The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-23
Free Trade.

Jul AAS1U, a. AilCucai, 6s4-s VIII copy OF
. brochure on free trade, written by D. 5.
Wells, and originally contributed - tie
Atlantic KonthIy for August, 1875.
Mr.. Wells i an enthusiast on :he sabjec,
under consideration, aud can zee TO good
whatever inthe Nazareth of protective
tariff Indeed, he attributes pretty z aeh
all the financial evils of modern ,ine. 20
restrictions on commerce. The historical
sketch with which Mr.. Wells cooclodes Die
essay IL peculiarly instructive, poE.raJ;ng,
as il does, the effects of restriction or
facility of commerce on the prosperity Of
England, Belgium, Holland and the Criced
States. If the facts cited by or aa::c- are
fair specimen of general history, 51arcia!
prosperity is almost synonymoos w. free
commerce, and ruin the sure eoccan::srt
of restriction.
There can be NO doobt of tie general
proposition that some places are better
fitted than others to certain kinds OF pro-
ductions, and that true economy would
seek certain productions from abroad rather
than attempt them at home. Thus farmer
in Kentucky might by great pains and ex-
pense raise few pounds of coffee in his
garden hot house, but il would be mach
cheaper for him to buy the same amount of
coffee which had grown almost sPon-
saneously in the tropics. At the same time
the Cuban finds it much cheaper to bay the
Kentuckian's -four at An enormous price
than 70 attempt its production on his coffee
plantation. II the Kentuckian devoted to
coffee raising the same amount of labor aud
expense which secure to him 81 goo worth
of -four, he would realize perhaps 800
perhaps not s1O. The cratic Cuban
500 coffee crop to raise wheat, would
perhaps realize ten barrels of -four OF fail
altogether. Thus it happens that man
may obtain q much larger quantity of a
given article by not attempting 20 produce
it directly, bu. exchanging for it something
else which be can produce with great deal
more facility.
Production is wealth the greatest pro-
duction is obtained where the greatest
facilities exist; therefore the greatest sun
total of wealth is attained by following the
natural indications of cheap and easy pro-
duction.
All laws tending to encourage produc-
ton which is not adapted to natural facii-
ties at the point of operations, tend, to the
same extent, to diminish the sum total of
producsien. Thus, laws which should force
the growing of cotton and sugar in Wiscon
sin, and of wheat in Louisiana, to the neg
lecs of the natural Industries of both locali-
ties, would greatly diminish the total of
productions from the same amount of labor.
Ibis is the effect produs ed by all protective
tariffs. An unnatural and uneconomical
production is created where the same
amount of labor could have prodRNed
something else of much more 10 c
value.
AS Mr. Wells shows, this loss is never
limited to one or two items. Protection
being conceded to some industries, hun
dreds of other unsuitable productions de-
mand the came stimulus. The government
has, of course, no right to foster some and
neglect othNEs, and 80 everything that
ought 81 gets to be protected"
an ID in value. The
CO ny double for ma
chill inc, clothing and
man Rshis home aud his
businesss other proteges of
! the government Hil the proftss which gov
eminent favor had eabled him to wiring
from unwilling custo1 10. Thus 3 small,
unnatural production issubstituted for a
large natural production, which is a general
loss to the country and the world, while
the people who expected to be the benefi-
Charles Of the protection" lose as much
by the system as they gain.
In the meantime commerce is paralysed,
shipping lies idle in the ports, streets grow
less crowded and noisy, and merchants
have plenty of time to speculate on the
causes of the stagnation. In return for all
this we are told that the country will be
moro self-sustaining in case of war. But
unless the war is expected very soon, it will
prove a most expensive system of prepare
ton for it and then, if it should moi