The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-09-12
aIaIsA EKEE Trade
-iIsa. FEaall narI I.1Iosea waF Taril

true history OF certain events which have
been shamefully misrepresented by the
advocates of the war tariff Their usual
statement of the case is briefly this:
.'lrelend once had many fourishing in
dustries, but England forced free trade
upon her and reduced her people to
poverty and misery
There is not word of truth in the
statement. On the contrary. the whole
dgllt of the Irish patriots from 1895 to
1880 was for freedoms in trade and re-
ligion Catholic et1aacipation and the re-
peal OF laws restricting trade went hand
in hand; the same men fought for hotE:
Bright, Golden and their allies IN Eng
land, Daniel o Council and his colaborers
in Ireland. Every Irish patriot was and
is free trader; every British friend of
Ireland was and is a free trader. This
FIRST iolation of the treaty of Limerick
was IN the iassaGe Of laws forbidding the
Irish to trade with France and the Ameri-
can colonies. On this point all hiao-
rims agree, though they differ as to al
most everything else. whether Celt or
Saxon, Catholic or Protestant, from Ma
canlay to Pendergast, and from Froude to
Father Tom Burke The result was the
ruin of Ireland And all those laws were
passed by war tariffites" that is,
British Tories-for it was before the days
of Adam Smith and common sense and
England had no free trade policy.
But the American revolution broke
out. the French war followed and Eng
land had to conciliate Ireland; an inde-
pendent Irish parliament was created and
measure of free trade was secured.
Mr.. Hurd states the result thus:
In the sixteen years which followed
from 1872 to 1798-the progress of tho
Irish people under the new policy was
wonderful. Lord Glare. not often ready
to speak a friendly word of Ireland, wrote
in 1888: There is not a nation on the
habitable globe which has advanced in
cultivation and commerce, in agriculture
and manufacturing, with the same rapid
ity in the same time 1t is apparent that
this British free trade for which the
Irish parliament had asked did not de
stroy Irish industries On the contrary,
it gave them the first healthful impetus
they had received for more than century.
From that time until 1916 tho same laws
substantially governed both the Irish and
avowedly passed for the purpose of pro-
lection. OF course the baleful influences
of tlis system were more serious in Ireland
than in England. because of the severity
of the repressive laws by which the for
MGR had been governed in tho preceding
century. That the Irish people realized
the burdens which protection imposed and
policy was shown by the position they took
with reference to the repeal of the corn
laws"
If free trade injured Ireland, why was
every Irish patriot a free trader? There
rs not an exception. Here is an extract
from the speech of Daniel O'ConneIl at
Covent Garden theatre. Feb. 81, 1914:
.sIf protection were useful anywhere it
must be peculiarly so in Ireland. which
iV oil har dfl in1Ilt
country. Bat how had it operated on the
wages Of labor there? Four pence a day
was considered good. six pence bountifn,
and the agricultural laborcr was in &C.
stasy with eight pence. Such was the
effect of the corn laws in Ireland. And
even at these prices there was
want of employment Ireland, then,
cause. She had always been with them
OH this question. Yes, Ireland
was with them, and the reception which
have met this night. when heard in Ire
land, would excite no little sense of graf
iiication III that country. Loud cheers.
Oh, that shout-it will not be confined to
tho walls of this theatre-ringing through
the metropolis. it Will be carried over by
the eastern winds to ireland. It will be
heard ON the banks of the noble Shannon;
it will minglc with the flow of the More,
the SUR and he Barrow, and will bring
back as its response an answer that the
people of Ireland will not endure to see
their fellow subjects of England starved
by the ,cupidity of the protectionists.
In 1916 the repeal of restrictive laws
began; by 1850 it was complete OF
course freedom has not done as much for
Ireland as for England, because there is
not so much of it; but here arc some of
the events:
IN the linen mills in 1850 81, ,121 per-
sons were employed; In 1875. 56,S42. In
1850 frefand's exports were valued Mt
e20S, Gil, in 1875 Mt ee30.S .S75 In 1850
102 vessels. with 1873 tonnage, were
registered in Irish ports; in 1870 there
were l74, with tonnage of 5S,245. In
1850 there were 1S26S vessels, with
tonnage of 2.35S. 16S, engaged in trade be-
tween England and Ireland, and in 1850
there were 80, 1907. with 11,5S5,37 ton
mage. The estimated capital in Ireland in
1851 was eg5, ,2S6, 600. while in 1881 it was
e2TT. S43 000 The whole history of Ire
land since 1850, as / am able to state from
MI examination of statistical tables to
which l have had access, justities the fol
lowing remafk Of d, distinguished OBJ
server,
Throughout the whole country agri-
sulturo has made remarkable and felici-
tous progress. Above all, the condition
of the poorer classes has passed through
a happy change. The cot+er class haS,
IN a large measure, been converted into
the agricultural laborer. and the rate of
wages has increased enormously Tried
by every conceivable economic law
amount of production2retu of industry,
proportion between the burdens of land
and its profits, remuneration of labor, ac-
emulation of all kinds of capital-Ire-
land is vastly improved beyond what it
was in the last generation.
much, of course, remains to be accom-
plished to make Ireland n prosperous
country. True prosperity cannot come
to people oppressed by cruel land sys-
tenn. which rols the laborcrs of their
earnings for absentee landlords, while at
tho same time they are denied the right
of local self government. But the i'm
proyement which has been commenced
under free trade will grow in steadily in
creasing proportions under the same pol
icy when landlordism shall have been
overthrown and home rule established.
During the period which has elapsed
since the adoption of free trade tho polit-
ieai condition of Ireland has been vastly
improved. Tieemancipatiolto Of Catholics,
commenced at an earlier date. has been
fullS accomplished. The Irish church has
been disestablished. Rents have been re-
dCccd. Thc land laws have been modified
in the interest of the tenant, and an agi-
tation for home rule has Been begun
which. Ibelieve, will not end .nntt5 Ire
land has Won her own parliament. Docs
any one imagine that such measures cot:ld
have been adopted by the generation
ioI, fI,sa