Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-17
THE CLAIMS OF THE TWO PARTIES.

Nothing in political activity is more
certain than this-that the Democracy is
badly frightened about its antagonism to
free trade. Up tothe time the Convention
assembled at ST. Louis the party was ag-
gressiye-the result Of the Oregon election
put it upon the defensive. 1t is now
nervously and busily engaged in denying
that Mr.. Cleveland, the platform or the
Mills bill preach free trade. If this is not
an admission that absolute free trade
would not be in any wise tolerable under
conditions existing in America, then we
arc unable 10 understand plain Eng
hsh But the journals Of England
suffer from no confusion of ideas on this
subject. With one voice they declare that
Mr. Cleveland's message and subsequent
letters breathe the true free trade spirit.
Il may be very readily admitted that
the Mills bill is not free trade pure and
simple; no one has claimed that it is. II
it were, it would contain very little of
scheduled duties. Free aade is the liberty
not compulsion-of any one 10 buy in
and import from foreign markets if he
iinds it profitable, and free from the inter
position of tariffs that would restrict the
qualification OF his desire The doctrine
ol free trade is, that il secures to each ma
tion the good things of all, and, as Perry
- -.
nlents of all, maximizes to every toilcr the
rewards Of his work, and tends TO unite all
nations in bonds of peace and good will"
Now, the Mills bill is not an attempt to
set up absolute free trade, but it is long,
bold step in that direction breaking
down of barriers by degrees-one of the
means to reduction Of the protective sys-
TEN by detail.
Opposed to this tendency is that system
advocated by the Republican party which
looks first to the protection Of nome in
dustries as essential to the securing to the
toiler of America due reward for his
labor, the development Of a country, all
but capable of living, if need be within
itself, and the consequent prosperity Of
the whole people secondarily it considers
purchasing abroad. 1t is not the purpose
alone to obtain revenue under this system
but 10 prevent that unequal competition
between foreign articles and those of like
character of domestic production, which
results in the destruction of the latter by
bringing them down 10 prices at which
they cannot, under our system of society
and labor, be produced, without reducing
the laborer to the level of the foreign i'll
paid and socially degraded artisan. To
quote Senator Edmunds' definition of the
claim of the party, it is "to protect
American labor and production through
such customs laws rs shall lend to home
production of thingso of home consumption
as against the consumption of things o.
foreign production; while the great mas:
of the Democratic members of Congress
have been, and still are, in favor of increas
ing the consumption Of things of foreign
production by such diminution of custom:
duties, admittedly, will increase importa
tions for consumption, and, necessarily, 10y
90 much diminish the consumption Of
things produced in the United States"
From this on, with the fear that has
seized upon them and put it on the de,
fen,iye, the Democratic orators and organs
will devote themselves asSiduously to
denying persistently that the doctrine
of the Republican party is sound, and tc
hotiy denying that the Pres ident or hi.
party ever contemplated or now NEAR
free trade. The people are to pass upon
the respective claims Of these contestants
An answer to these defenses is that tht
English free traders recognize in the att
tude of the Democratic party fiat indorse
n'ent of the free-trade system. Yet though
the English preach this doctrine, it is 8
fact worthy of consideration that theil
colonies break away from it with impunity
The Dominion Of Canada long ago set up
protective tariff against products and
manufactures, and against even those Of
the mother country itself. The colony Of
Victoria having a thoroughly protective
system, is the most prosperous of the Aus
tralian colonies. New South Wales exists
under q free-trade system, and the indus
tries prospecting are those Of the ruler
class, while those requiring the most
skilled labor have no encouragement. But
in Victoria, under the protective policy,
there is employment in manufacturing in
dustries in the fine arts, and engineering,
steam, and fine iron work for all who
come. She sends to New South Wales
about all the machinery the latter uses in
lis industries. Contrast" said Mr.. Bu-
chanan before the Society Of Arts in Lon
don last May, sydney with Victoria, and
what do you see in the way of manufac-
tories? Where you can see one chimney
stack in and about Sydney, you can see ten
in and around Melbourne"
Though Great Britain stands for the
free-trade doctrine into which her journals
insist that Mr.. Cleveland and the Demo
cratic party drift, another English colony
New Zealand-has lust set up a pro-
tectiye tariff rule of the most pronounced
order. Here too. we have Mr.. Edward
Jones, an engineer Of England's South
African Colony, saving in London recently
We look with regret upon the condition of
things in some other British colonies more par
ticularly in Victoria. Il is true that about one
third of the population of Victoria is Gro wded
into one huge town; but, at any rate. there is to
be found in Victoria greater equipoise of social
forces than in South Africa where we go TO the
other extreme, and very much fear whether
We shall ever secure such equipoise until we
adopt the policy which has made Victoria and
Canada as great as they are today. 1t is a con-
fession which l, member of the Golden
Club, ought 10 be reluctant TO make. and il is
with regret that have TO make it; but think
considerable advances have, in quite recent
year, been made in South Africa in the direc-
tion of protection.
IT is reported by o1r Consuls that there
Is marked improvement in agriculture
in Italy, and that there is steady increase
L