Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-04
WHAT IT COST
The Land Owners and Farmers OF
England to have Free Trade.

OF EHglHnu anu so pDNcTIui are the ffd-
sons for wishing to get cotton, wool and
other raw material which she cannot pro-
duce at home, at the lowest possible prices,
as we'll az food for her increasing millions
OF population, that the English statesmen
deemed II necessary for England to
neglect the interests Of her agriculturists
In order to be great manufacturing and
commercial nation. But even Peel
and Golden when they led their
government to withdraw protection from
England land and farming interests,
greatly underestimate the enormous
sacrifices which their measure imposed
on the cultivators of the soil, and
this largely for the reasons that facts then
unknown, were to come in to largely in
fuenee the problem. The farmers of the
United States and all other persons who
wish to understand fully what il cost to
establish the policy of Free Trade for
England should read the following ex-
tract from "A letter by Mr.. Howard Vincent,
N. p, to the London Times:
the serious state of affairs now prevailing. 1t
is de tailed from day to day in your columns
Land worth from twenty five to seventy five
per cent less than forty years ago, and almost
unsuitable. Arabic land thrown into pasture
yet fewer animals in the fields Agricultural
distress very similar 10 that described by
Lord Shaftesbury a. prevailing about ls44
In the towns hundreds starving, owing to fac
tories being closed or working only half time.
Deputations to local authorities PRAYING for
relief works. In the metropolis hungry men
at every corner Pauperism increasing. Dis
content rising. Employment everywhere
scarcer, while the population is rapidly null
tiplyinG.
There is no class no profession no avoca-
ton. no calling unaffected in some degree
Distress must always be felt more in some
places and in some communities than in 9TH
ers. But the general fact is undeniable.
The Commissioner OF Police of the Metropo-
lis, the yestries, the guardians of the poor. as
we'll as philanthropic societies and statesm
may opcl registers for the unemployed, but
that will not provide the employment, for
little or none ia to be found in town or coun-
try. Temporary remedies may be applied.
but they will not be- more cffcetual than pal
liatives to II malignant cancer.
Fifty.two chambers of commerce have
officially declared that foreign tariffs and
bountics and foreign competition are most
injurious TO British trade. and at the bottom
Of all our troubles The ROYAL Commission
sn.the Depression of Trade and Industry in
dorsed this declaration. Take the bills of
ladng at any port in the kingdom stand with
the unemployed at the gates of any railway
station, and the fact is apparent"
1t Ia not n pleasant picture which Mr..
Howard Vincent, NJ. f., draws of a
country "dying with a theory inside"
As pointed out by Professor Cunningham.
of Trinity College, Cambridge, Eng land,
Events have served to show that nation
which has the start In the race for wealth
may discourage the full development
Of the resources of other lands; may
by underselling the young industry sue
coed In forcing them to produce raw ma
terisls instead of manufacturing them"
And until other countries protected their |
industries England was able to exact mo-
nopoly prices for her wares. But other
countries did not long adhere Loyalty to
Free Trade, as Golden asserted they
would. and In the words of Professor
Huxley, "other nations are now keeping
shop and deal in the same goods as our
selves" England no longer dictates terms
to the whole world, its customer.
Mr.. Henry Champaign, NJ. p, stated the
other day in the House of Commons that
the British farmers were losing 100000, 900
or two hundred and fifty million dollars n
year. 1t may be dehateahle question
whether the British Parliment in view of
the insular and special condition aud
limited natural resources of the country
which 1t represented, was justified
In crowding to the wall the landowners
and farmers SO rs to make of England a
great manufacturing and trading country.
But the United States with her
vast territorial domain. her limitless re-
sources of all kinds. wisely wishing to Sc
cure the vast advantages of her home
markets, have no occasion to sacrifice her
agricultural interests, or to impose bar
to any of her industries in order to follow
blindly the insular policy of England. 1t
has been well said, that on the other hand
1--WE have, by protective tariff, at one and
the same time, increased the purchasing
power of our operatives by high wages,
and increased their number. giving home
market, and. AS far AS possibles near mar
ket, for the produce of our farmers. They
are not losing hundred of millions of dol
lars annually. Their land has not fallen
during the last forty years 80 as to be
worth from IS to 20 per cent. less than it
was, nor are hundreds starving here. I'm
der the tariff Of 1886 people were hungry
In New York, and charity organizations
were formed to distribute soup tickets |
but such things are not seen under pro-
tective tariff"