Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-30
POWER OF FREE TRADERS
A FEW VOTES IN A FEW DIS
TI,ICrS WILL WIN THE FIGHT.

TItICES WILL WIN THE FIGHT.
Roth of the Crest Parties at Their
Mercy If they will Stand Together
The Evils of the Protection Policy and
the Benefits of Free Trade COntrasted.
NEW YORK, Aug. 29.-The conference
of free traders held here at the call Of the
National Committee of the American
Free Trade League has adopted an adj
dress, of which the folio wing extracts
will give the salient features:
To the Friends Of Freedom: The inabil-
jty of the large Democratic majority in
the House of Representatives to pass a
bill for tariff reform looking only to the
removal of the heavy burden OF taxation
from, few great industries, and the re-
fusal of the representatives of the Repub-
lican party aud their allies to even con-
sIder abatement of tariff taxation in any
degree, imperatively calls for aggressive
and uncompromising political action by
the friends of commercial freedom.
POPULAR FEELING.
There can be no doubt that the major
tty of the American people, at present
acting in unison with one or other of
the two great political parties, are con-
yiuced of the practicability and necessity
of tariff reform and the abandonment of
the hitherto dominant policy of high. dis
eliminating and unnecessary taxation.
A clear statement of the issue between
the protectionists and free traders ls OF
itself demonstration OF the truth OF tnlS
assertion. On one side the advocates of
"protection'' start with the assumption
that under free and republican form OF
government the power of taxation may
be lawfully used to aid private enter
prlses and build up private fortunes on
the false plea now demolished by the
hard logic OF facts that such Legislation
betters business and raises wages.
FREE TRADE PRINCIPLES.
On the other side, the principles of the
free traders may be simply stated as fol-
lows;
|. They demand that the whole system
OF Federal taxation be so reconstructed
and readiusted that all taxes which the
people pay shall be received by the gov
ernment without the diversion or any
part for the fostering of private interests.
2. That the promotion and true protec-
tion of domestic industry is to be found
In the removal of all taxes from articles
which constitute the foundation or are
necessary TO the processes Of our various
industries, and that the incidence Of taxa
tion be restricted as far as possible to ar
ticles which are ready for final consump-
tion and of which use is voluntary rather
than necessary.
THE FOUND ALTON OF PROSPERITY.
3. They claim that the abandonment of
the present high, discriminating and un-
necessary tariff taxes, and the levy or
national 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-
sarV steps to gradually insure to the
country full industrial employment and
high wages, abundant production and
low cost, extended markets and perma-
nent revival of CON mercial activity.
STRENGTH OF THE TWO SIDES.
The recent trial OF strength In Congress
shows that the change of single district
IN bali of the Stales from the side of the
protecti0nists to the side of free traders
is all that is required TO reform the reve-
nue. system of the government. In more
than this number of districts a change of
less than per cent. in the vote will
change the district. 1t 10, therefore,
essential that each friend of commercial
freedom, in anticipation of the nOmina-
tiOns in his Congressional district, shall
determine and, as far as possible, pub
N licly declare his determination not to
i vote for any candidate for Congress who
4 is not opposed to tariff for protection.
DISCRETION OF THE DISTRICTS.
H In what cases it may be best to put an
n Independent candidate in the field, and in
e what others to abstain from voting must
be left to the free traders of each district
a 10 decide for themselves. Added to this,
I'd let every friend of the cause diligently
strive to extend his local influence by
d1using sound, economic literature,
ana by promoting the organization of
s. cubs OF five or more persons in as many
places as he can reach. Such O system
# requires no large expenditure of money,
and need not be necessarily dependent on
'le direction Of any central organization.
FORCING ADOPTION.
1t is thus possible that tariff reform NAV
y accomplished blythe force ofpublic opin-
ION Within both parties compelling acqui-
escence Of those in power. But if the con-
uhued failures of the Democratic party
~ Congress-, helped by the lIberty.lovlng
republicans, to carry any practical
measures OF tariff reform, continue to be
met by the opposition of the Republican
party Organization and its Democratic
allies, the Democratic and Republican
nte traders must unite to destroy the
party which cannot carry out its own
principles and to supersede it with new
party of freedom.
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
Inc American Free Trade League have
e essoh 70 believe that where not an absO-
ue majority the number of free trade
yers IN most OF the Congressional dis
LUIS ls sufficiently large to hold the bal.
puve Oh power between the candidates of
roS. roe .wo great political parties, and it only
Il ~alns @ with these, to whom this appeal
10 now made, to decide whether that
pGwsf 1--we shall now be 80 lntelligeptly exsr-
Cioeu cios as TO make it both feared by politi-
,"19 and respected by statesmen. Let
Sbe .ul u[st step be taken and the battle will
Oo substantially won.