New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-05
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE coNTRAsTED

A
To the Editor OF Ths Tribune
Sir: As our people are now considerably exercised
regarding the subject of free trade, permit me rs an
American resident of England for the past t"o'o
years, keeping house and doing business uhoer ~"
free-trade banner, to give you some OF the prs'
experiences OF tho freetrade system, and IL our
American friends like the picture why then let ,neh
try IL AS business man would hrst pom. ~
that free trade makes slaughter house Of the Ens
lish market. Merchants in America or upon the Coh-
tlnent having surplus stock and bills coming u"o
must find some way to raise money to TIDE over a"a
what easier II sacrifice Is to be made, than TO snip IL
10 a casual market and draw against Shipment No"'
England with her free ports Is the only market open
for the sacrifice. The shipper does not expect
profit from his shipments, but loss But he must
for the moment be in funds and cannot afford 10 sac
rInce profits in his homo market 10 regular Gus
toners. And hence American and Conunen'ai
manufactures daily sold in this market 1T less prize
than they can DO sold for AT home made for mere
But says the Free Trader this is Of the beauties Oh
tho system. 1t draws the goods here ard makes TINS
the cheapest market for the consumer and hence the
benefit. But docs not every article shipped come
into direct competition with goods made In the homo
market and how is such competition TO be met save
by reduction in the price Of labori And wha1
avas to the workingman II he does buy his coat 81
cheaper II his wages reduced 81 to enable him to
do so
yet ready to open the largest and most profitable mar
let in the world as a slaughterhouse for the hard-up
manufacturer of Europel Open your ports and you
have got do It take less to enable you TO
compete. What has the Free Trader TO offer in ex-
change for a cheaper coat and no money to Duy IL
with7 For 1t should be understood that you cannot
cheaper tho price of food in America 1t is said that
tho laborng man has been greatly benefited In
England than any other class by free trade and that
living is cheaper here than In America Perhaps tho
laborng has obtained benefit in free breadStun,
but this does not apply to America, because England
could not raise sufficient brcadstu to feed her people,
and the repeal OF the corn laws were not so mucn
matter OF policy as Of necessity. But aside from TINS,
what has the workingman gained1 Does he Two
cheaper here than in America? II Is fact that no
undoubtedly does because he Is forced TO do So just
as Mr. Free Trader or myself would have to do either
in America here IL our incomes were 10 DC reuu0e
SILL It is a fact that he does live cheaper HIS houso
rent IS lower and his clothing costs him less, ana er
IL because labor enters into each; and his brother
laborer the mason and the tailor, like himself, are Sd
poorly paid. But everything that he and his httie
ones eat costs him far than it does his socaeu
down-trodden over-proteced American brother
But after all that is said 1t is difficult to draw COM
parlson between the actual living expenses OF an
American workman ard an English workman In the
same class for they live differently and are COM
polled to do So In America vOrkngman has MS
sunday clothing, and at his table he wishes IT,
and spends money az a workingman in England mas
never had the ability do, and never has dicaIcd ot
doing. But does any sane man, VINO has traVeHeu III
England. to assert that tho purchasing power
OF the wages earned by mechanic or abOrng man III
England IS Is great the purchasing power Oh the
wages earned by the man in the same position IN
Americal If any gentleman travelling here LOT
pleasure for few months has learned IL all ana VENT
urcs his opinion, | only refer him TO any
mechanic in America who has tried both. and am
Offering a Chrome and copy OF the Presidents message
to each mechanic found who will agree with MN.
And when s. here will buy as much as 80 In America
(Which about tho proportion Of difference paid for me
same work here and In the United Satesl Will be lar
better satisfied spend the balance Of my days here.
As a personal illustration of the benefits that l
derive from living under the ffectrade banner Fist
get nv clerks much lower, my seSants cost me nlch
less aud my frec-tradc American friend thinks that my
house rent is surprisingly low. so II IS. But forgot
to tell him that the tenant, pay the taxes OF ~ ID
per cent upon the rental. and also forgot 70 tell him
that also pay inhabited house duty OF I'd upon the
pound rental. Then I have an income tax of "a: on
Inc pound, and stamp taxes upon every hard and by
actual comparison with friend in America Il costs me
about per to serve my table here than 10
does him in America. But | do get my clothing
cheaper. because the poor fellow that made IL gets
about per week but. unfortunately for Inc. eat
more than wear II the abornG man IN America
does not let him throw up bis hat for free trade.
win promise him cheaper coat, bit cannot promise
him tho money TO buy Il With. L. y. SANAAf.
Liverpool May IS, 1883