The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-08-21

All the roads which the protectionlsts travel
lead into the same bog. The Philadelphia
Press says in an article on the recent Golden
Club dinner, that, ION the whole, we prefer
to think that the Centennial Exhibition means
HOthing' rather than that it means the near
drawing of Il day when protection is to go
under and free trade arise in its stead" or
course, when a state is crammed so full of
economic heresies as Pennsylvania is, we
may be pretty sure that her citizens would
not labor in behalf OF any project as they have
labored in behalf of the Centennial Exhibi.
ton, ifthey had the faintest suspicion that it
would illumlne and instruct the public mind
in economic truth; and the Philadelphia
Press knows very well on which side the
bread OF Pennsylvania is buttered.
Originally it was not thought by the Phila-
delphia people that celebration of the one
hundredth anniversary of our national exist
ence could affect the tariff in any way. Filled
with this notion, they were strenuous that we
should celebrate this purely domestic ami
versary by getting up worlds fair, after the
fashion OF the mOnarchic countries of the old
world. Notwithstanding the objections made
to this plan by persons who perceived its
absurdity and incongruity with our provln-
cial policy of protection, It was pushed
through.
For a while all was satisfactory to the Phil
adelphians. The first shock came to them
when they found that in order to get foreign
manufacturers to bring their goods TO the
fair il was necessary to admit the goods into
the United States free ofcustoms duties. The
permission to this effect, which was granted,
was carefully limited, however, to the exclu.
sive purpose of the exhibition. If any of the
goods are sold in this country, then the Gus.
toms duties will be eXacted-tha amount OF
these duties otcourse being added to the price
for which the sellers would otherwise part
with their commodities, thus affording very
striking example Of tho financial loss which
our protective tariff, so far as it is effective
always lnfliCs upon the American consumer.
Later we suggested, in some remarks on
one Of John Brights speeches, that if the for
egn goods in the exhibition could be marked
plainly with their cost price, cost of transpor-
tation and what the selling price would be if
we had no protective tariff, IL would be very
direct and conclusive means of showing our
farmers, who would visit Philadelphia next
year, just how much they are paying in vari
Gus ways Tor the support Of the protected
manufacturers Of the United States. This
suggestion was at once received favOrably by
others, both in this country and in Europe
and created no small stir among the protec-
tionists. Forced at last to speak they made a
double answer; FIRST, that the exhibition was
no place for the illustration of economic doc
trlnes, where, from the nature of the case $50
L they said), there would be no opportunity for
lprOtectiOnists TO answer the arguments of for
cIgncrs and ircetraders; and second, that of
course any exhibitor could mark his goods as
be pleased. As TO the first answer, we do not
see why the nature Of the case should place
Il L.
every American consumer would be able,
from his own individual experience, to con
pare the prices which protective tariff for.
ces him 10 pay, with the prices for which he
might obtain the same commodities if we
had no protective tariff; and further, il seems
70 US that out OF this same individual expert
cnce each consumer would not only be able
but might be trusted to answer Justly the mute
Arguments thus presented, and that no amount
of talk by the glibbest protectionist would
be required 10 assist him in reaching a sound
conclusion In respect TO the second answer,
II appears 10 us that an official regulation
would be better guaranty to foreign eXhibi-
tors of what they may do with their goods in
| Philadelphia than the irresponsible promise
of an interested advocate,
Last of all comes the Golden Club dinner,
At which VI. Chevalier took the liberty OF
saving in effect that the Philadelphia ENhi-
biuOn might assist in overthrowing protec-
ton IN this country. TO which the Philadel.
phia Fr6ss replies that rather than have thai
result follow, il will gladly give up the cele-
bralIOn.
The cause of all this intellectual tremor
among the pro,ectionists as often as it appears
possible that our Centennial Exhibition may
advance the cause Of international peddling
without license TO adopt the Press's re-
fined definition Of free trade, Is plainly indi-
Gated in this very article. Referring to the
time when the people of the United States
/ shall have become sufficiently intelligent to
see that this country will be more benefited
than any other country by the adoption ana
maintenance Of free trade economic policy
! here, the Press says: The way the 'consum'
| er is going to have things all his own way
whom this bllssful epoch arrives is, we musl
confess, little dazzling, and if that Glass oil
] humanity known rs manufacturers had no
standing room ON Tie American continent we
would bless the day when the banner oil com
mercial freedom was flung TO the breeze by
itIe United States Goddess of Liberty, ana