Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-30
FREE TRADE.
Tne American FreeTrade League Issue
a Circular Inviting Democrats
and Republicans to join.
The Great Advantages Of Free Trad" are
set Fourth In strong Terna-Ean.
daIls Tin Tariff Denounced.

address OF American free.traders IS pub
lished: To the Friends Of Freedom;
The inability Of the large Democratic
majority in the national house OF repre-
sentatlyes 10 pass bill for tari6 reform,
looking only TO the removal OF the heavy
burden Of taxation from the great indus
tries and the refusal Of the representa-
tiyes OF the Republican party and their
allies TO even consider the abandonment
OF the tariff question In any degree, i'm
perativeIy calls for aggressive and un-
compromising Political action by
the friends OF commercial freedom.
There can be no doubt that the major
w of the American people at present
acting In union with one or the other OF
the great political parties are convinced
OF the responsibility and necessity OF
tariff reform and the abandonment OF the
hitherto dominant policy OF high discrim-
mating and unnecessary tHxaslon. A
clear statement Of the issRes between the
prOtectlonists and free-traders Is snfli-
Client Of itself TO demonstrate the truth OF
this assertion. On the one side the i'd
yocateg OF protection start with the as
sumption that under free and republican
form of government the power OF taxa.
ton may be lawfully used 10 aid private
enterprises and build up private fortunes.
This Is false plea and Is de-
Inolished by the hard logic OF facts.
Such legislation betters business and
raises wages. For a long period they
have reduced this assumption 20 practice
by imposing heavy taxes on articles now
necessary 10 the progress OF great do
nestle industries for the benefit OF special
interests OF very small relative Importance
TO the aggregate Industrial interests Of
the whole country. Thus far the year
past, our fiscal policy has been practlc-
ally dictated by the manufacturers OF pig
Iron and growers OF wool, although the
aggregate value OF the annual product OF
iron and wool is not equal 70
the value OF the annual egg and
poultry crop Of the country, and IL not TO
be compared with the value OF the annual
crop OF either hay, wheat, corn or cotton.
Emboldened By long liberation the de-
mands Of these special interests increase
in audacity, as IL shown in recent prop |
osltion Of Samuel ] Randall, their repre-
sentative, 20 advance the duties OF tim |
plate from 10 to l24 cents per pound. |
This article Is used largely Tor preserva-
tion by canning OF an ex-
cess OF our meat, vegetables,
fruit, fish and oil products, which |
without such treatment, could not be
marketed, but would be wasted and the |
present duty on frelghts and commissions |
added constitutes bound which would |
cover the payment of double wages paid |
In the tin industry in Great Britain. For
the foreign manufacture as conducted at
a minimum Of profit, the prices of tin
plates being the lowest ever known In
history, the present tax is
regarded as insufficient, and |
Randall proposes, Ia spite OF an
overlooking treasury, TO increase this tax |
from S6,000,000 TO an aggregate Of $751;
100000, and TO collect II by adding 10
the cost OF the preservation Of meat, fish
and fruit, decreasing our export market
accordingly, milk-pans and cans OF every
farmer, the cooking utensils and dinner.
pail OF every workman, and the construc.
tlon Of every dwellinR-house and railroad
car In the country, all for the benefit OF a
few iron manufactures and capitalists in
Pennsylvania.
On the other side the principles OF the
free traders may be simply stated as fol-
lows
l. They demand that the whole system of
federal taxation be so reconstructed and
readjusted that all the taxes which people
pay shall be received by the government
without diversion OF any part for the
fostering Of private interests.
2. The promotion and true protec-
ton OF domestic industry Is to
be found In the removal
OF all taxes from articles which consti.
tute the foundation or are necessary to
the processes OF our various industries
and the incldentals OF taxation should be
restricted as far ~ possible to articles
which are ready for tlnal consumption
and OF which their use Is voluntary rather
than necessary.
3. They claim that the abandonment OF
the present high discriminating and I'M
necessary tarif taxes and the levy for ma.
tional revenue on comparatively few
articles on which taxes can be collected
with the least Interference with the freely
chosen pursuits OF the people are neces-
sary steps to gradually insure to the
country full Industrial employment
and high wages, an abundant protection
at low cost, extended markets aud n per-
manent revival OF commercial activity,
The trade competitors OF the United
States are loaded down with debts and
the support of great standing armies,
which in turn entail a burden OF taxation
so heavy as TO Impair their resources,
cripple the energies OF their people
aud Increase the cost OF their
products. To successfully make the race
for trade with nations thus hampered, |,
Is only necessary that the people OF this
country adopt tax policy Numerically
opposite, Other nations must then dis
band their armies and set their soldiers Ia
work with better wages and better sub.
slstence than they now have TO afford
them any chance OF competing
with country so rich In resources
so intelligent and active in respect to
population, and so free 10 respect TO gov.
eminent as the United States. II IA FOL
such results that the American Free
Trade league invites the cooperation
OF patriotic men OF all political
parties. The recent trial Of strength
In congress shows that the change of 8
single district In half the states from the
side OF the proteotlonists to the side OF
the free traders Is all that Is required 70
reform the revenue system OF the govern.
ment. In more than this number of dis.
tricts change OF less than per cent. In
the rate will change the district
II Is essential that each friend OF com