The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-08-09
SAUK CENTRE HERALD.
THURSDAY. AUGUST 9, 1888.
THE FREE TRADE PLEA OF
CHEAPNESS.

The free trade attorneys claim as the
chief merit of proposed tariff reduction
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 shows that cheaper wheat from
India, cheaper meat from America,
cheaper wool from Australia and South
America, have made unproftable lands at
home; that values of English farms have
fallen off 40 to 20 per cent, while each
year large tracts are withdrawn from
tillage.
fla like result of cheapness is to follow
an approach to free trade here, an alter
native is presented which it is we'll for a
large class of our people to seriously con-
slider before aiding to strike down the
policy under which our country has hith-
erto made such advances in wealth and
greatness.
We may well be app1i;Sd in contemlat-
ing shrinkage in re- estate values in
the United States to one-half the extent
experienced in England, and the losses of
farms and homes it would entail upon
those industrious tillers who have in
Cured debts in securing homes for them
selves and families. Under a decline of
one-fourth its present value, the man who
had bought home for $4,000, and by
years of industry and saving paid 81 900,
would still find himself owing 81 900
for property worth but 81, 500. In the
midst of the "cheapness" with which he
had been cajoled, the payment of this
sum would be more difficult than the
original $4,000 under existing conditions
of ready sale of products and fair returns
for labor. IT the adoption of the En-
glish policy by the United States should
be followed by one-half the reduction in
real estate values that England has ex-
perienced within the past few years,
mortgaged farms and homes would re-
vert by thousands to creditors who, like
landlords of England, would permit
what could not be rented to go out of
tillagc.
In no other country than ours does so
large percentage of farmers own the
lands they cultivate. In no other coun-
try is there so large a proportion of
workingmen who own the homes they
occupy. In no other country does the
fiscal policy so decidedly favor the man
who honestly and industr1ously endeav-
ors to better his condition in life. No.
where else in the world can the laborer
get so many of the nescessaries and COM
forts of life for days work as here in
the United States. All this we are asked
to menace by adopting policy that has
thrice brought disaster to the business of
this country; policy, with but one ag-
gressive advocate among all the nations
of Europe-and that one nation to-day
presenting within her borders some of
the strongest possible arguments against
the policy she seeks to enforce upon
others. While the Golden Club and
leading British journals are preaching
the benefits of free trade, the British far
mer is depressed, 100000 workmen are
idle, and the police of London are kept
busy suppressing uprisings of men made
desperate by hearing cn5f cmdfen cry
for bread. Nothing can be dearer than
''cheapness" bought at such a price;
nothing more un-American than policy
which makes such condition possible.