The Portland daily press., 1889-12-30
Mr.. CarIisle's Axioms.

Hon. John g. Carlisle, ex-Speaker of the
House of Representatives. contributes dis
eussion of the relations CT the tariff to the
farmers to the January number of the Fo-
rum Magazine. Mr.. Carlisle is one of the
leading free traders in the country, perhaps
it would be more correct to say that he is the
leading free trader. Certainly he has had as
much TO do as any other man in urging the
laissez fare policy upon the legislators and
people. AS basis for his reasoning Mr..
Carlisle lays down certain propositions which
he describes as "self-evident." He says:
Unless commodity can be sold here for high
er price than 1t can be sold for in the country
where il is produced it will not be brought here;
nor will an article be exported from this country
for sale abroad unless the price there is higher
And in this connection it must not be forgotten
that the prices of all the principal agricultural
products which the farmer sells at home, are
liked in the free markets abroad where he sells
his surplus. while the prices of nearly all the
things he has to buy are fixed in the protected
total or partial exclusion Of foreign competitor
and by reason of the unnecessary taxes imposed
upon the materials used in their protection.
Now these propositions are not only not
"self evident" but they are not true. Mr..
Carlisle assumes that the distribution of
commodities is like the flowing OF WAGER. that
merchandise rot only flows at once in the
direction of higher prices, but that it as
naturally and readily remains away from
low prices. This assumption entirely over
looks the fact that prices are not the only
condition to be considered in the distribution
OF products by sale. Not only is the price
necessary. but the chance to sell. If an
English firm of manufacturers find them
selves with a line of goods with which the
home market is supplied their first problem
is to get rid of their stock without loss.
Ard they will sell in America or anywhere
else where they can find demand without
regard to prices SO long as they do not abso-
lutely lose money. Furthermore many arti-
cles of American manufacture are habitually
sold abroad cheaper than they are here. This
is true of many patented articles, and has
been true of sewing machines In several in
stances that the free traders have promptly
exploited. The laws which regulate the dis
trbution of commodities are not uniform
and fixed as are the natural laws that govern
the flowing of water, which always seeks the
lowest level Habit, associations such as
trusts, the caprice of the buyers, terms of
credit, and hundred other things come in
to modify Mr.. Carlisle's proposition that
commodities flow only In the direction Of the
highest prices. When the way is clear they
flow in that direction first; but when the de-
mand is satisfied. as it is good part of the
time under the conditions of business of
free trade country like England, the COM
modities seek the markets that are handiest
and at slaughter prices Mr.. Carlisle next
declares that the prices of the principal ag-
ricultural articles which the farmers sell at
home are fixed in the free markets abroad
where he sells his surplus" If this be true
at all, 1t is true of only part Of the farm
ers. The markets abroad have very little to
do with the prices Of the commodities which
the Maine farmer has to sell. His articles
sell well or badly accordingly as he has
market handy or is obliged to send long dis
tances and rely upon dealers who are inter-
ested to get as much as they can for them
selves for the marketing. Perhaps the
Oreign market is.of advantage to the grain