The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-05
The Free Trade Revival.

There come at intervals across the ocean
the echoes Of British complaints that Ian
cashire is losing her supremacy in the
cotton manufacture. and that the Ameri-
cans are acquiring ii. We hear of sales Of
Massachusetts shirtings. sheetngs, and
muslins in Liverpool, Manchester, and Lon
don which take the market against similar
English goods for price weight. aud quality
These are very suggestive facts; but il is
remarkable that they have excited very
little attention in the United States out
side of Il narrow trade circle. There
are similar facts in the development
OF our hardware trade. American saws
of every description. augers, chsels, axes,
door locks, hinges, bolts. stair rods, spikes,
and nails, and many other articles OF iron
mongery, are sold in Liverpool, Bristol. and
Glasgow, at prices which the English cannot
touch. Orders have been received in New
ark for saddles and harness from Wal
sail, the headquarters Of the British sad
dlery and harness trade. There seems to be
no end visible to our intrusion into the
workshop of the world" But there is no
Dragging about it in the United States. In
deed. there is scarcely any attention given
to these indications o: portentous change
in international trade.
This popular indifference to the fact that
many American manufactures have at
tanned a development that enables US to I'M
dcrsell the British in their own market
would naturally suggest that the time has
come to abandon our old system of pro-
tective tariff; and it is worthy Of note that
the recent revival Of activity among the adj
al ugf .4s af e.. Ia. oil
supporters Of the tarif. So far as any pub
lie manifestations have been made, they
appear absolutely to care nothing about
it. They seem willing to leave industry
and trade 10 their natural laws Yet II our
free trade theorists infer from this that
they can win an mresistci victory in
their purpose TO modify or overthrow the
protective features of the revenue laws,
they are mistaken They will find three
powerful forces combined 10 sustain the
old system. Naming them in the order
OF their strength they are the Government,
which derives its revenues chiefly from du-
ties on imported goods; the laborers en-
ployed in manufactures and the manufac-
turers Of such metals, fabrics, and wares as
cannot yet compete with foreign capital,
machinery, and wages. And of these three
the Treasury Department is by far the
strongest.
Ever since the war, il has been a maxim in
the Ways and Means Committee room in
tile Capitol in Washington, that the con-
tinuous need Of income by the Government
requires about forty per cent. duties on i'm
ports; and this makes a pretty stiff sort OF
protection To press free trade ON the Gov
a.. 4. 1.
ing revenue by direct taxation Of all the
people, and taxing foreign goods. But wcreit
put to vote tomorrow in the States and
Territories whether we should raise Federal
revenue by directly taxing ourselves or by
taxing importations of foreign goods, the
decision would be nearly unanimous that the
foreigners should pay the tax. The only
dissenting votes wouldbe those Of importers,
and philosophers whose hobby is free trade.
No amount Of argument that trade ought to
bee free, NO amount Of demonstration Of the
truth of ADAM SMITHS theory of the wealth
oinntions, could possibly change the result
Of that vote. It would be founded in the
most certain law of human action. Thus
the free traders at the very start must en-
counter a rigid public need, Il national
| habit, and a selfish interest that includes
| every taxpayer in the United States.
The Pennsylvania Labor Convention, in
session only a few days ago, resolved that
congress should enact tariff laws to eff
lectually encourage and protect American
Industries against competition with foreign
labor and capital The feeling which voted
this resolution is not peculiar to the work
! ingmen OF Pennsylvania. 1t is shared