National Republican., 1873-11-07

THE LESSON TO BE LRARNED FROM
GREAT BRITAIN.
The alarm In Great Britain, occasioned by
the evident change in tho tide OF business as
rega rds the commercial relations existing be-
tween that country ard the United States,
has provoked discussion Of proposition
TO return to the protective system. The con- |
tinucd rise In fuel and the consequent rlse In |
ynlues Of manufactures has had, and still |
has much to do with this, for tho simple rca- |
son that the laboring classes, already living |
at starvation rates, feel the gradual dcpres-
sion OF their circumstances go forcibly rs TO |
demand reform more earnestly than ever be-
fore. This Is particularly true OF farm la-
borcrs, and as consequence the farmers
utter cries Of distress. The increased cx'
pcnsc Of living Is the banc OF every class,
but now that the wealthy manufacturers be- |
gin to feel II, aud to SEQ that their prestige In
The control OF the worlds markets iswanlng,
the entire community Is awakened to the ne |
cessity Of radical changes in the aduinistra-
ton Of affairs. But the protective system to |
which We refer Is not Of the kind regarding |
which We hear 90 much In this country. The |
meaning Of the term would be better under |
stood II the word restrictive were used, as II
Ia the intention OF the manufacturers 70 pro-
hibit the expectation Of cereals. The theory
is, that TO reduce the cost Of living IL Is no
ccssary to reduce the price Of brcadstuhs.
This, they argue, can be accomplished by
| legislation to prevent tho expectation OF
farm products, and the consequent over
stocking of the market. It requires but little
Knowledge Of the agricultural resources OF
the country, however, TO convince one that
this theory Is lmpractlcable. England Is
[ already customer Of foreign countries In
the purchase Of breadstuffs, and, although
her products may at times find their way
into foreign markets, the balance OF
trade has for years been against her.
Il IL, therefore, apparent that the
suggestion, founded though 1t may be on the
experience Of the rast, when In lT'3 Burke's
set prohibiting expectation rescued the
country from peril, is unavailable now. Free
trade has also failed, and the removal OF
Burke's restrictions, although 1t afforded re-
lief for while, docs not serve to alleviate
the present emergency. We cannot ignore
the startling truth, then, that Great Britain,
with all her immense resources, with all her
boasted power, and the prestige and erpe-
rience OF generations, has at last met the fate
which has overwhelmed other commercial
nations In lasting ruin, and to which 1t seems
EVERY nation Of the earth must sooner or
later submit. Il 10 the natural result Of the
aggregation Of wealth In the hands Of few
the ownership Of land by hereditary title, and
the monopoly Of manufactures by combina.
tions Of capitalists. In other words, while
the laboring men and the producers have
been compelled to serve the greed OF the
1 aristocracy and the moneycd kings Of The
4 manufacturing sections, tho stability Of citi
zensAip has been destroyed, and even th,
9 meagre opportunities Of the poorer classc,
I to mako living have been absorbed. In th,
a United States we need have no fears Of sucl
O consequences as the result Of our land sys
: TEN, for the boundlsss West affords tillag
a ground for millions yet to come. Rut are "
g not already beginning to suffer from tho az
II gregation Of moneyed monopolies2 It
u true that under our form Of representatlv
ID government tho manufacturing interests hay
D been subjected to competition for supremac.
9. with the agricultural interests, and that tn
70 result Of that competition has up to this tim
h prevented either interest from the usurps
= ton Of power to the disadvantage Of th
z other. But We have other sores on our bod!
0 polite In the form Of grinding railroad mo
q uopollcs which answer the purpose of com
. parison, and lt must be admittet
n that they are serious aiiilctlon. l
y Is, then, the paramount duty o
!. our statesmen and publicists to seize upoI
G some method for our relief without delay
il Bouadless rs our resources may be, an,
o elastic as the character Of our people mos
J, assuredly 10, the currency panic which nov
e paralyZes these resources and benumbs ths
d elasticity gives US undoubted evidence tha
+ we are drifting toward the sano results o
+. which Great Britain complains. When rail
l. road presidents receive Thousands and thou
Dl sands Of dollars for salaries, when railroa
d combinations make laws for entire State,
Ie and when railroad stock-brokers arc able I
1, lock up millions Of our circulating mediss
IS whcp, IN short, nothing can be done, nc
8, even q political campaign be carried on, with
L out appeals for aid to the railroad princes q
10 the country, 1t Is about time that wo shoul
4 begin TO think Of the possibility OF NOR
&c serious complications. We may be benefte
le In many ways by the decline Of Britis
supremacy; but let US not fail to reap benef
also from her bitter experience. We may b
able to find profitable markets for our pre-
e ducts of every kind; but we cannot fail
a realize the fact that the ertravagant mar
agsment Of our common carrier system ha
= depressed the value of those products, an
: that while we arc apparently blessed wit
i thrift and progress, with bountifu crops, IN
!, with freedom from political entanglemcn
y we are nevertheless suffering from an In
u fiction which, unless speedily checked, ma
y destroy the youthful energies Of our countr,
u " and force us prcmaturcly into tho vortex
u which Great Britain is now struggling. II
N question of the hour, then, Is Cheap Tran
u portation, and It Is the question to which ii
Republican party, under the leadership {
President Grant, Is now addressing itself wit
y manly determination to solve It, Ever In th
- front to battle for the rights Of the people,
y Is not now recrcant to Its sacred trust.