Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-04-30
A few Free Traders.

HUIkSUA AH 1AA< 1--WE 1~~o0~ 4
=. A few Free Traders. Ii
There La n class of men In the coun-
frv Who are never satisfied unless they q
a-e on the tor wave Of prosperity all {
the time, and whenever they fail to oc-
cupy that position they would favor
sonething or anything that would
build up their individual enterprise
though 1t pulled down all other enter
prises. Such man il the general free
trader. Such men take delight In at
tacking the tariff laws. Spread before
them the most instructive chapters in
ind ustrial history and they are only in
terested in the matter tpertaining to
themselves alone.
The tariff laws failing to meet the
individual cases of these men are COL
demned by them and they gradually |
driet into the free trade school. 1t has
not been long since we heard an intelli-
gent lady oppose the tariff on account
Of the duty on gloves. Because the
tariff made them little higher in this
country she preferred those manufac-
tured by the cheap, starved labor OIL
Europe, and because she thought gloves
ought be on the free list, she never
thought but that every thing else should
10 there also.
A very large class Of literary gentle
mon are free traders because they want
books in foreign languages, and books
OF all kinds indeed admitted free.
knowledge they say should be FREQ, and
hence withoutany well formed judg-
ment upon other matters they find
themselves advocating free trade.
Another sort of objector to the tariff
is the home producer, who does not
think the tariff does for him what he
expected He was satisfied as long al
he got good prices for his cotton ant
copper. But now with an overstocket
marke. he wants to know why we can
not have those markets still. In thi
state of mind he thinks frss trade coul'
not make the situation worse and h
would like to see 1t tried. If 1t coul
be done without infiicting ruin on mol
reasonable people, we might desire thu
he should have o complete trial OF
fheir 1 cost ewsnRt 1&gGaE uMo pld t tna
Of the Spanish mines recently develops
by British capital until Spain pToduc
AAoA . COPPCl bhaA LILO ~ hAtCo pbntC
Our cotton spinHers would also see ii
country flooded with Manchester
cheap goods, neither to their benel
nor to that Of the consumers.
II should be remembered that Il
tariff protects manufactures.
guarantees nothing against Il
home competition, which pulls q
profit down to the came level. 1t do
nothing for the producer but to gi'
him the home market to make the be
of it. 1t does not undertake to ma
them wise in the outlay of their cal
tAl or virsuous in their charges to t
com munity, which they will use 9
cordtng to such wisdom as they pr
sess.
Another class OF obj sctors to a pl
tective tariff is that composed of t
manufacturers who appeal to high q
thority against all duties on raw n
terials. They are generally New Ell
land Mugvumps, who want wool
they sell, but they want free trade
all they buy. They want the duty
whatever they make tc remain I
same. But this class cannot reasonai
be accommodated.
II Is just as important to the count
that it should grow its own wool, mi
Its own copper and iron, aud prodr
other materials for its own use as /.
that 1t should work these up by naa1
facture.
Then there is the free trader by
terest. He is in the importing busin
which generally means that no is
commission agent for certain forei
manufacturers, and makes money
proportion to the amount OF sales
can effect for them. These social
importers are frequently resident allie
and they become the dumping groui
upon which England urloads what
oaunot carry. They have come
America with no intention of becom
Americans. They mean to make MOI
and take it home with them, as
Chinese and Italian laborers do.
might be thought that such pers
would have M infinanon - 49, r~ii"i
Lnere IS Where a fmistake lies. tt
have great influence and furnish
funds to support free trade leagues,
was shown by Mr.. Greeley while l!vil
by publishing the list Of subscribers
such purposes. They provide o gr
mass Of we'll paid advertising to k
free trade newspapers sAo.5. In I
way these free traders manufact
public opinion in favor of free ira
Much Of it is manufactured by allie
who have about as much right to m
die in American politics as has the c
den club.
IT Americans meddled with Encl
politics in this manner they would
open to suspicion as disturbers of
public peace Of England, and mi
possibly be arrested as suspects.
this is about the way free trade SCI
ment Is manu-. actured, and poli,j
demagogues seeing the political po'
there is In 1t, turn 1t to their ad yanta
Odd FelIOwshfD