River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-10-23
An influential Convert.

Wisconsin State Journal
Colonel W. M Grosvener, who was for many
years conspicuous free-trade advocate, has,
by the unanswerable logic of our eountry's phe-
nominal progress for the past twenty years,
been finally converted to the doctrine of Ameri-
can protection to home Industries He was the
writer some years since, of work entitled,
Does Protection Protect? in which he substan
TALLY upheld the theories now maintained by the
free trade doctrinalres of the east As jour
nalistic, he was engaged some years in writing
free trade articles for The St Louis Demo-
crat The absurd campaign of 1872, IN which
the free-tTade democracy were supporting
for the presidency one of the most notable and
aggressive protectionsts then living, and dis
cussons which that campaign engendered seem
to have put Col. Grosvener upon new train of
Thought which, aided by the beneficient work
ings of our protective system since, has IN
dueed him to openly proclaim his change OF
opinions. In an address before The Union
League club, of Philadelphia he declared that
the political assaults of his old free-trade as
sociates upon the protective system ''are not
intelligent; they are ignorant, laundering and
incapable In the hands of such men, with what
ever theories the nation would be wrecked.
sUnlike the bourbons," says he 81 hope | am
able to learn something in fifteen years, Many
things which | have doubted or disbe-
lieyed have been demonstrated before my
eyes. 1t is not the part of manhood to
one of those who believe that by much think
ing they can spin out of themselves an infalli-
BILE theory That sort of political economy
has ever had my profound contempt | have
tried to be an honest student of facts, and
when the facts call for new conclusions am
not afraid to form them. | pity the man that
can learn no new thing from this miracle work
ing nineteenth century. pity the man who can
learn nothing from 81 1000 live Americans
as they work new wonders every day. My
own opinions have in many respects been
changed by the results realized during the
past ten years, and especially by the in
creasing rewards of industry here" 1t may
be that after the asperities Of the present
election and campaign are over, the genluses
which preside over the editorial columns of
The New York Times, The Evening Post, not
to mention The Louisville Confessional, Will
revise their economic creeds will study anew
the tariff question in the light of later develop
ments, and like their whilom fellow disciple,
Colonel Grosyener, be regenerated into
newer and better faith. Many others of the
free traders are halting between two opinions,
and after mature dellberaton at the demo-
cratic national convention, a committee
composed of some of the most radical
of the alleged revenue reformers did
not dare to insert plank in their plat
form distinctly committing the party to free
trade but by circumlocation and unmeaning, If
not contradictory sentences, constructed for
mula which as specimen of ambiguity is not
surpassed in tho English or any other language.
Two adverse ideas in it are so lngenlousiy
balanced that it is still matter of dispute
even among its authors as to which has the
preponderance, and the color of the chameleon
could not be more indeterminate 1t is hardly
among the possibilities that the good sense of
the American people will lead them to side
with party whose position upon so important
an issue is so equivocal and uncertain.