The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-30
FRIENDS OF FREE TRADE.
An Address Urging Vigorous and United PO-
litical Action Against Protection.

New YORK, Aug 29-The following address
of American free traders has been published
TO the Friends of Freedom:
s'The inability of large Democratic majority
In the national House of Representatives to pass
bil or tariff reform. looking only to the re-
nova OF heavy burden of taxation from few
great industries, ard the refusal of the repre-
sentatives of the Republican party and their
allies to even consider the abatement of tariff
taxation In any degree, imperatively calls for
aggressive and uEcompromising political action
by the friends of COMMERCIAL freedom There
can be no doubt that majority of the American
people at present acting in unison with one or
the other of the great political parties are con-
WINGED of the practicability and necessity of
tariff reform and the abandonment Of the hith-
erto dominant policy of high, discriminating and
unnecessary taxation. A clear statement of the
issue between the protectionsts and the free
traders is of itself demonstration of the truth
of this assertion.
ION the 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 en-
terprises 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. For a long period they have re-
diiced this assumption to practice by imposing
heavy taxes on articles now necessary to the pro-
cesses of great domestic industries for the hem
portance to the aggregate industrial interests OF
the whole country. Thus, for years past. our
fiscal policy has been practically dictated
by the manufacturers of pig-iron and the
growers of wool. although the aggregate value OF
the annual product of pig-iron and wool is not
equal to the value of the annual egg and poul-
try crop of the country. and not to be compared
with the value of the annual crop OF either hay,
wheat, corn cotton Emboldened by long toll
GRAFTON, the demands Of these special interests
increase in audacity. as is shown in the recent
proposition of Samuel j. Randall. their repre-
sentative, to advance the duties on tin plate from
TO q cents per pound This article is used
largely for the preservation. by canning, of an
excess of our meat. vegetable. fruit, fish and oil
products, which, without such treatment could
not be marketed, but would be wasted The
present duty, freights and commissions added,
constitutes bounty which would cover the pay
nent of double the wages paid in the tin
plate industry in Great Britain. But as the
foreign manufacture is conducted at minimum
of proft-the price of tin plates being the lowest
ever known in history-the present tax is re-
garded as insufficient. and MIR. Randall proposes,
in spite of an overlooking treasury, to increase
this tax from Sc. 600. 600 to all aggregate of
SIS, 000 000 and collect it by adding to the cost
of the preservation of meat fish and fruit de-
creasing our export market accordingly, the
milk pans and cans of every farmer, the cooking
utensils and dinner-pail of every workman. and
the construction of every dwelling house and
railroad Car in the country-aN for the benefit OF
few iron manufacturers and capitalists in
Pennsylvania. On the other side, the principles
Of free-traders may be simply stated as fol-
lows:
II. They demand that the whole system of
federal taxation be so reconstructed and read
justed that all the taxes which the people pay
shall be received by the government without the
diversion of any part for the fostering of private
interests
so. That the promotion and true protection
of domestic industry is to be found in the re-
moval Of all taxes from articles which constitute
the foundation, or necessary to the processes
of our various industries, and that the incidence
of taxation be restricted, far possible, to
articles which are ready for final consumption,
and of which the use is voluntary rather than
necessary.
.3. They claim tina the abandonment of the
present high, discriminating and unnecessary
tariff taxes, and the levy of national revenue on
a comparatively few articles, which taxes
can be collected with the least interference with
the freely chosen pursuits of the people, are the
necessary steps to gradually insure to the coun-
try full industrial employment aud high wages,
an abundant production and low cost extended
markets and permanent revival OF commercial
activity.
''The trade competitors of the United States
are loaded down with debt and with the support
of great standing armies, which, Ia turn, entail
burden of taxation SO heavy as to impair their
resources, cripple the energies of their people,
and increase the cost of their products To sue
cessfully make the race for trade with nations
thus hampered it is only necessary that the peo
pie OF this country adopt a tax policy diamet
really opposite. Other nations must then
disband their armies and set their soldiers to
work, with better wages and better subsistence
than they now have. to afford them any chance
for competing with country so rich in resources,
SO intelligent and active in respect to popula-
ton, and so free in respect to government as
the United States.
''It is for such result that the American
Freetrade League invite the cooperation of the
patriotic men of all political parties The recent
trial of strength in Congress shows that change
of single district in half of the States from the
side of the protectionists to the side of the free
traders is all that is required to reform the rev.
enue 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 A
comparatively small number of those opposed by
conviction to policy of taxation and restric-
ton, asserting themselves actively, can thus
produce the desired result. 1t is therefore
essential that each friend Of commercial free
DOM in anticipation of the nominations in his
congressional district shall determine and as
far as possible publicly declare his determination
not to vote for any candidate for Congress who
is not opposed to tariff for protection except
where it is necessary to defeat by electing an
avowed protectionist opponent. candidate who
straddles Democracy by catering to monopolstS
and traders in special legislation on the one
hand, while claiming support from the toiling
tax-paying masses on the other. In what eases
it mey be best to put an independent candidate
in the field, and in what others to abstain
from voting, must be left TO the free traders of
each district to decide for themselves Added
to this, let every friend of the cause diligently
strive to extend his local influence by diffusing
sound economic literature and by promoting the
organization of clubs of five or more persons in
as many places as he can reach. Such a system
requires large expenditure of money, and
need not be necessarily dependent on the diree-
ton of any central organization but such an
organization will exist, and will be all the
stronger from the multiplication and co-opera-
ton of independent and. in a large degree, indi-
vidual action 1t is thus possible that tariff
reform may be accomplished by the force
of public opinion within both parties, compelling
the acquescence of those in power But if the
continued failures of the Democratic party in