The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-07-19
The Issue Is Free Trade,

| 1t is impossible for the Democratic party to
back out of the real issue this time. le>ter-
day The Press displayed in its editorial col
umns the following editorial from the London
| Globe
As rule the Presidential contest has vrry
| little interest for the Old World. On the
present occasion, however,an issue is involved
| which very closely concerns Europe. more par
ticularly Great Britain. Mr.. Cleveland has
| taken his stand on free trade, and. all hough
! his party managers have considerably planed
down his platform, he is universally recognized
| in the States As pledged to initiate a new de-
parture in fiscal policy. Nor can there he any
| doubt that he would act up to this understand
| ing We're he elected. The central issue OF the
contest lies between the maintenance of the
| present fiscal system intact and its modification
| in the direction of free trade. And on that
| broad question Mr.. Cleveland's candilattre
naturally and necessarily carries English >vm-
pathy.
He naturally and necessarily carries English
sympathy. And why2 Because the English
people know that President Cleveland in his
message used precisely the same arguments
which Golden and Bright used when they
changed the fiscal policy of England from pro-
| lection to free trade. Because President teve-
land denounced the tariff as "vciot>, ine1uit-
able and illogical.' and demanded that the
| cause of this condition OF affairs he 'rcmovcd:"
not reduced, but removed. Because President
| Cleveland pledged himself and his party to
| initiate new departure IN the t>cal policy of
| this country. and because the English people
| and the English press have no doubt that he
| will act up to the declarations he has made if
| he is elected.
| If an American wage Garner has a shadow of
doubt on this point that doubt must he re-
| moved When he rea''S the folioWln" from the
| London Times of July q. iSSS:
1t would hardly be possible to put the free
trade case more clearly or more strongly, and
yet sucl Is the force OF words President 'leve-
lahd shrlnks from ne use OF the term Tree
trade and m tact declares that those " no ta'int
him with being free trader are deeclNn@ the
| country. Free trade appears TO pc clilNa-
'eht' III the language OF American polltlcai con-
| troversy, to enemy OF the workngmen and of
industrial enterprises.
That 1t should be so Is one OF the clrlo-itie>
OF politics. and an extraordinary instance Of the
| power OF phrase even over mlnds winch are
commonly >hrewdand reasonable t"r Is r@i'-
t"th Mot me "fy"ments arhfch PrcStdr"t
| CletetoA" "f9es ore those 'rhtch G"bhen
nsed 70 0enIioyfoHy.hrr ye0fS ny". ""H "Airh
| dny EhWtSh lree tr0tef tr"nM emrloy n"n'.
| Such propo>itioi> n that taxation ought TO he
| strictly limited by the needs of the country;
| that 1t Is unjust to tax the whole community
| Tor the benefit OF special classes: that import
| duties >tiile production and limit the area of Il
| counfrv'> markets, are purely free trade argu-
| ment>. rs Such we are very clad TO see Pre>l-
| dcnt Cleveland using them. though we are sor-
ry for the popular infatuaii"n which makes it
| dangerous to give them their right name
| The Presidents arguments are. according I"
the London Times, precisely thc arguments
| used by lob,en forlN-iNe years ago. The
| lre>S, IN IL issue the day after the message.
took this ground, but the Democratic; organs
have time and again declared that we were not
justified in doing so. They have declared that
| 1t was not free trade. but Il frecr trade they
| wanted. lhey nave declared that Their free
| trade arguments merely meant Slight rcdur-
| ton OF the tariff. anu they are now declaring
| that blli which. according to the latest tele-
graphic reports from Washington. put the pro-
| duets of III important American industries OF
| the free list is not a free trade i
Not only is the position taken by The Press
| sustained by the London Globe and the Lon
don Times, but likewise by the London News.
and indeed every other English newspaper ,hat
has expressed an opinion on the subject The
London Daily News of July &. l>SS. las the
following editorial on this subject:
| President ClcVeland'> speech is more to the
point lie discusses the principles at iS-e III
the struggle and shows that he is the free ira lc
candidate in everything but name. The rescr-
| Walton is an important one for American party
purposes. The President, feels compelled to
characterize the attempt to brand him a. a free
trader As deception. but for all that the electo-
raj conflict now i'll progress is IA conflict he
| tween free trade aud protection aud nothing