Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-01
An ENGLISH FREE TRADER ON PRO
TECTION IN AMERICA.

Mr.. J. S. Miles. of this city, while In
Eng and, lat Southampton net an Englis n
manufacturer and had a talk with him
about free trade in England and protection
in America, that, as reported to US by MI
Miles, will throw some practical light on
the issues to be discussed and fought over
in the coming campaign. We quote from
Mr.. Miles's letter as follows:
''On passing into Southampton bay
counted seventeen large vessels at anchor
An English gentleman, of whom inquired
as to what they were and why they were
there, told me tha: they were East India
merchant vessels; that they had been there
for the past six months or more with moth
ing to do. said: Why don't they ship to
England and elsewhere the products OF
India and take back the manufactured
goods Of English factories " His reply was
that prices for wages in England were so
low that the Iaborer could not pay suffi-
cient price to justify shipping these pro
ducts so far. but that he had to subsist or
less expensive food. On the contrary,
tne FARMER Oh luuld, uot ua'lhs q
market for his stuff. could not
purchase the manufactured wares OF
English factories. He said that If ii lrere
not for the protectjre tariff Of the United
States, that country would furnish an eX-
celIent market for both English manufac-
tured articles and East India products.
Il said TO him that prote ction TO Ameri-
can industries enabled US 10 pay better
wages, and that, in turn, enabled the me
chsnie and Iaborer to pay living prices to
our farmers; that without this protection
feared our mechanics and farmers would be
no better than their own are now. He said,
rieIcing il from an American mechanics
standpoint, l was right, but, being an Eng
lishman. and viewing it from his side, he
preferred free importations into the United
States. He Is an English manufacturer Of
naval vessel equipments, and he said tCGges
in his line, iron 1corkingl. In the United
States. rere entirely too high, and if he
could get in with his goods, he could under
sell all american capitalists. told him
that the present administration was Of mis-
opinion, and if the democratic leaders had
their way. his desires would be gratifed.
He said: 'No-your mechanics and labor
erS control your politics, and they are smart
enough to let we'll enough alone, no differ
ence what political party leaders may ad-
yocate. In England we don't do ID that
way l suggested to him that they might,
without much risk Of making matters
worse in England, apply our protective
tariff laws in their country and probably
they might learn something.
"Whatever free trade fanatics may say
in the United States, and however their
the lries may seem to work out, cold facts
show that our safety lies in our protection
laws, and comparison with England today
will strengthen our position"
The following extract from letter re-
ceIyed in jamestown, \. y, by a gentle
man of English parentage, from a friend at
Saltaire, England, appears in the James
town JOurndI, and it corresponds with the
utterance Of Mr.. Miles's English friend, as
given In the foregoing:
Trade is better here all around than il
has been for some time, and think II will
De better still when President Cleveland