The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-02
A FREE E-TRADE ADDRESS.
The Ideas Promulgated to the Amer
lean People.
An Appeal to All Glasses to Help on the
Cause-Adoption of Plan of Organ
ization and Work.

DETROIT, June l.-Thls afternoons session or
the Free-trade Conference accomplished little,
owing to the lack of report from the committee
on platform. The session opened with the read
ing Of several letters and kilograms. The COM
mittee on organization submitted the following:
The conference recognizes and desires to record
lts hearty appreciation of the valuable work al
ready accomplished by local and State organiza-
tiOns, ana of the very important assistance to
such effort which mas been rendered by the
American Free-trade League and
"Whereas, the latter has proposed 20 reorgan-
ize upon basis more thoroughly representative
and national, and deserves the counsel of this
conference to such end, therefore the conference
recommends,
"First-That the free-trnde work of the country
be organized under The general direction of the
American Free trade League.
''Seennd-That the American Freetrade
League appoint a national committee, composed
of on delegate from each State league. such dele
gate 10 have general direction of the work i'll his
State, ana to be responsible therefor.
"ThIrd-That the executive committee of the
national committee appoint and have power to
remove member to represent on the national
committee each Of those states which have no
State league.
"Fourth-That the national committee appoint
a general secretary, with headquarters in the
city of New York"
The report was adopted without dissent.
The conference reassembled in the afternoon,
when the committee on address made a report,
which, after discussion, was adopted, as fol-
lows:
This conference submits to the Americans
that revenue reform has now become q para
mount vital issue in national politics. We desire
TO Obtain to the greatest practicable extent the
same freedom of trade among nations which
exists among the States of the Union. We
see in the abuses OF the present tariff the chief
obstruction TO the continued development and
prosperity of the country. To do away with these
abuses we ask the help alike OF those who be-
lieve that free trade is an essential part OF
American freedom and the only commercial
policy consistent with business stability, and of
| those who recognize that the abuses of the
present unjust and unequal protective tariff
keep us from the enormous export trade
ought to have, are the most serious hlndrance to
American industrial progress. We submit that
protection does not protect the class it claims to
protect; that to protect the few at the expense
of tie many is inconsistent with the
princisles of republican government, and
the revised tariff of 1888, raising duties and
by au Intentionally confused classification main
tainir others which IL pretends TO reduce, is
ents--~14'1 de~t9e Of EARNED proteetinnists to
averB honest reform
"Anierican manufacturers need cheaper mate
rials in order TO contend successfully in the mark
cts of the world against foreign competitors
The protected manufacturers are lew among the
many, and even these have generally been HIN
dered, rather than helped, by so-called protec-
tiOn.
tries, is discovering that it gets higher wages
by protection, that ikcan buy less with its money
and can save less. The poorer the man is the
more the tarif hurts him. The high
wages which generally prevail in America
are due to superior advantages which would be
increased by the removal of the tariff restric-
tiOns. While there is absolute free trade in
labor, and manufacturers can import the cheap
labor of Europe, the laborer is denied the right
to buy goods in the cheapest market. Labor is
paid less in protected European countries than
in free-trade England. In the highly protected
cotton manufacturers the average wages paid
here are actually less than the wages paid in
England.
.'The profits of protection go TO monopolists
The very men who, in Congress. most loudly de-
manded protection for American labor were i'm
porting cheap Canadian labor to strip the North
west of its forests. The combined pottery man
ufactOries of Ohio cut down wages and
discharged the American hands the moment tie
tariff on their products was cIeased.
''The monopolists and corrupt legisl atOrs prac-
,ieally deny to their wOrkmen liberty of speech
and the free exercise OF their vote. The Ameri-
can farmers, constituting more than half of our
voters, bearing with the workiD gmen the burden
os all the taxes, pay for protection and get none
Of il; they sell in an unprotected Market and
buy in protected one.
''PrOtectiOn taxes the poor man far more
heavily IL an the rich, it restricts the farmers
market by shutting out those who would
change with him. 1t burdens the manufacturer
by adding TO the cost of his materials without
increasing the amount of his sales, and 1t re-
duces the wages of workmen in every line OF
business.
''Che true interests of America are bound to-
gether in free trade, equal taxation, farmers
rights, manufacturing prosperity and higher
wages. The government of the United States
mas constitutional or other right to impose
taxes on the people, except with the intent and
result of getting sufficient money into the pnb-
lie treasury to pay the public debt, provide for
the common defense, provide for q general wei
fare And all tariff taxes called protective laid
with a different intent and result ought TO be
abolished in favor of the promotion of recprO-
city und repeal OF the navigation slaws, which
have destroyed our merchant marine
"WedO not counsel the imnedl ate formation Of
new party. though we recognize that many
Republicans aud many Democrats, losing faith
in their parties desire to unite politically for
a genuine revenue reform. But In case the ex.
listing parties. in their utterances their candi-
dates, or designating their views in Congress,
persistently oppose and evade reform, we advise
the revenue refOrlner5 TO prepare for lndepeDd-
ent political action.
'Meanwhile we call upon those who think with
us to make the existing public sentiment visible
by organization, TO extend 1t by discussion and
other education, to make it practical at the polls
by questioning candidates for Congress- ana by
voting in congressional campaigns, Ill which this
is already the supreme question, for candidates
This address Is issued in behalf of freedom, the
most precious result OF political action, and in
behalf of prosperity whose broad and only last.
ing basis is found in the perfect freedom OF hu-
man activity, bounded only by the equal privi-
leges of all men,"
After the afternoon session the members OF
the American Free-trade League held a meeting,
and after consideration elected the following
ofiicers President, Hon. David A. Wells. OF Nor
wich, Conn. Vice-presidents, Thomas Holland,
of New York; Charles Francis Adams. of Boston;
Anson Phelps Stokes, OF New York; Wm. p.
Wells, OF Detroit; w. p Fishback of IndaDapO-
lis; j. Sterling Morton, Of Arbor Springs, Neb.;
John 8. Phelps, OF Springfield, Mo-; b. F. Cue, OF
Des MOines, la; b. R. FoTman, of New Orleans;
Charles P. Smith, of Philadelphia; Professor
Jas. II. Garfield, of Lawrence, Kan. Secretary,
r. r. Bowker OF New York; Western secretary,
Henry j. Philpot, OF Des Moines, la. Treasurer,
George F. Peabody, of New York. An executive
committee was named as follows: t. G. Shear
man, of Brooklyn; VIM. @. BrOwnlee. of Detroit;
A. l.. Earle. Of New York; II. b. Stapler, OF
New York; f. G. Taylor, OF Kansas City; f. M.
Shepard, of Brooklyn. One vacancy was left to
be filed by the committee.
Pugilistic Naval Youths.