The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-17

One of course OF nine free lectures on "Pro.
lection and Free Trade" under the auspices OF
the BROOKLYN Revenue Reform Club, was de-
livered on Friday evening of last week by
Henry Ward Beecher, who is reported by the
WOrl1 as follows:
He said his duty was to discuss the subject
only so far as 1t related to the moral aspects of
the question. The protective system at
present IN this country was contrary to
good morals, and III the long run would
work mischief; 1t was directly contra
ry to the spirit of the Gospel q protective ia,
riff was organized immortality. The American
can buy whatever he likes IN all the markets
of the world, but he cannot bring the articles
home unless you pay roundly for the privi-
lege. You must buy them at home. But
can't buy them at home Then you must
wait until you can Qaugter.) "And we are
told" he continued, that this tariff is to pro-
tect our home manufactures; but how about
protecting the liberty of the citizens? An I'm.
migrant, if his clothes are dirty, can bring
them in tree to New -Qaughter) If
his stockings are clean, the Government sup.
poses that they have not been worn and he
must pay a duty on them. Between all the
states there is free trade, and 1t works well /;
every body admits that; but the moment we
tTV 10 nave ITtt udue WITH we are tOIu
that we must not do II. 1t is selfish policy {;
it is separating this nation from the rest OF the
world, and this contrary to good morals and
contrary to liberty American commerce has
been well nigh destroyed; shlp-bullding is al
most an extinct trade What are the people
| thinking of? What has commerce done that it
Is obliged to walk In bondage to manutactu
rers no longer flying, like the eagle but walk
ing like the barn-yard fowl? The few ships
that are left are besieglng congress for subsi
dies that they may live. There are more stur
dy beggars about than any that come to your
door. Taxes are levied, state and county and
city, and the citizen knows what he has got to
pay and what is going to be done with Tiff
he can find out. The tariff draws larger sums
by indlrection There are two kinds of tariff
the revenue tariff, and this may be borne, or
tolerated, but when tariff is proposed that
proposes not only to raise revenue, but to raise
1t in order to protect some special Indurtry,
that Is wrong and mischievous 1t Is one Of
the most vicious agglomeratiOns of abomlna-
tons that can be imagined. Our tariff excludes
many articles which our people want, and 40,
600, 900 of our citizens are oppressed, that 800
900 laboring men may be protected. ProteC.
ton at first is spur to enterprise, but IN the
end it destroys 1t and leaves it In the position
of rich mems sons that have no necessity for
eXertion. a man that is weak may use
crutch, but the weak manufacturers that have
had the crutch of protection for these last
twenty years are now clamOring for three legs
two natural and one wooden. 0aughter) The
whole theory IS false; industries thrive best
without protection it may take them longer
but the growth is more healthful. The ener-
gy and intelligence of the people are all that
are necessary for success, and they need no
protection II IS said that the protective tariff
tavors the laboring man. If this was true we
should have no right to increase he wages Of
the American laborer at the expense of the
foreig On laborer; but it IS not true; the very
reverse of this is true. 1t is not the protective
tariff that raises the price of labor butt is the
social and political surroundings of our work
men. One full third of the wages oil our la
borers goes to pay the added price of all they
consume or use-added by the duty on i'm
ports. The unprotected laborers are vastly in
the majority over the protected ones; the
blacks ofthe south, the agricultural lsbOrers
of the west are far the most numerous. Only
about 100000 laborers have their wages raised
by this so-called protection, and these have to
pay onc-thlrd of their wages for the protection
that they are said to be receiving. The whole
machinery of this tariff system is demoraliz
ing AT this hour what are protectionists do
ing? Is there one protected industry that is
willing to let 60! Is there one that will con
sent to areducucn Of the DUTY? Not zone. They
propose to take of the internal revenue taxes /;
they propose to take off the duty on matches
and patent medicines, and confronted along
the whole line with the cry that our shipping
is ruined, they propose to take the ships into
their scheme Of protection; and they say: Run
your ships, we will pay the expenses and
leave you a little over While Great Britain
Is enjoying a prosperous trade with South
America, we propose TO pay John Roach for
running few ships 10 Brazil. Just now the