Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-20

Resolutions Adopted at the Meeting of the
League in Chicago.

At Ike session OF the Free Trade League
in Chicago Thursday, the report of the
committee on resolutions was subjected
to much discussion, but it was finally
adopted as follows: "'ihe people of the
United States believe that the continuance
II the war tariff with duties averaging
twenty four per cent on over 400 articles
If domestic consumption and much
CHER specified duty on many crude ma
rrln's has prolonged the evils of the war
in times of profound peace, and has been
the principal cause of the commercial and
uuu.trIal depression of recent years. by
.uc.. :: labor and capital from naturally
d., uiaulc into Improbable lines of buSl-
.r... .ud 10y adding to the cost of pro
.jc iuus 1t las decreased the common
,uGuctlVc capacity of labor and capital
"a. thereby reduced both the wages
.apm and the profits of CAPT
al: !. las provoked HutagOnism be
Aces labor and capital, against which
,ur great natural resources and our free
institutions should have protected us. 1t
HaS impaired our power To compete with
vi. IF }uu.uiaCturlng nations III the mar
,.i~ OF he world and SO Obstructed ma
uuual progress and development that has
destroyed many branches of business and
mas kept our people from engaging IN
other branches OF business which should
nave increased.
1t has numbered employment to labor, by
preventing our buying from nations will
| ing to buy from us, and by provoking re-
taliation in like spirit instead of promot-
! ing friendly reciprocity. 1t has Obstructed
| the consumption of our agricultural ana
manufactured products by other countries
and has driven our commerce from the
sea; by impairing our domestic power &c
] Il N
development of our interstate com
mercc and reduced the legitimate
profit and traffic and has driven into bank
ruptcy large number of our traupOrta
ton companies and made domestic traffic
more costly. Through the influence OF
Its Hobbies it has brought jObbinS and cor
ruption in our legislative halls and has i'm
peded the reform of the civil service; III
short taking by force the earnings OF one
class OF men to enrich another class, 1t il
opposed to the spirit of American liberty
and on the constitution a; it has imposed {
new industrial slavery it has prevented
National progress OF wealth among tht
farming classes, decreased wages and thell
purchasing power and heightened en-
forced idlenesS OF wOrkmen 1t has re
stricted our manufactures from thei
natural markets and demoraliZed tn,
general business of the country. Whll'
holding accordingly that taxes in ale
If private interest or for any PURPOSE
other than the requirements of the gov
eminent are un-Amerlcan, unjust ant
unwSe, and that every protective feature
must at the earliest possible date be eradi
Gated from our revenue system. we III
vite all who oppose the abuses OF the pres
ent tariff to join us in promoting lmme
diate steps of il practical tariff reform
which we believe will increase wages
diminish the frequency OF strikes, deNelol
business and restore our flag to the seas
We therefore urge upon Congress that II
its ensuing session, under no pretenS
shall any countenauce whatever be glvel
to any attempt to increase protective du
ties that articles which are ut the foun
dation of great industries should i'll tn
interests of labor and of commerce b
freed from duty, whether they be crud
materials rs lumber, salt and coal, o
partly manufactured as chemicals, dy
stuff, pig iron, tin plate and wood pulp
, that on products from such articles tn
+ duties should ut least be correspondence.
,, reduced, SO that protection, real or non
iual, to manufacturers shall not be II
creased, and that consumers shall hav
the immediate benefit of the reduction
We demand free ships and the abolition {
I our restrictive navigation laws which Il
j. getler with tht t&r.d, ..'ct !NrE our Ia
l from the Sea>, ANA "" upt.,rr bountit
+ and subsidies on shipping, We urge re-
[ euue reformerS to vO;e only iut such col
. gressional candidates its openly oppose
: tariff tor protection, and to take steps
+ nominate independent candidates whe
t all party candidates oppose tariff reform
+ preparing for the step by dlifuslng SCUM
= economical literature and promoting o
Il ganization, especially III close congre
= sional districts David y, Wells al
S Henry Ward Beecher spoke on free tra'
u ut Music Hall