New-York tribune., 1882-03-02
PROFESSOR SUMNER on FREE TRADE
LECTURE BEFORE THE REVENUE REFORM CLUB
OF BROOKLYN.

A LECTURE BEFORE THE REVENUE REFORM CLUB
OF BROOKLYN.
Professor William G.. Sumner, of Yale Col
lcge, lectured last night " Protection and Free
Trade" before the Revenue Reform Climb OF brooklyn
The audience large and frequently manifested It's
approval Of the lecturers arumentsby hearty applause
Professor Sum in appearance and manner ID totally
unlike the traditional college professor He spoke With
out notes. easily and fuently.
Our adversarcs said he assert that the theory OF free
trade is built assumptions But everything must have
some assumption to start with. YOu must begin by say
ing: " Given such and such conditions, what Will fol
low" That ia what the political economist has to do
And he is met by the difficulty that he cannot create
experiment; he cannot put men on an island
to try his theory, he always get cases
from history for the bad legislation OF the past has dis
couraged social laws But will state case. The Pill
grim Fathers were men Of grit on land Of granite.
They tried to live under the conditions given them;
built ships ard titled the soil Then proteconist
came along aud said "They under
the right conditions succeed there way by which
they may get Let us lay tax on them, to make
them rich" Laughter That e hl' theory Of wealth.
But It ia poor theory If Government put, cent in
my pocket 1t must either make II or take it from
other mans pocket It docs not make IT, for that s not
what Government is for; 30 II simply takes
from somebody else. II taxation causes
industries to flourish others must decline. 1t
is In accordance with science. You cannot make
something out Of nothing. The achemSts tried It aud
failed Labor and economy the only foundation of
wealth II gets rich through the tariff it must be
because gets poor, and protection has made great
many Bs fLaughtcrl Mr.. Kelley has told yOn that the
tarh has built up Paterson. Yes, there crowds OF
As there, hut where the poor Bs
There are only three waysb which my property may
leave me. may buy it of me; or may give 1t to
him or he may steal 1t from You must put tho
tariff und-r three heads and truth demands
fhntt sIa1tl l.. dor tIo rl Nuua nae
fair that should ask the protcctlonsts TO give us
some guarantees that they know what they aiming
at On their theory are to suhnit to present loss
IN order tn reap future gain What the gaini 1t all
clear enough that will be ont OF pocket now that the
tax will be collected ana then tho whole thing ruua into
the ground and have only the hope that
how ether will come ont all right II IA like throw
Ing money w In the air and expecting to get rich by thc
Sps5G shi%GT % TS TH AK Them what We "a a tc
q what has pretection done for us"I Thcy
protective tariff. and therefore Of protective tariff
You might well say that the United states prospered
under slavery, aud therefore because OF slavery IL s
shallow allacy Again assert that the proteciionsts
have not acted with good faith The arh was imposed
It only temporary that 70 foster our infant
haven't grown yet snghterI, and never viii under pro
tccton this tariff was laid onus when we were
tccron has passed and vet two recent tar conventions
have been shameless enough to demand more tariff .f
a tax on us to enrich themselves. SO that
W1ich OF nrst only a temporary privilege
Is now loudly asserted to ho vested rightl More
thar inat the public money ia sqnandered so that there
may he excuse for cvying tax. We have been cN-
20 all Of ingS bnsincss-to huy Cuba
everybody bonndnrics aud to 20 crisadng all
attending other folks affairs instead of
staying homo and getting rich Now mninain that II
there Is to be at all ought to tax as to
keep them out Of the country, and raiSc the
wages. Take tho ministers. Ncw-YOrk has becu
importing number II they had been kept ont by
high protective tariff some smart Americans would have
got the job Gre0 aughtcrl iOu see the point. SO Of
the professors There ought 20 be petition sent to Con
grcss 10 put tax every imported minister and pro,
lessor. aud then langushing crowd at home would
get n chance. Laughter.
Lastly ask the proectionisis for some fruits. and
they point lot OF big chnncys. But want TO see
what these chmncys are for. Perhaps they are only
toy like the obcsk in Central Park which cost 10000
to bring over don't what the Obrisk cost because
il doesn't ont OF my pocket but am Interested In
these Chlmneys because ] taxed 10 pay FOR them,
nud | don't proposo to into the
chimney business unless It pays In conclusion, say
that Protection stand against the spirit OF the
age II will he swept down and will collapse OF its own
weight. Nations are being ku closer together the Old
prciudces are subsding and Free Trade among trec
inen will yet prevail over tho world. lApplause.l