to cooperate with those In the pig iron
interest ana the salt interest," thereby enabling
interest to sustain the other, and to establish an
extra band OF consplrators, by which these prices
1t has oeen said that Horace Greeley is the active
OPPOSITION TO FREE TRADE.
Why don't these free traders set up their tariff
so that we can attack 1t, or, as Paddy says, "Wnen
you see head hit IT, have advocated the priv
eges OF Tree trade at large. You have now, my
friends, the strict and stern logic facts; 1t has
come in plain, in umistakable signs, TO your fire.
sides, to your homes. You find that since the pro-
vision has been introduced shutting out foreign
coal there have been three large strikes. aud
by these strikes, which have been brought
about by these monopoies: the cOmlnu-
nifty has Afered, the laborer Is oppressed
and his wages reduced. There is in this country
what Is called Miners Protective Union, the presl-
dent Of which, aided by some Of the other officers,
conspired with the menopolles for the purpose oil
THESE LATE STRIKES
You can now see the great danger which we are in
from these great corporations They c0nspne to
raise strike and they then get the price raised
coal which has been already mined, ami they DEFY
the miner and the public. And this Is protection
This has been felt by class who have the
power to stop 1t. The remedy Is to re-
peal the duty Oh coal, and then we would
have q new era, the labOring class would
thereby be greatly benefited. Another remedy IS
that there should he some law passed either by
Pennsylvania or Congress to prohibit this c0mbina
ton in mining and carrying and IL should be liked
SO as TO prevent an unlawful conspiracy. This
would have to be brought about BY public senti-
ment The masses must show them by your action
in the matter that you can prevent It, and you can
dc it II you unite. These questions are vital;
and consider them WELL 1t was IN compliance with
your worthy president that came here this evening,
and my object las to raise the political standard ol
the people.
AT the conclusion Of the lecture Mr. Spell
man offered the following resolution, which was
adopted
Resolved That approve the action OF those members OF
Congress tariff foreign coal and
that invite all citizens unite with expressing an
opinion favorable to the reduction OF the same.