New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-07
cate sweeping Democratic victory lie election
THE Golden CLUB, BY ITSELF
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT HAMLIN.

,,r,,REpsHIP AND AIMS OF THE CLUB-FACTS FOR
TIE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
To Tn. EdftOr Of The Tribune.
SIR. The free traders thrown into such state
of unreasonable excitement by any criticisms upon
the Cobdep Club and its efforts to upset the Amer-
can system that propose to let it speak for itself
For one cannot refer TO these efforts in the most re-
spectful manner, but some wordy trickster takes
him 70 task as guilty of fasehood deception or any
other immortality that may serve the purpose, and
then reads him loity ana pious lecture Oh INC S'
principles Of morals!
This is q misunderstood and WORKOUT trick, and
therefore not harmful. But it is not pleasant l
wish 70 live in peace with all men, and shall there
fore let the club and its friends speak for it. 1t is
an association so mighty and active, and has such
agencies at its command, and is so deeply interested
in substituting the British system for own, that
one cannot afford to disregard it. When it speaks
one should listen with attentive ears.
First what is the membership of the clue
as published to the wOrldf / venture to
saw that there is no such array of dstin-
puished names in any similar association
In Europe or America. 1t has the names of twelve
of the Cabinet Minister'S leaving only three or four
who are not members of the club The Prime Min
lister the Lord Chancellor the Lord President of the
Council the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
five great Secretaries of State Colonies Home, and
Foreign Affairs, the POStmasteT-General, etc, ETC.
The power of England resides in their hands.
There are also about 200 members of Parliament.
They are men of vast wealth, of great capacity, OF
boundless enterprise. They are millonnaires, they
are manufacturers, cotton lords iron lords and
lords of the soil. They all regard the glory and
wealth of England nscparable from their own;
and the protective system of America as the one
grand obstacle to be removed. | also find, among
many names wholly unknown TO foreigners, those
of almost all the distinguished men in Church and
State who are known abroad.
For what purpose now does this vast combination
of the wealth and power and learning of England
live and labor 1t can have reference to free
trade in England for there it is not in the least
danger and such an object would not be sufficient
TO call together a dozen possessed even of the
lowest grade of cOmmOn-scnse.
The club itself has made no cOncealment of its
designs This has evidently offended its American
coadiutors and il will be advisable in future for 1t
! TO be more reticent At the annual meeting of the
club in 1879 after referring to the Importance OF
| gaining the United States, it said g We can well
! afford to wait a little longer for the adhesion
| of a people whose verdict, when pronounced,
will be decisive of the fate of protection both IN
! Europe and America At the same dinner there
! were many references to the United States ana
letters read from American correspondents, one of
|
United States were not fools, they could not con-
Time protcctonists." To continue n protectonist,
then is to be a fool and for eight long years Pro-
fessor Perry has seen us all IN fOOdOm-or we nave
! seen him there.
| The Golden Club has also manifested its interest
in American politics by establishing prizes LOT lltc-
trade oratOns and essays in some OF our colleges
| There are always found those who are READY 10
receive British gold in reward for ther naSceht eo
quence against the American system OF III lhNoI ~
! the British II is nuitc possible that some VIII
question the good taste and even the wisdom, OF
the club in thus openly projecting ltsci mo hllGrl
/ Presidential election. and It's effort by the Mon
gredian address to Western farmers To- rouse their
Dreiudiccs against the party of protection ana thdS
control the election. are toe wei khoMH ~ a nt
remark. At the Golden Club dinner oi 1851 lho
secretary said that the club was about 70 enter
! contest with foe worthy OF IT'S steel ihe& NcIII
| going 10 encounter their friends IN the United
States" He confidently predicted ultimate victory.
| The Loadon Times of July l6; in reference 20 ihc
! same dinner said: " IL is to the New World that
the Golden Club is chiefly looking as the most
likely sphorc for its vigorous foreign policy. Ii has
ing its eyes westward aud bracing hscli
for the struggle which Is to come come.
are ,rpsnbdqe9 That free trade will come some
day In the United states it is perfectly safe TO
| assert but how and when. and other mlnutr OF the
kind. must be left to the Golden Club and to ITS
twelve Cabinet mnistcISin their unonciaI capacity
| to decide
| work of this magnificent organization marked out
| aud proclaimed II 4 very lmprudcnt hud
| foolish thing for The Times to do Nothing OF the
kind viii cv6r be repeated. But il las only stated
frankly what every American ought to know, that
this combination Of the power, wealth and talent OF
England for the propagation Of trcc-tradc prlncinlcS
and treaties having absolutely failed IN Europe, -
TO concentrate all its resources upon America. IT'S
mower will he felt in the Presidential election oil
| 1884 lis efforts to control the election OF lbNO
were too open and undisguiScd to accomplish their
end Very different tactics will now he adopted.
But that the Golden eye is fixed upon that election
cannot he concealed. 1900
The celebrated John Bright, the friend Of Golden,
and may add of the United States, in his speech at
Birmingham, June 10, said: In two years sicl
there will bo an election Of President of the great
Republic. When the contest comes there must be
some question to divide parties. Now, when the
opesti0u comes to be discussed in the great forum
of nation of fifty millions, what will be the result
Well, two years hence believe there viii
be a good deal of talk, and perhaps good deal of
it wild and foolish, but believe they VIII
do before long what we have done, and they will
declare II 10 10 tho inalicnable right OF every
American as it is the nallcnablc right Of every
Enplishmau to spend his money in the cheapest
market in the world" Americans will tell John
bright and John Bull that they propose both to
earn their money and To spend it, and to manage
their own elections without dctation from Eng
land o CYRUS hAMLIN'