Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-03-16
WHAT FREE TRADE MEANS.

to accept the terms offered them by the
masters"
The above is a dispatch received by the
Daily Sacramento Union from London,
March 7th. What a world of commen-
tary is suggested by this simple statement
upon the Free Trade policy advocated by
divers journals, the Union being among
the number. A Free Trade policy on the
part of the United States means unre-
stricted competition between American
manufacturers and those of England and
all other countries. As the dispatch fit
tingly expresses, it is a struggle betwixt
the operatives and their masters. Eng
land is the great advocate of Free Trade.
Her superabundant population, clouds oi
shipping, accumulated wealth and abso-
lutte mastery over the laboring classes,
possessed by her capitalists, enables that
country to defy competition in manufac-
turing pursuits. That it can be seriously
conteuded that American labor should be
compelled to compete with Europe, or
that it would be advantageous to us as a
nation, seems to us incomprehensible.
No one is benefited except the commits
sion merchant through whose hands the
imported goods pass.
The argument advanced by Free Trad
ers as the most unanswerable one, tina;
manufactured articles imported from a
broad are cheaper than they can be man
ufactured in this country and that a
consequent saving to consumers results
from permitting free competition between
American and Foreign manufactures is q
complete fallacy. " Buy in the cheapest
and sell in the dearest MARKET" is an old
and approved maxim. In arriving at the
truth as shown by profit and loss account
every other account must be footed up
and balanced. The yearly profits cannot
be determined by the cost Of the various
articles purchased, but depends altogether
upon the difference betwixt the amounts
received and expended. The price Of any
article is fixed by no arbitrary law Of ma
ture or of nations. Just in proportion as
the laborer's wages increase or diminish,
his ability 10 pay others is enlarged or
lessened. The difference betwixt income
and outgo shows the profit or loss. As it
would be with an individual, so it is with
the American nation in its dealings with
other nations. When we sell more than
we buy we are the richer, but when we
buy more than we sell we are poorer. To
illustrate: The financial distress which
affected the United States in 1858 was
anticipated and predicted for the obvious
reason that for seven years previous our
imports exceeded our exports S5l ,000,0 ,00C
per annum. The yield Of gold from the
Pacific Coast and the sale of railroad
bonds in Europe delayed the crisis fol
some time. But pay day surely comes,
and at last the drain Of specie told on the
business Of the country. We recuperated
mainly by reducing our purchases Of for
eign productions. Bullion, dug from
American soil, enabled us afterwards to
enter upon our former career of extrava-
gance. SO it has been and so it will be
always. 1t is settled by all political econ
omists that the nation producing or pur-
chasing and manufacturing the raw ma
terial is enriched from its customers.
For years the Cotton States were fore
most in support of Free Trade policy; they
supplied the main article Of export and
claimed the benefit ofthe privilege to "sell
in the dearest and buy in the cheapest mar
ket." Now comes the Mobile Register,
unquestionably one of the ablest expo
nents of the Cotton States, and referring
to II lecture delivered by Professor Mark
Newman before the Georgia State Agri-
cultural Society, endorses its statements
in common with several other leading
newspapers. The substance of Newman's
lecture consisted of an array of figures to
show that the cotton crop Of Georgia, il
manufactured at home, would realize to
the State $50 100000 more than could be
obtained for the raw material, being sew
eral times as much as the cotton crop OF
Georgia would sell for in the bale. Now,
figures are said not to lie, and what does
this teach ? Simply that England and
France, in particular, and foreign coun-
tries generally, have been growing rich
at the expense of the American people.
To bring the matter within the obser-
walton Of all, white laborers on the Pa
cliic Coast cannot compete with the Chi
nese. Mongolians fill the places Of cooks
in our hotels, are found doing house work
in private families and supplant white
men in the mines, because they will work
for much less. The matter being thus
brought home, the protection of white
labor against the Chinese has become an
important, and we may say controlling,
question in the politics Of this State. We
believe in protecting American labor, and
we shall contend for the laboring man to
the end. If anything was lacking to fill
us with supreme disgust for the Demo-
cratic party organized on this Coast, the
attitude Of the party on the Chinese ques-
ton would fill the BILL" The "croolled
shin " and long heel of the African
being played out, they pick up the Chi
naman. Embryo statesmen of this polit-
ical faith tout Herod Herod /" in portray
ing the wrong done to the Caucassion by
the immigration of the Chinese. The
English language is exhausted to feeling
ly inquire how would you like to see
your sister walking arm in arm with a
Chinaman, or witness your wife waltzing
with native Of the Flowery Kingdom" 4"
SO far as the social aspect of the matter
is concerned, such silly trash deserves
nothing but COntpmpt Tho ory oP tlo