The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-11
FREE TR ABE.
New York Herald

plomat said Free trade is the natural re-
hut of civilization in England, as it will be
hera. As soon as nation is able TO success.
fully compete with the manufacturers and
produc RS of other countries, il is radically
wrong policy to seek an unfair advantage
through the medium of so.ealled protect
i've tariff If a merchant should seek to take
a similar advantage Of II customer, the latter
would cease to buy from him, and would
ever after regard his business transactions
with suspicion. For years rast English man.
ulacturers have been Just able to pay oxpon.
ses, and the most careful legislation has
failed to alleviate their trouble, except ia
some almost unimporLant instances To,
day it is safe TO say that they are losing
ground rapidly. There are many reasons
sscr bed for this decline of England from her
commercial supremacy, but there ia no doubt
that one of the main causes is the gre1t in
road which America has made upon her do
nestle and foreign trade. Every where the
effects Of it can DO seen, and there is no use de-
nying it any longer. British workingmen will
very soon find out that there is something
wrong in the whole system, and that the re-
cenv failure of crops is not the only cause Of
the low wages they receive. Popular senti-
ment will soon compel the English govern
ment to take active measures to prevent
America from taking away the lead which
the former has so long held among nations"
THE TARIFF QUESTION IN ENGLAND.
"You don't mean that the protective tariff
question is about to figure in English pol.
ilic :"
That is precisely what d., mean. The
success of the republic IN party here in the
coming election means tina, the tariff quas
ton will be thu principal u' on which The
next general election in klglard viii hinge.
If England puts tariff ON American goods
il will simply couuterbrlanco the tariff on
this side Of the water, The result will be
that neither country will glin one cent of
revenue, while both will lose the money OK
pended in the collection of duties. This
state Of affairs would be ridiculous and I'M
worthy the nineteenth century. And vet
this is what We are coming to if America
persists in keeping up II tariff which is not
Justified by the actual nccessiti of her mer.
chants. think, however, that the common
sense craftsmanship which has guided Amer.
leu so ia will prevail, and that tho present
cutlery for n tariff is the work of demagag-
ism, which will die out in few months. If
the democratic party would come out hon
estly and make free trade its principal object
teach i, argue it, demonstrate 1.-THE re-
publican ihstry which has so long retard.
ed its inisoduction would DO completely
overcome. Free trade is sure to be eventu-
ally adopted by the whole world, and the
longer it is put off here the worse it will be
for America"
The boldness Of the above arguments can
hardly be surprising when it is considered
how many advanced thinkers have put :orth
the same sentiments. The American consul
to Manchester, England. who was in tho city
n few days ago, stated that American trade
in England was inCreasrg at prldi-
gious rate, lie said that At Manchester
many manufacturers were losing on this nc.
count and were loud in their complaints.
The only remedy he could see for this evil
was a choice between free trade in America
or reciprocal tariff in England.
"hAl ihpMNo hAhliFN lhlNkN.
Thomas Hughes, the renown author, DO.
lilical &c nomist and advocate Of 60 opera
ton, was approached on this subject by a
Herald reporter Being connected with
neither government, either here or across
the water, aud thoroughly fearless in his ex-
preston on subjects of the day, his views
were sought Ms dspassilua,e and unbiased
criticism which would be considered no
fully by all thong tful men. Mr.. Hughes
treated the topic as one worthy 10 be made u
national issue.
"Mr. Hughes how is tho question of free
trade in America viewed by English COM
mercislists ~
"The question Of free trade in America is,
of course, viewed with much interest in Eng.
land apart from the body Of commercial
men, for whom cannot pretend to speak.
II seems to Englishmen onlya question of
time, as in community like yours they do
not consider 1t likely that the majority of the
people, and especially the great agricultural
class will continue to pay what are practical
ly war taxes on manufactured articles which
they need. Your producers of broad.tu(ls
alone export vastly more in value than all
your manufacturers put together. Besides
|
co and fruit and, raisers of cattle, sheep and
hogs all of whom are now paying, for in
stance, So by the way of tax on every pair
of blankets they will use this next winter.
1t seems to us that this fact is sure to strike
so intelligent class Of men as your agricul.
turalists before long, aud to lead to a change
in tho direction of free trade, or at any rate
of tariff for revenue"
THE EFFECT OF AMERICAN FREE TRADE JS
ENGLAND,
"What, in your opinion would be the &C.
tual effect of American free trade in Eng.
landN
"The effect of free trade with America on
England would be that we should probably
sell you great many articles which are now
excluded and buy even more of your pro
duce than we do at present. From what |
have seen here Think you have quite reached
the point when your manufacturers are able
TO meet ours, or those Of any other.nation, on
equal terms"
"And in America ?"
"The effect in America would be to
cheaper and, think, to improve the quality
of great many articles, and to give a
greater stimulus to your agricultural H..
dustries of all kinds"
SLOW do you view the present condition
OF affairs us existing between this country
and Europe in the matter Of exports and i'm
ports 2"
~ northumberland this question. Youex.
port some SiOO,0OO, 900 oil products vi tue land