The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-16
TOFFICIAL PAPER.l
Monday. January Is, 1882,
FREE TRADE LECTURE.

| A few days ago Professor Perry, OF
Williams College, delivered lecture be
| fore the Booklyn free trade club:
In introducing the speaker of the even
ing, Mr.. Beecher, who presided, said he
was glad to see so many ladies present at
| course which usually would not attract
them over much, but which should attract
them, for women s1ould be well posted
upon the great questions of the day. 1t
was all very well for a woman to ask her
husband about these things-provided she
had husband-or, having a husband that
he knew anything or was unbiased and
able to give fair and intelligent account
of the matter. 1t would be far better,
however, for them to know for themselves.
Women are teachers, and should be well
informed upon those matters which con-
Germ the welfare of the people about them.
He was glad to see some present who were
in favor of Protection. The Club felt that
the more the ground was plowed the great
er would be the Crop of Free Traders, and
so the course provided for the Protection
''ANS
the practical question, Does Protection
or Free Trade do best for the laboring
man-for the great mass of our country
men who earn their livelihood by their
own Industry" 1t was useless to expect
any change unless the laboring men of
the country are interested in bring
ing it about. If protection real
ly iDures to the benefit of the
laboring man, then there will be very few
converts to free trade If free trade is
best for them, its opponents will not long
be able to mask the truth. At present the
manufacturing interests are on the side
of protection, and they largely control the
politics ofIthe country. He did not think the
arena of politics the best field for the dis
cussion of the question, but it SO happens
that the Republican party is actively and
efficiently protectionist in its leanings.
The Democratic party had been on the
side of free trade, it had been dead, but
like Lazarus it had been called to life,
but like him the napkin was still about
its head He would that the Democratic
party was either cold or hot on this CUES
ton. There was, Mr.. Beecher continued,
only one college in the land where pro-
tectionist principles were taught All the
others were free traders. and it was his
pleasure to be able to introduce to them
Professor A. L. Perry, of Williams Col
lege, where the principles of free trade
are instilled into the student.
Professor Perry was received with APP
plause. He said in effect that he remem-
bered thirteen years ago he spoke in Brook
yn upon this topic, and at that time he
forgotten what he said then, but he did
not fear that what he said now would con-
sradict what he said thea, but would be in
harmony with it, for truth is harmonious, |
md Free Trade is great truth. The |
subject has been constantly discussed; it
las been looked at first on this side, then |
IN that, and those who have discussed /
t have been careless as to whether what
hey said was in harmony with other utter
lnces or not, for the truth must be har-
nonious. Free Trade is like the gospel
There are, say, one hundred churches in
Brooklyn, and in all of them the gospel is
but no one of them breaches the
Whole gospel. All of them put together
ould not begin to comprehend or express
in its entirety, SO high and deep and
vide it is. Free Trade, the speaker said,
, based upon the great laws of exchange
nd commerce which God has established
etween man and man, and no man can /