The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-08-10

Tie Free Trade Plea OF Ckeapness
The free trade attorneys claim as
the chief merit Of proposed tariff re-
duction that it will reduce prices.
And in this they are at least partially
correct. The recent experience OF
England under the fiscal policy now
advocated for this country show
that cheaper wheat from India, cheap
er meat from America, cheaper wool
from Australia and South America.
have made improbable lands al
home; that values Of English farms
have fallen off 4oto 10 per cent, while
each year large tracts are Withdrawn
from tillage.
II like result Of cheapness is to
follow an approach to free trade here,
an alternative is presented which it is
well for large class Of our people to
seriously consider before aiding to
strike down the policy under which
our country has hitherto made such
advances ID wealth and greatness
We may wen be appalled, in contem-
plating 4 shrinkage in real estate
values in the United States to one
half the extent experienced in England
and thelosses Of farms and homes ii
would entail upon those industrious
toilers who have incurred debts Ia
SECURING homes for themselves and
families. Under a decline Of one
i5hosh its present value. the man who
had bought home for $1,000, and By
years Of industry AID saving paid
$1,000, would still find hinsef owing
Stooo for property worth but $f5oo
In the midst of the "cheapaess with
which he has been cajolcd, the pay Z
mcnt IF this sum would be more
difficult than the original $1,000 un-
der existing conditions Of ready sale
of products and fair refuns for tabor.
| If the adoption Of the English policy
by the United Slaes should be follow
ed by one-half the reduction in real
Cstate values that England has ex-
perienced within the past few years,
mortgaged farms and homes would re-
veTt by thousands to creditors who,
like the landlords of England, would
permit what could not be rented to
30 out Of tillage.
In no other country than ours does
50 large a percentage Of farmers own
the lands they cultivate. In no
other country is there so large a pro-
portion Of workingmen who own the
homes they occupy. In no other
country does the fiscal policy So de-
cidedly favor the man who honestly
and industrsously endcavors TO bet-
ter MS condition in life. No where
else in the world can the laborer get
SO many of the neccssaries Of life for
a days work as here in the United
States. All this we are asked 10
menace BIZ adopting policy that has
thrice Brought disaster 10 the business
Of this country; a policy, with but one
aggressive advocate among al the
nations Of Europe and that one
nation to-day presenting within. her
borders some Of the strongest possi-
Ible arguments against the policy she
seeks to eiiforce upon others. While
the Cobden Clab and leading British
journals are preaching the benefit of
free trade the British farmer IS de-
pressed, 100000 wprkmen are lille,
and the police Of London are kept
bnsy snppressing upTlslngs Of men
made desperate by hearing their
children cry for bread. Nothing can.
he dearer than "cheapness bought al
such a price; nothing more un-Ameri-
can than j policy which makes such
q condition possible.