Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-04-27

prices for nearly all he CONSUMES" An
when he assumed that a duty of 40 pc
cent was to be laid not only on the fou
hundred and forty-eight million sixty
one Thousand Eve hundred and eighty
seven dallars' worth of imported good
subject to duty, but added the same
per cent. to the five thousand milliO
dollars worth of home manufacture
consumed, claiming that these were en-
hanced in price to the consumers $4,000
e00, 900, no wonder he should declare il
his dismay, "These figures are appall
ling" They certainly would be if tn
gentleman's theory can prove that it
claim to appalling figures is valid. Iti
susceptible of the most abundant ant
absolute proof that it is not.
Golden CLUB.
hold in my hand a pamphlet tina
makes the same assertions and announ
ces the same appalling figures. But j
is written by an Englishman and print
ed in London. It is the authorized pro
test of British interests against Ameri
can prosperity. 1t, too. is addressed Il
American farmers and circulated here
by the Golden Club. This English free
trader proposes to instruct "the West
ern farmer of America" as he calls him
as to what is his real interest. Its au-
thor, Mr.. Mongredien, brings to his WORK
not only the full John Bull arrogance
but luxariance of mis-information and
many statements as false as the exigen-
cies of a bad cause demand. He modest.
ly says: 1.-The fact is that you (Alneri-
can farmers) never realized the amount
of your loss-never put it into fisures
Now this has been calcula-
ted for you" How obliging, and how
disinterested in a stranger to condescend
to teach elementary arithmetic to these
ignorant Western farmers, Who can ey-
er again doubt the depth of British phil
authropy?
And just here let me say word OF
two about this Golden Club. / hold in
my hand an account of its annual din
ners July ~, 1880, sent me bY friend in
England. 1t Is powerful organization
and really represents the British Gov
ernment. Twelve members of the pres
ent British Cabinet and many members
of Parliament are of its number. Earl
Spencer the lord president of the council,
presided at this meeting, and there were
in attendance forty members of Parlia-
ment and many persons of rank and in
fuence. Earl spencer is one of the peer
age, which, numbering only 600, owns
IS, ,440, 600 acres of land, or One-fourth of
the land of Great Britain and Ireland.
The chief topic of discussion was the
best means to break down our protective
system in the United Slater and give US
free trade. Mr.. Baxter, NJ. p, one of the
speakers, boasted of the vast number of
this and other free-trade documents
they had circulated gratuitously in the
United States, and Mr.. Potter, NJ. p,
said the 'selub was going to fight our
friends in the United States, and we
have thrown off the gloves" The full
extent of our obligation to him this mod
est author himself fully appreciates, for
he says:
Il is doubtless true that many, perhaps most,
Of the American farmers are unaware OF, or
have given little attention to, the facts set
forth in these papers, and hence their silent
endurance But il every farmer who reads
this and concurs in our views would order
from the nearest town ten or twenty copies
of this little paper, and distribute them by
hand among his neighbors, or by post TO
friends at distance. a spirit of inquiry would
be rapidly reused and a definite expression
of public opinion would soon be elected.
Now, what more could even the most
devoted missionary do? He has sent us,
unsolicited and unpaid, Save by British
gold,) this little evangel of free-trade
and showed us how we may
be saved He does not seem to know that
American farmers as class are educa-
ted, intelligent, and practical, and for
more than half century have fully un-
derstood the venerable aAd crippled
which he now rehashes with
such patronizing insolence. Yes, the
inquiry" was reused, and "a definite ex-
preston" was elected in 1880 CeTy def
mite.
His object, like that of all free-trade
is to persuade the Amerf-
can people that our true policy is to raise
the raw material for British manufac-
turers and foCd for them to use, and
buy of England our finished products.
That same policy England sought to
upon the American colonies. The Rev.
olution broke the fetters of our indus
trial servitude as well as of our political
England now seeks to hold
us still in subjection by dependence on
her manufacturing skill and her COM
mercial power. This English instruc-
tor of American farmers informs US
that the American farmer "has soil so
fertile as to produce freely, with cheap
tillage, and no fertilization; second, a
climate highly favorable to agricultural
operations; abundance of land so cheap
that the fee-simple costs less than is an
nually paid for rent in England" And
now what is to follow? This English
man kindly tells us. He says:
To take man away from what he can do
well and set him to do what he can only do
badly, makes an immense difference in the
result of his labor. a Western farmer produ-
ces excellent crops, but if he were to set up a
wooden factory he would soon come to grief.
That is what it all means. America
is only 10 raise ''crops" and England is
to do the manufacturing. In colonial
days, when she compelled the colonists
to send their wool and cotton to En-
gland to be manufactured, her manu-
facturers received the 400 per ct. which
it cost to have it done. Why shall raw
materials be tarried 3,e00 miles to be
converted into the finished products and
then carried 5000 more, when the food
for the workmen has also to be sent
back with it, and when it can be as well
done by American labor, consuming
American coal and American food at
home? Yes, but, says the free-trader, it
can be done cheaper in England, and the
American farmer can pay for it with
with raw material.
Mr.. Chairman, nothing seems to exas.
perate the ee-trader-whether Ameri.
can or English-mOre than the farmers
perverse and illogical prosperity undeI
the ruinous reign of protective tariff
Mr.. Mongredin says he had never put il
into figures. But now that can never bt
said again, since the gentleman from
Kentucky Mr.. Turner has ciphered il
all up. Prof. Perry says it is a ''delu
IL - o,1 oToa,,ho,a hoe haar, lafal,