The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-06-06
FREE TRADE TALKERS.
Proceedings in the Conference at
Detroit.
An Address to the Speeches by
7. G. shearman, Non. W. SprIn- F
~ ger and others. e,

| ference accomplished ltttlo,f owing to
the lack OF report from the committee
on platform. The session opened with
the reading of several letters and tele-
grams. TheO. Roosevelt OF New York,
favored an immediate return to the poll
icy OF free ships, the abolition of prepOs-
ferrous duties on works of art, q rapid re-
ductiOn and total abolition Of duties on
raw materials, and progressive mOdifi-
cation of all import duties in the direc-
tiOn of tariff for revenue only. Tele-
| grams regretting inability to attend
were received from Cox; U. 8. Senator
| vance Of North Carolina; BushrOd Morse
of Boston, and John 8. Phelps of SPRING
| field, Mo. 4
Pending the arrival of committees
some time was spent in listening to re-
ports concerning the free trade senti-
| ment Of various sections of the country.
They were OF an encouraging tone. The
committee on organization submitted
the following: .ll TF0-77
The conference recognizes desire to
| record its hearty appreciation of the val
liable work already accomplished by the
local and state organizations, and OF the
very important assistance to such effort
which has been rendered by the Ameri-
| can Free Trade League; and whereas,
the latter has proposed to reOrganize
upon basis more thoroughly represen-
tative and National, and desires to cOun-
sci this conference to such end; there
1 fore the conference recommends:
First-That the free trade work of the
country be organized under the general
direction OF the American Free Trade
League. .s
SecOnd-That the American Free
| Trade League appoint a National Com
mittee, composed of one delegate from
each state league, such delegate to have
general direction of the work in his
state, and to be responsible therefor.
Third-That the Executive Commit
tee of the National Committee appoint,
and have power to remove, a member to
represent on the National Committee
each OF those states which have no State
League. l
Fourth-That the National Committee
| appoint General Secretary, with head
quarters in the city of New York.
The report was adopted without dis
sent. In the course of general and
informal discussion, III. j. PhillpOt of
Iowa, reported very rapid growth Of
the free trade sentiment among the far
mers of his state, and j. Sterling Nor
ton of Nebraska, detailed the results of
last falls campaign in Nebraska, when
the Republican majority was reduced
one half. Edward Campbell thought If
the people Of Iowa could pass upon the
question Of free trade, separated from
other Issues, they would roll up big
majority in its favor. The Democratic
party of Iowa was almost a unit on the
subject, and the latter had been some.
what handicapped by the overwhelming
support of the former. To organize a
new free trade party would be fatal. He
preferred the liberal dissemination of
free trade principles among members of
other parties. For himself he would
support the principle Of free trade at a
sacrifice to party ties. If the tariff is
sue was at stake ne would rather vote
for Republican free traders than DEM
Ocratic prOtectiOnist. Justu6 Clarke of
Iowa spoke In similar vein,
Recess was taken till afternoon.
The conference reassembled at 3
o'clock, but the committee on address
being still out, brief speeches were
made on the question of the best methods
Of action, whether by organizing a
third party or working inside the lines
of existing parties. Finally the com
mittee on address made report, which,
after discussion, was adopted as follows:
This conference submits to Americans
that revenue reform has now become
the paramount vital issue in National
politics. We desire to obtain to the
greatest practicable extent the same
freedom Of trade among nations which
IN.
We see In the abuses OF the present tariff
the chief obstruction to the continued
development and prosperity of the cOun-
try. To do away with the abuses and
ask help alike OF those who believe that
free trade Is an essential part of Ameri-
can freedom and the only commercial
policy consistent with business stability,
and OF those who recognize that the
abuses of the present unjust and un-
oil wsc d T.
enormous export trade we ought to
have, and form most serious hindrance
to American industrial progress. We
submit that protection does not protect
the classes 1t claims to protect; that to
protect the few at the expense Of many
Is Inconsistent with the principles of a
Republican government, and the re-
vised tariff Of 1888, raising some duties
and by an Intentionally confused clsssi-
ficatiOn maintaining others it pretends
to reduce, Is only the device of the
alarmed proteetionists to avert an honest
revenue reform.
American manufacturers need cheaper
materials In order to contend success
fully In the markets Of the world against
foreign competitors. The projected
manufacturers are few among many,
and even these have generally been him
dered rather than helped by sO-called
protection. 90
American labor, even In protected in
dustries, Is discovering that 1t gets no
higher wages by protection. that 1t can
buy less with its money, and can save
less. The poorer the man Is the more
the tariff hurts him. The higher wages
which generally prevail in America are
due to superior advantages, which would
be increased by the removal of tariff re-
strlctlon. 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 manufactures
the average wages paid here are actually
less than the wages paid In England.
The profits of protection go to mOnopo-
lists only. The very men who, in Con-
gress, most loudly demand protection
for American labor were. Importing
cheap Canadian labor 70 strip the North
Waat of tta f0raafa Tho aoFn hi m I'd mot