New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-16
DEMOCRACY MEANS FREE TRADE.

There IS another term in which we speak of England
bcns their 8b aaSOs suggest that
free trade country IS country where tani Is eyied
for revenue only, and where commerce Is HDeraiized
fer as cen be llbcrallzcd consistently with tho
collection OF the revenue for the support OK
etrade then ann am free trader, and take il that
most of the Senators on this side OF the Chamber
ere eeraaeTs OF that kind that IS fse-radcrs IN
revenues for the support Of the government econom
Senate debate July II.
This is definite and satisfactory. While Speaker
Carlisle Premier Mills, Mayor Hewitt and Cow
ernor Hill have been trying to pull the wool
peoples eyes in this strong protection State the
Senator calls himself and his colleagues free-traders
and then defines the term with precision lie
wants IA tariff for revenue only, without protection
of any industry or class. That is his idea OF free
trade and 10 his Judgment nearly all his colleagues
are free-traders in that sense.
Dut our present tariff laws, the vicious inequitable
and Illogical source Of unnecessary taxation, ought
to be at once revised and amended. These laws, az
their primary and plain effect raise the price 10 con-
sumers OF all articles imported and subject 10 duty.
by precisely the paid for such duties Thus the
amount OF the duty measures the tax PAD by those
who purchase for use these imported artcles-tPrcs-
dent Clevelands Message
Those three sentences show that the President
is a free-trader and has no sympathy with pro-
tective tariff Vicious inequitable,' IL
OglcdH are not words which any rlcuu OIL Aulefl-
can industry will apply to the tariff. The asser-
ton that the amount of duty measures the precise
increase of price Of the article for the consumer is
one Of the widest examples of frec-trade dog
matism.
OF course England may subsldze lines OF ships n
open up markets for her surplus, because she
freely exchanges commodities with such markets
and Ter policy is after establishing the commerce TO
steadily decrease the subsidy. II the policy Of CIV
ing bOunties to promote commercial relations win
other countries be adopted again after the fall
I'm history, IL would seem that us adoption
should be deferred until closer commercial relations
with those countries be maintained and are not an
tsgonized by al opposing system Of laWs-tPostmas
te-GcDera Dickinson 10 Representative Blount
This is the Administrators ultimatum to the
American steamship lines: " You will get nothing
from the Democratic party beyond freight charges
for mail carriage until we have free trade. England
subsidies its lines, but that is proper enough.
England has free trade when we have free trade
here it will be time to deal generously with the
American hnes.'
Is 1t good policy TO close markets against the
world? II Is II not good policy for them TO close
their markets against us Can sell TO everybody
and buy from nobody ?-(Senator Beck, DEM, KEN
lucky. Debate June IL.
That is the precise manner Of Professor Sumner
and the frce-trade Professors at nearly every
American college. Senator Beck has been Free
trader from way back, and never tries TO conceal
his meaning nor to alter the conventional phrases
and stock arguments of the free-trade school.