The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-27
FREE TRADE ENGLAND.
THE PITIABLE CONDITION OF ENG
LIsH WORKING PEOPLE,

Stagnant Trade, Low Wages and Misery
in the Unconstitutional Observations of
n Boston Merchant.
Six months ago, in common with the
great majority of the business men Of
New England, my ideas upon tariff
matters, or, to be more precise my
ideas on the question of free trade or
protection, were very vague and uncer-
tam. On trains or boats in conversation
with neighbors, young men, or gray
haired merchants, when the great ques-
ton of tariff was mentioned, there was,
found, a great deal Of ignorance.
Business men would read with great |
interest all the speeches delivered upon |
the subject, but could seem to make but |
little out OF them, made up as they were |
in many cases of elaborate scientific ar
guments of how many threads of yarn
it takes to make a yard Of cloth, or how
many inches Of sleeps pelt it takes to
raise pound of.wool,
Some weeks since, left Boston for
trip to Europe. Not so much to make
the regular round followed by the great
army of tourists, but in out of the way
places to quietly observe the people,
their ways and customs, to improve ev-
cry opportunity of talking with the
business men as we'll as those who de-
pend for their daily bread upon their
daily labors. The result of these obser-
vations have been so marked, might
almost say startling that feel COM
PEELED to let the people at home know
how this great question is looked upon
in Europe, how free trade is affecting
those countries where its principles are
carried out, and what its unquestionably
effects will be in the United States
should its supporters there succeed in
seeing its principles carried into effect
in that country.
First, however, let me say am no
politician, hold no office, desire none.
Neither am / retired merchant who,
having accumulated sufficient wealth,
can afford to advocate any view his
passing fancy wishes, but l write as
New England business man who sim
cerely wishes to see the business Of the
country continue in prosperous coudi-
ton and the laboring man receive for a
days labor sufficient to supply his fam
lily with good food, good clothes and a
good education.
1t has been, during tho past week,
very amusing to close American OBJ
server in England to read the great
British dailies, because the average Eng
lishman is to-day so completely Devil.
dered over American politics that all he
can do is to stare and say, by JOve,
can't make it out, you know" Only
one week ago one of the leading British
dailies contained most bitter editorial
against the Republican party in Ameri-
ca, claiming that the Republicans were
hostile to British interests, and the arti-
Gle was particularly severe upon the Re-
publican Senators. In the same article
they could find no words OF commenda-
ton too strong to use in praise of Mr..
Cleveland. Wise, had governed the
country for three years and no flaws
could be found in his rulings, man of
sound Judgment, and plenty more
words Of admiration for this greateat of
modern statesmen. But, as a matter of
fact, the English press cares not snap
for either party, nor for Mr.. Cleveland
for that matter, but they do care for
free trade and it was because they rec
oGnIzed in the Democratic party in the
United States the great champion of
free trade that the press throughout
England hurried to give the President
and his party a warm embrace.
But within few days there has been
silence. The press seem to be bewilder-
ed. People ask each other, "How is
this, we have looked to Mr.. Cleveland
and his party to give us free trade, and
now he talks of retaliation, and fishery
question, and really we can't quite make
it out"
Don't he troubled, good English
friends, you are not up in the ways
that are dark" of American politics
Perhaps some of the common talk
among observing Engishmen, the past
two months, has found its way across
the Atlantic to the ears of the leaders of
the Democratic party, and, realizing
that all chances of success in the com
ing campaign were fast slipping away,
they adopted the plan OF a blood-and-
thunder message against England,
thrown as sop to bring back the strag
Cling ranks of the foreign voters.
1t is no secret at home, or here in
England, that thousands of the foreign
born voters of America have decided
quietly in their own minds to vote with
the party that favors protection. Dem
ocrats who may happen TO read this will
smile at the very idea, but where there
ia so much smoke there will be some
fire. Nearly everywhere l go in Eng
land toe remark is made, 1--WE hear a
very large Irish vote will be thrown
with the Republican party the coming
election" Indeedl on what grounds, |
ask, knowing full we'll what the answer
will be, "Why, because the Republic leans
are protectionists."
My reply to that Is that "if was an
Irishman, with the power to cast vote,
knowing all the bitterness, degradation
and poverty among the laboring people
in countries where free trade rules, |
would vote for protection every time"
One great argument used in America
is: Look at England; she is free trade,
and she is prosperous"
Not quite so fast my friend England |
ia not prosperous, and she never will be |
till she adopts protection; but Germany |
ia prosperous in certain lines, because |
she is getting the cream of Engl |
trade without paying pfennig for it.
l have talked with London clerks in |
large houses, and they tell me the con-
dition of trade is very bad, wages being
as low as G40 to ego year.
have talked with a number of COM |
mercial travellers, the best class in the |
community to get accurate information
from; they all say that trade is very
bad, goods selling at less than actual
cost of production.
! met last week at Oxford two COM
mercial men, who invited me to look |
over their lines OF samples of fancy
goods, glass ware. etc. They told me
that the heads of their houses said that
the business was not paying penny, |
and. unless a change came soon, they |
should close up the business, and as a
direct result of this depressed state of
affairs land throughout England will
not sell to-day for two-thirds what it |
would a few years ago. Now, what is
the cause of this state Of thingI A very
simple one: The countries where labor
is plenty and wages low are putting
their products into England at prices |
that England, even with her low rate of |
wages, cannot compete with. The |
large manufacturers on the continent
have educated their clerks in the Eng
llsh language, sent them TO every city,
town and village in England, paying no
license for selling, no duties on their
goods, go that in certain lines they are
gaining the entire monopoly In Eng
land.
In many OF the large factories in Aus
tria, Italy and Germany the average pay
per head is Is to 20 cents per day. Or to
put it more plainly, a whole family of
five persons can earn about one dollar
per day. Is it any wonder they can put
their goods into the United States, I'M
der free trade regime, for one-third
what we could produce them aE How
is this, gentlemen, you who are taking
the stump and shouting for free trade?
Wer'n't you aware of these little facts,