New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-21
WHAT FREE TRADE MEANS.

The capitalists of England, and the public
men, professors and journalists who serve the
interests of capitalists, are passOnately anxious
for free trade in this country. But the work.
ingmen of England, who have personal knowl-
edge of the influence of that policy upon their
own condition and earnings, feel that it is a
curse to them, and have too much manly SYM
pathy for the workers Of this country TO wish
them cursed also. Testimony on that point
has not been wanting, but it rarely happens
| that as much Of sound argument is condensed
Into single short letter as is found in the fol-
lowing, from a British workipgman and an
active leader among them, whose few words
embody moro wisdom than many volumes by
the so-called professors of British political
economy: ..i
Secretary Home Market Club, Boston, March %, 1888
Dear Sir: Thanks for the papers you have sent
me. I was In America for about two months last
summer, sent over by association, to SEQ for my
self whether the working classes OF your country
we're better of under Protection than are under
Free Trade and the conclusion I came to this:
That any person who has to earn a living IN Amer
lea al n producer must first become crazy before he
becomes Free Trader, and the farmers must be the
craziest Of the whole lot to think OF such thing.
Before any OF your workngmen (either engaged in
manufacturing agricultural talk about Free Trade,
let them send one Of their number here to see
what 1t is doing for this country let him walk about
for six months looking for Job, until his coat gets
ragged and his shoes get thin, and he gets thlnnest
of all and everywhere no asks for work he will 10
told that the Germans and Belgians are doing tho
work cheaper than he do It; then let them send
for him homo again, and hear what he says about
Free Trade.
II Il is the surplus revenue that is causing the
never knew them to have surplus; or II you don't
like 70 do that take 1t out and sink IT, or bury
f. or burn IT, or do anything IN fact rather than adopt
Free Trade that is to say, II you do not want foreign
competition to ruin your manufacturing industries,
and by 50 doing ruin your farmers by robbng them Of
their home market. Yours truly,
II. J. PETTIFER
nglectro Plate Worker1, secretary Workman's Asso-
citation for Defence OF British Industry.
1856 Waterloo Road, London, England.
The difference in the condition Of the work.
ingmen is the first thing that arrests the atten-
ton of any observing person who comes from
a free-trade country TO travel in the United
States. Mr.. Pettifer has given at length, and
with great force, his evidence on that point, in
papers published in England since his return,
and they have produced a strong impression
upon tho minds of British workers Well may
he call the workingman crazy who votes for the
candidates Of the free-trade Democracy here
and thousands Of them are coming to the con-
clusion since President Cleveland has thrown
of the mask of false pretences, that they have
been crazy long enough. Other testimony to
the same effect has been gwen by host OF
visitors from England Intelligent men from
this country, who were acquainted with the
conditions and means of living of the workers
here, have printed volumes of convincing testi-
mony, after investigating the wages, living and
circumstances of laboing men in England and
Germany. All this testimony is but cumulative
In value. in view of the tide of immigration
which sets in ever-swelling food toward these
shores from free-trade countries. When half
million or more Of workers come every year
from such countries to this, it is no longer an
experiment or an accident. 1t is because they
have learned, through host of friends who