Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-22
CLEVELAkp'S NEW ALLY.
EepTy Georges Adherence TO Cleveland
Based Upon Ills Free Trade Message.

S&SVELANDS NEW ALLY.
Eepgy Georges Adherence TO Cleveland
8osed Upon his Free Trade Message.
Henry George has formally given il his
adhereEce TO Cleveland and the Democratic
party, basing his action chiefly upon the
question Of the tariff. Those who know
George ara are acquainted with his bound
less self-colceit and the tenacity with which
he adheres to his own opinions, VIII be sure
that be VIII make 10 concessions, and that
II he has turned Democrat it is because he
finds in Cleveland and his party those who
he thinks viii carry out his ideas; and in
that aspect Of the case II may be Of interest
70 recall what ne has said on the question Of
free trade.
II must be remembered. says the San
Francisco Chronicle, that the partisans Of the
President insist strenuously that he is not
free-trader, and that his message was
simply recommendation Of revenue re-
form Even when confronted with the
message itself, these Cleveland worshipers
pretend TO construe it IN sort Of Pickwick-
ian sense, and to say that when tho Presi-
dent stated that there are 4.000 articles sub
Ject to tariff, and that many Of them should
De aided 10 the free list, he was not advo-
eating free trade, and that when he SAID the
duty On wool should be removed, he really
meant tariff revision.
But it Is not so much with ClevelaDd's
views as with Henry Georges that we are
now concerned. We must believe that
George thinks the President in sympathy
with him, or he would not have allied him
self 70 him; and so It is important to ascer-
tam what Georges views Of free trade for
the United States are.
In the fall Of 1857 Henry George pub
lished book entitled - Protection or Free
Trade" and tits from this publication that
we form our ideas Of his opinions on these
questions. Readers Of the book will not
ind any thing especially novel in it, unless,
perhaps, some local applications Of doc
tInes announced and preached yours ago;
out 1t IS an exposition of Georges beliefs,
and may be found TO furnish good and
sufficient reason for MS rendering his ale
glance and services to Cleveland.
No one VIII complain that Henry George
paters with the question. Re says:
The mere abolition Of protection. the
mere substitution Of z revenue tariff for
protective tariff, is such lame and tirnor-
Gus application of the free-trade principle
that 1t is a misnomer to speak of it as free
trade. a revenue tariff is only a somewhat
milder restriction On trade than protective
tariff
Free trade, in its true meaning, requires
not merely the abolition Of protection, but
the sweeping away of all tariffs-the abo-
Hton Of all restrictions save those in
posed In the interests OF public health or
morals) on the bringing of things into
country or the carrying of things out of
country.
But free trade can not logically stop with
the abolition Of custom houses. 1t applies as
well to domestic as to foreign trade, and in
its true sense requires the abolition Of all
internal taxes that fall on buying, selling
transporting or exchanging, on the making
OF any transaction or the carrying on Of any
business.
George gives this not merely as tho
declaration or explanation of a principle,
but as system which ought to
be adopted in the United Estates,
supporting his position by an argument of
considerable length. With the argument
we are not now concerned. Whether he is
night or wrong in his theories does not now
matter; but it must be obvious that he has
declared himself In favor of Cleveland be-
cause he sees that the logical sequence of
the Presidents statements and recommend
Gtlols Is free trade in the absolute sense in
which George employs it. He Gees that the
message IS the opening wedge to actual and
unqualified free trade, and that although
the Democratic party may deny that it is a
tree-trade party, It can not escape the conse-
querces OF its own acts. If it iudorses
Cleveland, II commits itself to a policy
which must end in absolute free trade, for
once scu1el1. Gown the inclined plane, It can
not stop short Of the bottom.
Although Henry George has adopted
many notions and isms which are not re-
ceived with general favor his acuteness
and shrewdness have never been oues-
toned, and his logical power and acumen
are undoubted. He sees, and none more
clearly, what IS the inevitable result of the
poslcy announced in the late message. and
SO h2stens 70 rank himself with Cleveland.
IN order to be in the advance guard Of I'M
qualified free-traders. HIS pledge Of fealty
10 the President is as convincing proof that
thu message Is, at bottom, free trade
message, as was the giee Of English
Journals when they learned its contents.