The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-02-10

Ell, D., in American Rural Home.

| II. Ii. D., IN American Rural Home,
Hon. David A. Wells, the eminent
apostle of free trade, has lately been
expounding his theories before a
Rochester audience, and, If he has
been correctly reported, srrogated to
himself upon that occasion a monop-
oily of wisdom necessary to correct
understanding of the question. No
doubt it is matter Of wonderment to
Mr.. Wells that any portion of the peo-
pie of this enlightened country should
remain in ignorance as to the bless
ings that free trade stands ready to
confer, or that any number of thep
should persist in believing and prac-
ticing the abominabIe heresies of pro-
lection; at least we judge so when he
says that -"the subject is one about
which an immense amount of nonsense
and untruth has been uttered and in
respect to which, the majority Of
those who profess to speak with au-
thority, know absolutely nothing"
Free trade will come after the mil
lennium, not before. Custom houses
will be abolished the same year that
prisons, poorhouses and insane asy
lums are. 1t is high-sounding title,
and when enunciated in the brief
term of its ritual-"buy where we can
bny the cheapest and sell where we
can get the most'--it is quite capti-
waiting. 1t implies happy, universal
brotherhood of mankind wherein The
French seek no advantage over the
Dutch, the Dutch over the English,
the English over the Yankee. 1t
eliminates patriotism, love of country
and even a preference for ene's own
kith and kin, from the catalogue OF
| human emotions Mr.. Wells is report
ed to have said, that there was no
more necessity for this country 10
| protect itself against the productions
Of other countries than there was for
one section of it to protect itself
against another section. This is I'M
patriotic and unneighbqrIy. Massa-
chusetts and Great Britain, both pro-
ducing the same commodity, prefer
cnce should be given by this country
| to the former to the extent at least Of
maintaining, pporting and protect
ing wcII-fed, well-clothed and we'll
paid labor engaged in its production.
Are the people of New England no
nearer, in point Of sympathy and
mutual interest, to the people of Kan
sas or California, than are the inhabi
tants of France or Germany2 Howev-
or, Mr.. Wells was obliged to say this
IN order to be consistent with his the
cries; he was obliged to be a foreigner
in order to be free trader.
Mr.. Wells says: "The pressing ne
cessity of the hour with us, is an ex-
tension of our markets for our pro-
duets, and in default thereof we are
certain to be smothered in our own
grease" Having stopped the spindles
and looms of New England, put out
the forge fires of Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and Ohio siencod the man
ufacluring industries Of New York
and New jersey, and compelled the
millions engaged therein to become
producers, instead of consumers of
grease" he may well feed anxions
about market for our products when
these products arc reduced to corn,
wheat and cotton. The people of
New England cannot raise grain in
competition with the farmers of the
west any more than they can make
cloth in competition with England,
Germany and France, and if you com
pei them to become farmers you drive
them from home into the grain pro-
ducing region of the west; either this,
or yos compel them to accept wages
which will enable New England man
ufacturers to compete with their for
eign neighbors.
Statistics plainly indicate that this
country is already producing enough |
of the staple cereals. In years of aV-
erage yields there is a surplus and !
prices arc not oyer-remunoratiye. |
What the effect would be if this ip-
dustry was increased one-third with |
out any corresponding increase in con
sumption, is not hard to determine.
In this connection the present con |
dition Of Ireland may be studied with |
profit. The effect Of taking away all |
manufacturing from Ireland and com
peIling its inhabitants to become ex-
clusiyely agrarain is manifestly de-
plorable, and comPeIs immigration to |
relieve its over-crowded population.
Suppose a million of its inhabitants
were engaged in the manufacture of
linen, commodity that can be pro-
duced there perhaps more cheaply |
than in any other country in the world;
would it not be relief both TO Ire
land and England, and a happy solu-
tion of the Irish labor question 2 The
only trouble is that the entire popnla=
ton are tying to get living BY farm
ing alone. In time free trade would
bring a similar condition Of things in
this country. 1t would educate the
people all in one direction. Capital
and energy and labor would all be di-
roctcd to one pursuit, and an over
crowded, poorly pad industry would
be the inevitable result.
The United States has nearly as
great a diversity of soil and climate
as the continent Of Europe. There are
sections where cotton can be raised 10
greatest advantage, and sections
where wheat and corn thrive naturally;l !
but there are other large sections filed
with ore or adapted to sheep raising,
fitted for manufacturing
Is it economy Of natural
forces, when We have the energy, the
skill and the means 10 develop all
these resources, to go three or fonr
miles for oar iron and cotton
aud wool products The only reason |