Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-25
Frec.Tradism as il Is.

as ~ rs
Congress has voted to abolish the duties on
tea aud coffee, and one Of our free trade ex-
changes describes this as ''the monopolists
triumph" but free-tradeTs usually say one
thing and mean another. This measure passed
the house, some time ago; the free-traders have
sought desperately to defeat it in the senate,
but it now has the endorsement Of that body by
a vote of IS to IS. Nevertheless, the senate
voted on it as an amendment to senate bill;
therefore. the question must go to the house
again. before it can be finally settled. The
measure is opposed and Iibeled by extreme
free-traders, because it is not in lie interest of
British manufacturers and their immediate al
lies in the commercial cities. These free-traders
would retain the duties on tea and coffee; they
care nothing for cheapening such common
necessaries OF life which are not produced in
this country; their whole aim is to benefit En-
slish manufacturers, by substituting their
goods, in the market, for those manufactured
here. They would stop our factories without
scruple in order to give their business TO the
English and bring more profit to importers;
but they oppose abolishing duties on tea and
coffee which will benefit "the million" without
interfering at all with our manufacturing inter
ests.
Those who think will sec in this fact signii-
cant illustration of the spirit, aims, and British
inspiration of free-tradism, 1t seeks one thing
only,-the freedom of our markets for English
manufactures. 1t would transform this country
into a commercial province of England, and
corfne the tariff to tea, coffee, and other articles
in common use, which our country does not pro-
duce. Its advocates quarrel with every measure
which fails to serve their purpose, and show
favor 10 no proposition which does not give En-
sIish monopoiists control of our markets. They
are eager to uphold the English starvation sys-
TEN of WAGES, and use it to destroy our very
different system; but they are not willing to
have tea and coffee admitted into the country
duty free. There are few impractical, dream
Ing idealists among the free-traders; but most
of them are the special attorneys of importers
and of the great manufacturing aristocrats of
England. This crusade against our protective
system comes chiefly from England. We take
the following from a speech delivered at Great
Falls, n. H., last month, by Senator Wilson:
at was my privilege last summer to spend a
few weeks in England. | hardly heard any
thing else there but complaints Of our tariff
If went to dinner party, or me. Englishmen
on shipbOard or anywhere, they had much TO
say about our eXOrbitaut rates of duties. En-
glish importers, German importers, French i'm
porters, all berate our rates of duties. These
identical documents that the democrats are cir
culating in New Hampshire are not paid for by
the democratic party, but by men who want to
take care of foreign interests rather than our
own. tApplausc.)
81 asked these men abroad what they wanted.
WHY they said, 'we want to sell more goods
in your country ! had no doubt of that.
They said, 'YOn are a great agricultural coun-
try; you ought to raise agricultural products,
and we ought to make the manufactured arti-
cles.' 'Well,' | said, i find that you bought
thirty-two million dollars worth Of wheat
last year, and only eight millions of il
in the United States. | find that YOU
bought millions of dollars worth of corn, and
onya few thousand dollars of il in the United
States" | asked them if they would give up
their agriculture if we would give up our manu-
features, and they said their agriculture was
worth a great deal more than their manuac-
tures They came right to the point, for they
could tell the truth on the subject in England:
their friends do not like TO tell IT here. They
said, "1he price OF labor is too high in the
United States. You pay too much for labor. II
has bad effect 1t causes a great many Of our
laboring people 10 go to the United States to
seek better wages; il makes those discontinued
40 TclUtll al lolilCs llON lilSuOi
and VIC have had 10 pay higher wages in this
country this year than ever before" 'Wen," /
said, '.that does not hurt my feelings a great
deal. ! am very glad they get good wages in
the United States rejoice that the toiling men
and women over here are getting Setter wages.
This is an accurate presentation of the whole
question The English aim to destroy our
manufacturing industry, take away employment
from the vast number of onr people employed
in factories and shops, and make us entirely de
pendent on them foreverything but agricultural
products; they seek to break down our system
of good wares, which operates to destroy their
starvation system; and a few people in this
country are willing to aid them in this work.
f'You pay wor&iugmen too much; it has bad
effect" Who can fail to see what this signifies?
And who can be willing TO aid this English
conspiracy against American industry and
American workingmen, by encouraging British
federalism? The welfare Of our own people,
and of millions OF British and other European
workingmen, requires us to oppose this con
spiracy. Oar system Of wages, they say, COM
pals them to pay higher wages in England
Wei, let us keep tin operation until wages in
that country shall be as high as they ought to
be.