The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-21
Free Traders at Work.

United States, at Norfolk, Va, makes in
quiry of the sentiments of the Republi-
can candidate for Congress from this dis
trict. The purpose is expressed to give
aid and comfort to the cause Of Free
Trade, in the support of the candidates
who will favor that policy. 1t quotes from
the utterance of ex-Secretary McCulloch
in favor of free raw materials, including
ores and wool, as evidence that the Repub-
licans favor reform of the tariff in the
line indicated. It will be remembered by
our readers that when Mr.. McCulloch gave
expression to the views above mentioned.
the demand was made upon the President,
by the Republicans, for his removal from
Office, as the sentiment he expressed was
in direct conflict with the policy and prin-
ciples Of the Republican party.
In harmony with this movement of the
Free Trade League in Virginia, We find
that in New York persistent and organ
ICED efforts are being made to capture the
Legislature in that State, in order to elect
a United States Senator, and to aid mem
bers of Congress who sympathize with the
policy Of the League. We find in the
local columns of the Tribune, the follow
ing notice of their scheme. 1t speaks for
itself, and ought to be warning to the
voters of every district in the United
States, to support the candidates for Con
gress who are known to have pronounced
viaus in favor of nrOtactiou
Letters received from Tompkins, Che
mung and other counties indicate that the
Democrats are making special efforts to
elect members of the Assembly. The Free
Trade Club, which is made up of rich i'm
pOrters and agentSOf foreign manufacturing
establishments. is contributing money to
help elect members of the Assembly and
of the House of Representatives. Said the
agent of large English woollen house,
who is a member of the Free Trade Club:
II believe that the chances are better now
than at any time since the war for the
adoption of free trade in this country
The President and the Secretary of the
Treasury practically declared in favor of
it in their annual messages. Secretary
Bayard, Secretary Lamar and Attorney
General Garland are conspicuous advocates
of free trade. If we can get majority of
the Senate there will be large additions to
the free list by the next Congress. Free
ships and the free admission of woollen
and cotton manufactures will be of great,
benefit to US in England. 1 believe that it
would also benefit this country. For Tat
reason our house is willing to ccatribute
to the election of Democrats to- Congress.
The Free Trade League of the United
States is the legitimate offspring Of the
Golden Club of England. That is an as
ISOLATION of British noblemen, manufactu-
rers and others, organized in 1866, the
avowed object of which is interference
with the Protective policy of other coun-
tries. that the Introduction and sale there
in of British goods may be facilitated. So
powerful and influential is this organiza-
ton that in 1880 there were in its list of
members the names of two hundred men,
bers of the British Parliament, and of the
fourteen British Cabinet ministers, no
fewer than twelve were members of the
Club. Many American politicians are not
ashamed to be members of this Golden
Club and to receive its assistance in their
Congressional campaigns.
The New York Evenilg Post, an avowed
free trade journal, which supported Cleve-
land in 1884, because of his free trade lean
ings. announced that the New York Free
Trade Club was then ION sound financial
basis, with working capital assured to it
for years to Gomez and that it bad 'tde-
cided to enter the coming political cam
paign actively, directing its energies
largely to the Congr essional districts. y
From the time of this announcement and
long before this country had been deluged
with Free Trade tracts, paid for in Eng
land, every session of Con gress has wit
messed the introduction of tariff bills cal
culated to help England to obtain control
of our markets.
In 1858 British Parliamentary COM
mission made this declaration; 1.-The la
boring classes generally, in the manufac
turing districts of this country, and es
pecially in the iron and coal districts, are
very little aware of the extent to which
they are often indebted for their being
employed at all to the immense losses
which their employers voluntarily incur in
hard times in order to destroy foreign COM
petition and to gain and keep possession of
foreign markets." This policy of throw
ing surplus stocks of goods upon Ameri-
can markets is in force to day. We need
protective tariff as check to this Brit
ish policy, if for no other reason.
Says the London Times. "That Free
Trade Will come some day in the United
States it is perfectly safe to assert, but
how and when, and other miautie of the
kind must be left to the Golden Club and
to it's twelve Cabinet Members in their Off
cial capacity to decide" The Golden
Club and all the official influence of Eng
land is being consistently and persistently
directed to verify this prediction. While
the friends of protection to home labor
and home industries may be inactive, the
Free Traders never sleep and lose no op-
portunity to disseminate their anti-Ameri
can doctrines, through tracts and circu-
lars and hired speakers, who under the
flag Of this country and the protection of
her laws, are seeking to undermine and
destroy her commercial independence, as
means to Gripping, if not upturning our
political institutions. 1--WE might as
well.' said Peter Cooper, the great phi
lanthropist, 'permit our enemies to direct
the movement of our armies in time of
war as to permit them to direct or con-
troll our manufactures and other indus
tries in time of peace" 1t is to control
our Industries in the interest of British
manufacturers that the Free Trade League
is working, and it is that policy which the
Morrison tariff bill looked to. Boil
down the argument of the Revenue
Reformers, and it will be found that it
will be substantial free trade, and operate |
to the injury of the labor interests of this |
country. There is no safety for our indus |
trial independence outside of the protec-
tive policy, and that policy finds no earn
est, sincere, consistent and effective sup
port except in the Republican party.
It is an appropriate time for the friends |
Of American labor and American indus |
tries to be banding together to resist the
efforts of the Free Trade Clubs and |
r