Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-17
A ridiculous Yawp.

The current campaign is by no means
without it's comedy, and occasionally we
are treated to roaring farce. Even
the burnt cork drolleries are discounted
by the cry that the Democratic party is
engaged in fighting the battles of free
trade England, that British gold is being
freely used to help the Democratic ticket,
and so on to the end of the chapter.
Some time ago we unfolded the plan
upon which much of the stuff which
ornaments the columns of our Republi-
can contemporaries was manufactured.
Mr.G.W. Smalley the Industrious London
correspondent of the New York Tribune, is
irthe habit of writing articles which he
procures to be published in the English
newspapers and he then telegraphs them
to the United States as genuine
expressions of English opinion.
This trick works very well until
it is exposed. The English newspapers
are represented as being greatly delight
ed at the attitude of President Cleveland
and the Democratic majority of the
House of Representatives. English
manufacturers are told that they have
only to wait until free trade is firmly
established in the United States, and
then the Millennium will be here. They
do not also state that, from all present
indications, it will be the Millennium be-
fore free trade will be advocated in this
country by anybody but theorists or doc
trinaires.
But there are expressions of British
opinion which the Republican journals
are careful not to copy, and for that rea-
son we think it well to reproduce two of
them in the HERALD. The first is from
the Manchester Guardian, the center of
the cotton manufactures of Great Britain.
1t is as follows, appearing in the issue of
that journal of July 23d:
We are represented as being over
joyed at the prospect of being able, with
the aid of Mr.. Cleveland and his party,
very soon to "food' the American mar
kets with the products of our "pauper
labor" This is an old device, and
although it has lost much of its ancient
force, it may, to a certain extent, serve
the end in view. Every one on this side
the ocean is aware, however, that the
prospect of tariff reform is viewed here
with satisfaction on one ground only.
The mass of our people believe in free
trade as Americans believe in republ;-
canism, and just as the latter take pleas
ure in anything pointing to the growth of
their ideal OF the best form of national
government, so we are undoubtedly re-
joiced at the prospect of any step which
may tend to enlarge international COM
mercial intercourse.
Englishmen take not the slightest in
terest in the tariff reform movement in
America, while many far-seeing persons
among. us. regard the adoption of any
thing like free trade in the United States
rs likely to make the latter much keener
competitors with US in neutral markets
than they are now. Such men do not
look upon President Cleveland's policy
with satisfaction. Having regard to their
own interests alone, they would much
rather see the present system of high
protection maintained. Others, again,
who wish for the extension of free trade
upon the loftier ground we have men
toned, think the present policy of the
Democrats is likely to retard rather than
to hasten on the progress of tariff re-
form. These argue that if left alone the
existing tariff will, in the course of
few years, bring on a crisis, under pres
sure of which protectionism will be en-
tirely swept away at blow.
1t will be seen that this intelligent
journal clearly sees that, by the wise pro-
visions of the Mills bill, American man.
ufactures will be vitalized and will have
an even chance in the markets of the
world. OF late years the masses have
been greatly enlightened in the true
laws of political economy, and the votes
of hundreds of thousands of American
workingmen will be determined by an
intelligent appreciation of the immense
to our trade resulting from
conservative and intelligent tariff re-
form.
The Manchester Guardian is not alone
in it's correct Interpretation of the situa-
tion in the United States. The Birming-