New-York tribune., 1889-12-31
MR.. GLADSTONES ARG UMENT FOR FREE
TPIDT

/
MR.. GLADSTONES ARG CMENT FOR FREE
TRADE
There evident title thus to call
upon me. because had. many years since, given
utterance TO an opinion then and sincerely enter
tsined thought, and each OF the rolling years
teaches more and more fixedly 10 think. that in
international transactions the British nation for the
present enjoys a commercial primacy that country
in the world shows any capacity to wrest ii from
ms, except II be America; that. II America shall
frankly adopt and steadily maintain system Of
free trade. she will by degrees perhaps not slow
degrees, outstrip us in the race and will probably
take the place which at present belongs TO us; but
she will not injure by the operation ON the
contrary she will do good. Her freedom OF trade
will add 10 present commerce and our present
wealth. that shall be better than we are now
But while we obtain this increment. she Will obtain
another increment, much larger than that IL
will both the minus quantity which, as COM
pared with u.s. she at present exhibits in international
transactions and also establish positive excess, pos
sibly a large excess, in her own favor.
GAIN FOR THE BRITISH WORKMAN UNDER
FREE TRADE
60 far as Great Britain is concerned IL is obvious
enough TO what point should address our inquiries
If they are TO be of any serious force in determining
by results the controversy upon the respective merits
Of protection and free trade. We must endeavor to
ascertain the general rate Of wages now in comparison
with what it was under the protective system, % Sn6
with constant regard TO the cost oil hNlAs sS eAoeu
by the prices Of commodities.
And in order 10 try the question for this country
blessing to the people who inhabt it, shall repair
at once to our highest authority: Mir Gifen Of the
QUESTIONS before the world, and are known to
IN very gh aegTsSe the odmDaTe pn6T he
Of 1533 with those of 1859 In such way a. 10 spesA
pfiOn Of 81
we learn, have increased in stafordshire (Which al
menu by SO per cent In the great exportable man-
ufactures of Bradford and Huddersfed the lowest
sugmenaons are 20 and 80 yer oo c nd se sTe 10 TO SG
and $50 cent The quasi trades OF car f
Glasgow and Manchester, show mean increase GO, Of
Is per cent for the ,. first r ,,o tSrd ~ per cent
can @ fSSn be SUPPLIED Ie IN IN the case Of the rural workman
But here the facts notOrous We are assured thst
there has Leen an universal rise somewhat checked.
fear. by the recent agricultural distress). which
Mir GiYen apparently concurs and. far as my own
personal sphere of observation reaches, can with
moderate Together with this increase of pay there
has been general diminution Of the hours Of work,
which Mr.. Gifen places at Onetftht If we make
this correction upon the comparative table, we shall
fnd that the very few in which the increment
does not range as high as from 90 ana toward 100
Of 1s%qsFy Issr lisG Is 6s.,rs Mr. ,Ss sqe ten
ssgae Br%p9oG oG G OF Sned 6 ta to toycY oe ex 9q
the advance of the laboring population as whole
] will not enter upon details; but his general con
clus!on is this the Improvement is from 20 to 30 per
cent n the wages OF unskilled nonagicultura labor
within the same period the prices of the main
sT'es art bave OF cfTn Geened The abore charges
except for his abode have actually diminished as a
hs1e 10 the & ns paSs % t nGn mucb tS
and the increase of his money wages corresponds to
real gain
PROTECTION AN INVITATION TO WASTE.
All interference with it (the natural law of trade
by a Government in order to encourage some dearer
method Of production at hOme,, in preference to a
cheaper method Of production abroad, may fairly be
termed artificial. every such interference means
simply dimnution Of the national wealth. II
region 4. grows at home for fifty shlhngs with
Tiga mapp,Setures eoth ~ twenty Shilling With witch
region A supply II az fifteen, the national wealth
Of each is diminished by :he ten and the Ave sulngs
And The capitalists and laborers in each of these
countries have much the loss TO divide into their
ros pectivc shares III that competition between capital
and labor which determines the distribution between
them OF the price brought In the market by connod
In my view, and I may say for my countrymen in
from which ii proceeds, IS essentially an invitation
10 waste promug gated With the authority of law. Il
ess: but. up to the point to which il goes, it is
promise given TO dear production to shed IT against
the cCmpetitiOn Of cheap production, Or given To
dearer production hold 1t harmless against cheaper
to secure for 1t d market it could not otherwise hold
which he would not otherwise pay.
If protection could be equally distributed an round
II between class and class. But
II cannot possibly be thus distributed in any country
until we have discovered country whch VIII not hnu
IFS interest in exporting some commodity or other.
For the price of that commodity al nome must be De
termined by s price In foreign OF unp1Oec'ea al mar az
sribed the statute book at home. their erect must
remain absolutely null far this particular article
Is concerned. il is beyond human wit and power to
secure 10 the grower. 10 the grower OF wheat
hale npI ~
markets Of export will allow - MIN. ii, uhuer
these circumstances he is required 10 70 the iron
master Of pennsylvania or TO the manufacturer at
Lowell extra price on his implements or on ms ms
whatever. such extra price is at first sght much he
robbery perpetrated by law. -. .,o
present stage Of our Inquiry, by this ancient and
iosry headed wizard in relation 10 the claim for equal
dealing between class and class the presumPuve cdse
is not whit better in regard 10 the aggregate wealth
Of the Nation. Wealth is accumulation and the az az
surplus left by the prices of industrial prodncts alS
essylng out Of them the cost OF 10
make this surplus large Is 20 raise natlonal Weat 10
rs maximum. II is largest when we PIoGuce We. th
can produce eheapest IS and Wherever IT
and 10 whatever extent under the cover OF pfoCt'e
laws, men inGaced TO produce articles IeaNhs -
smaller surplus instead Of articles leaving afEer pe
But such is The essence Of protection III Ehslalo.
speaking roughly II made us produce INC Inor1 %neS' IN
hsh prices instead Of more tissues az low poeda ~
America il makes yon produce more clol ad @ @ NOR
cotton at low prices And your contention is that by
making production thus costly yOu make wages hlsi
tDs flueShOn lcl uh pass OlWdfun Ncl
leaving behind certain results which think yon
will End II hard 10 attack unless IL be in flank ana
rear such these First that extra price Imposed
class for the benefit Of Class b without compenSa
ton. is robbery. and robbery not rendered dn The
distract more respectable because tie state Is the cui
prt Secondly, that protection means dear produc.
non, and des production means, pro tanto. National
impoyerishment
~FgEE.TRADE ToILERs' ALL OVER THE UNITED
STATES.
but N America besides the jealousy pallsaGed
neiu o GEAR production, there is vast open expanse
VI 'ne4p pf0nctiOn, namely, in the whole mass ITO
pe'h FonsAly) Of the agricultural products Of the
uNUy' hot mention such gifts Of the earth as It's
mineral olIs' In raising these. the American capitalist