The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-06-13
The Free Trade Meeting at stelaEay

The Free Trade Meeting at steiGEay
Hall.
! NEW YORK, May 30.-A meeting
/ OF free traders was held 1t Steinway
/ Hall, tonight, TO take counsel in
| reference to the Cincinnati cOnveu-
I ton. William Cullen Bryant presi-
ded, and about 1000 persons were
/ present. Charles II. Marshall, Sec
| retary, read 4 list OfS4 e-Presidents
among whom were Stuart Brown,
/ Oswald Ottendorfer, Theodore ROOse-
! welt, Chas. O'COnor, Hon. John a.
/ Dix, s. d. Babcock, MahlOn Sands,
P. LOrillard, W. w. Sherman, OF
Sherman, Duncan & Co., Samuel
/ Mclean, of Brooklyn, &c.
The Chairman in a brief opening
| address, said our revenue laws have
grown into a system of gross abuses.
-Four out of every five wise men
would pronounce them oppressive
and a burden on the community.
| The people ara now determined, and
/ it would be dangerous for any pOliti-
cal party to disregard the demand to
put aside the indirect taxes which
are so burdensOme.
The Secretary, c. II. Marshall, read
a letter to Mr.. Bryant, signed by J. ID.
| Cox, George HOadly, and numerous
others in Cincinnati, asking either
that the meeting tonight nominate
candidates for President and Vice
President, or that a meeting of repre-
sentative men be called, not later
than the 26th of June.
Mr.. Sands then read a series of
resolutions as follows:
"ResOlUed, That, with the disap-
pearance of political. issues arising
out of the institution of slavery and
resulting from the war which slavery
entailed, the need has made itself felt
among thoughtful men of both par
ties for a governmental policy based
on the material interests of the cOun-
try, and contemplating broad practi-
cal reform in the collection of the
revenue, the organization of civil
service, and in all branches of gov
eanment administration.
"ResOlUed, That with the general
relaxation of old party ties, and with
growing distrust felt toward profess
ional political leaders, the country
turns for counsel to independent
thinkers in the ranks of either party,
and therefore the late convention at
Cincinnati was regarded hopefully,
in the trust that it would lay down a
sound and adequate platform of prin-
clples, and would likewise nominate
a candidate whose freedom from all
associations of OdiOus political rings
and whose whole record on the ques-
tions Of the present and future should
give assurance that his election
would bring with it radical changes
for the better.
"ResOlUed, That both the platform
and candidate of the Cincinnati con-
vention have caused adeep disappOint-
ment in the mind of the community,
and have rendered impossible that
cooperation of all the reforming in
fiuences, without a union of which
success is impossible.
"ResOIUed, That the late conver-
ton at Cincinnati having been held
under a call which specified free trade
as one of its leading principles, and
that issue having been ignored in its
platform while the most prominent
protectiOnist in the country was
named as its candidate, no obligation
to support him rests on those free
traders who participated in the con-
ventiOn and under whose auspices
the convention was cOnvOked.
"ResOlUed, That those who have
labored in the past to redress the
wrongs, and to abolish the abuses of
our tariff system, should not permit
their exertiOns to be diminished by
the rebuff which they have met at
Cincinnati. On the contrary, the
present dissolution of former party
ties offers an opportunity for efforts
in many districts in which it has
heretofore been hopeless to attempt
to break old party lines on the ques-
ton of tariff reform.
"ResOlUed, That while thus prepar
ing for active contest in individual
congressional districts, we can not
forget that in a presidential campaign
the leading motive which guides the
course of many voters must be found
in the public character and record of
cadidates for the presidency. We,
therefore, call on all friends of free
trade, and kindred reforms, to unite
with us i'm efforts to secure the NOM
ination of a candidate who shall ade-
quately represent our principles and
further,
"PesolUel, That for this purpose
the President of this meeting be en-
powered to appoint a committee of
ten, which shall have power to add
to its number, and whose duty it shall
be to put themselves in cOmmunica-
ton, and to concert an effective CO.
operation, with all associations and
individuals having a like object in
view"
Prof. Perry, of Williams College,
criticised the qualifications of the
candidate for President, and intima-
ted there might soon be another can
didate in the field whose name might
also begin with @.
David A. Wells was received with
cheers, and in his remarks advised
the free traders to perfect their organ
ization, and be ready to strike with
effect. His disappointment at what
occurred at Cincinnati was deep and
bitter. People wanted better qualifi-
cations than splitting rails, wearing
white hats, mending old breeches,
and getting drunk occasionally.
Edward Atkinson said if Greeley
were President his meddlesome dis
position would lead to greater COM
plicatiOns than the present. What
could be expected from man whose
adviser, Henry G.. Carey, declared a
ten years war with Great Britain
would benefit this country more than
anything else, and TO whom all for
eign nations stand as enemies. If
the free traders want leaders they
have such men as Charles Francis
Adams Loud and repeated cheering, ]
VIM. S. GrOesbeck, Jacob d. Cox,
and VIM. G. Bryant.
! Addresses were also delivered by
Simon Sterne and Henry d. Lloyd.
The resolutions were carried, and the
following committee appointed to
carry out their objects; J. J. Cisco,
Royal Phelps, r. B. Minturn, Mahlon
Sands, Howard Patten, Alfred Pell,
II. D. Lloyd, Simon Sterne, G.. H.
Marshall, and E. r. Robinson.
Adjourned.
/