St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-17
FREE TRADE.
A Love Feast of the New York League
Saturday Night.
Speeches by the Local President and Speaker
Carlisle.

NEW YORK, March 15.-The New York
Free Trade club gave its sixtieth annual
dinner tonight. Horace White, and Manton
Marble, the farmer editor of the World, were
among the guests. Letters of regret were
received from United States Senators Bayard,
Pendleton and Beck, Charles Francis Adams
and Henry Ward Beecher. The president,
Everett s. Wheeler, welcomed the guests, es-
pecially Speaker Carlisle. As the name of
Mr.. Carlisle was mentioned the gentlemen
arose and cheered. The president in his
speech referred to the resolutions of sym
patty passed by the house of representatives
on the death of Herr Lasker, ''the de-
termined opponent of the protective policy"
and said that we are delighted to
notice that the whole country has
united, without distinction of party, in
condemnation of the action of the German
chancellor in refusing to tran smit this resell
ution to the reichstag." Wheeler said that
another encouraging fact is the report on the
Morrison bill. SIT is step forward and
we welcome it'' Gree trade" he said,
''does not mean untaxed trade, it does mean
that commerce should not be burdened more
heavily than agriculture or manufacturers,
and that no class of our citizens should have
bounty from the government at the expense
of the rest. We urge the reduction OF the
tariff because we are Americans, and because
we believe in the power and effectiveness Of
American industry
When the president finished his remarks,
and said that Mr.. Carlisle would respond to
the first toast, the gentlemen at the
tables applauded loudly, and when
Speaker Carlisle arose, every man in
the room stood up and cheered again
and again. The sentiment to which Mr.. Car
Isle responded was ''Our federal union"
After making an acknowledgement of the
reception, he said, 81 am obliged always for
an opportunity of saying few words in re-
spouse to the toast which is assigned me.
The formation of the union, peacefully and
voluntarily, which made such radical change
in the relation between the several states
themselves and between others and the gen
eral government, was undoubtedly one of
the greatest political achievements of modern
times. 1t is, think, safe to say, that in no
other part of the world could such change
have been peacefully made at that time, and
perhaps, it is equally safe to say, it could not
have bean made had it been here twenty or
thirty years later. The old federation pos
sessed no means of sustaining itself.
In fact, it had no power to impose
taxes, regulate commerce, or administer just
ice. 1t had but one of the essential depart
ments of real government, the legislature,
and even that was defective and almost i'm
potent. Each state has the right to levy and
impose duties, subject only to the condition,
that they should not interfere with the duties
entered into by the United States and with
foreign countries or states. There was no
limitation whatever, upon the power of any
state to impose duties upon the products of
any other American state brought within its
limits for consumption. For the purpose Of
protecting its own manufactures, the state of
New York has full power to impose
any rate of duty upon Philadelphia goods,
and New Jersey possessed the same
power in respect to the products of New York
If tree trade is what it is, and everyone
claims, if it enables them to overcome natu-
raj disadvantages and secure a higher degree
of transportation, it must be admitted that
the arrangement existing under confedera-
ton was wise one and ought never to have
been disturbed. But the trainers of the con-
stitution, the men who founded this federal
union, did not they say they believed that free
trade-absolute free trade between the seve-
raj states, was imperatively demanded by the
interests of the people. This free trade was
established by the constitution, not only for
the trade between the states then existing,
but between all the states that might there
after exist as members of the federal union,
and most all will admit that the wonderful
transportation of this country is attribu-
table largely to that provision, more largely
than to anyother one thing. What different
picture this country presents from what it
would have presented, if the policy of re-
striction and protection had prevailed among
the states, as it has prevailed for so many
years between the United States and foreign
nations. Under the liberal policy established
by the constitution, our means of internal
communication and transportation is in
creasing. Free commercial intercourse be-
tween the states has promoted development
of our national resources, fOstered agriculture
and manufacture, and added millions to the
wealth of the people, while the protective
system has, to a large extent at least, shut
US out from the markets of other
countries, and brought US, substantially, to
the demands of home consumption, and in
many cases, has actually arrested the free
development of great industrial interests.
The constitution, not only prohibited the
states from laying imposts on imports or ex-
ports, but it expressly delegated to congress
the power to collect duties to pay for the
general welfare. This is simply the power
to raise revenue for public purposes. 1t is
monstrous abuse to use it, not for the pur
pose of raising revenue, but for the purpose
of prohibiting commerce. 1t is, if possible,
still greater abuse of that power
to employ it for private instead
of for public purposes. Let no man,
I pray you, misunderstood me upon
this point. Experience alone has shown it
is almost impossible to devise any scheme
that will not instantly,in a greater or less de-
gree, either injure or benefit private indus
trial interests. mean to say, that when the
primary or one object of that taxation is the
fostering of private interest, it is not in
the ultimate used for the purpose of taxation,
but it is simply a spoliation When we have
adjusted ourselves in the same way as those
who have become accustomed to it, it might
be injurious to suddenly repeal or greatly re-
duce the duties. Such a course
would seriously alarm many
who are employed in these
enterprises, and when the capital is the same,
as if that was the real issue. For these rea-
sons it has always been my opinion that it
was the duty of congress to proceed careful
ly on this subject, having due regard for
every step. In other words am in favor of
reformation, not resolution. This pro-
cess of reformation must go on, until the
power of taxation is used only for proper
no c+o IL,