Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-09
..rairTrade,. and Profeeiion.

II n aAC anu n AOA~~a08e
American protectionists point with
triumph to the platform Of principles
put forward by the Fair Trade" League,
recently organized in England as PROOF
convincing Of the wisdom Of protection
and the folly of free trade. At time
when the thinking people Of this eoon-
try are weighing the recognized Id uries
Of the Morrill, tariff with its alleged oene
fits. ANYTHING that sounds like encour-
agement that may come from the nur-
serv of free trade is greedily seized upon
by our protectiOnists to bolster up their
cause.
The principles Of the Fair Trade
League. however resctiOnsry they may
appear IN England, constitute an econo-
mic gospel that our protectiOnists, how
ever they may admire it abroad, should
not care TO see extensively preached st
home. The corner stone Of the new sys-
TEN is reciprocity. In England recipro-
CITY. in view Of her free trade policy, IS
retaliatory; or, in other words, IS a poll
CIV Of tit for tat that proposes to meet
selfshness with selfishness and h6erallty
with liberality. In the United states,
whose system Is virtually prohibitory,
reciprocity is cohesive, and IS the mrs.
step thst the friends of free trade wish
taken. They do not anticipate or ask
for free trade, but they do claim
that the greater the number OF
markets opened to our products
the greater vii be the growth OF our
trade. And they recognize that We must
sfford markets to others if we would
procure them for ourselves The great
mass Of free traders sre advocates Of re
ciprocity as 3 preparation for free trade
Perhaps no country in the world IS 50
vel prepared to adopt reciprocity as the
United States, and England is perhaps
the least.
The bulk Of Englsnd's food supply
comes from abroad, and largely from the
United States. To retaliate on Us she
must tsx her food. That she cannot do
however lightly. Anything that squints
at q restoration Of the corn laws would
not 90 down in England, let its advocates
promise what they might Protection is
a lost cause in England The Tory
'squires may link its memory with that Of
the good old days of pOcketborOughs and
buried traditions, but the movement that
directed by the genius of Golden, con-
verted Peel in the face Of his preiudiees
aud in defiance Of his party, was re
volution as sweeping and as lasting as
that which overthrow the Jacobins and
established the Protestant succession
The man who would predict the repeal
Of the reform bill and all its conse-
quences would be quite as sane as he
who should prophesY prohibitory tariff
in England. Revolutions never go back
ward
Here the history Of economic legisla
lation is different As a rule, our tariffs
nave been revenue tariffs, and whatever
protection they afforded was mainly liz
cldentaL The present tariff was adopt
ed when q large number Of the States
whose interests it prejudiced had no
voice in Congress. The war gave such
an impetus 10 production that for years
after the close of the struggle people
thought little Of the burdens of taxation,
since they felt them but lightly in the
days Of inflated values The
dark years of disaster that
followed the crash Of 1873 taught the
people &c question the wisdom of pro
hibitory tariff. The needs Of Europe
and the bounty Of our fields, however,
lulled inquiry, and the issue of tariff re
vision, though raised in the last cam
paign, was fought by monopolists and
disguised by demagogues until those who
were most interested in a favorable de-
cision Of II lost sight of it It is, how
ever, one Of the few live issues that
confront the country, and it must be
settled.
The United States are not welded to
protection. The Morrill, tariff was
foisted on the country. As a piece Of
legislation It Is little better than a snap
Judgment As an economic scheme il
Is tissue Of protected monOpolies. As
a revenue producing agent it is manifest
" inferior to tariff with far lower
average scale Of duties. A large
part OF our revenue has come
from the war taxes levied
on spirits, tobacco, etc, known as inter.
nal revenue. The time has arrived fol-
their abolition. Following that, if ii
should not pIecede it, should come tariff
revision, which our most responsible pro
dueers have scceded to in procuring the
passage Of the Eaton bill. Few vii
stand up for the justice Of bounties tC
individuals. A prohibitory tariff is 8
series Of bounties TO classes, and is
equally unjust. Our prOtectionists may
fight revision, but if they are wise they
will be slow TO dilate upon the beauties
OF reciprocity IN England. Like the
two edged sword, it cuts both ways.
S"Fair trade" is impracucable in Eng
land, for it would be a step backward.
Here 1t would be a step forward. and i;
practicable The British public will
learn that their troubles proceed from
other causes than the want Of protec-
tive tariff, and our people have had proof
amounting to all but demonstration that
they can prosper in spite Of one.
General GiIlmOre's Report on Our
River and HarbOr.