The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-08-01
A LIgTLm gAaIFF TALK,


Gen. M. M. Trumbull gives us some
valuable statistics, pointers and argu-
menta on the American lesson Of free
trade In England, What we mean by
free trade IN this instance, 10 fair trade
What we mean by Protective tariff, ID
a tariff like our present war tariff, that
10 beyond the needs.of the Government
and Ia hindranee TO commerce, Gen,
Trumbull says when Protection IL aban'
doned, aa II must be IN tho near future,
the American people will be astonlshed
40 tho English people were aatonished,
ut the multiplication of their wealth
and comforts, and their rapid advance
IN manufacture and trade,
Some people entertain the delualon
that although the laws of mathematics
aud the physical sciences are applicable
10 all countries, yet that the same In
flexible quality does not belong 10 the
laws of moral science, They believe
that these can DO changed according TO
the whim Of legislatures, and tho ex'
igenclea OF climate and geography,
They think that the principles of Free
Trade may be philosophical and wise
In one country, and tho reverse In an
Others that infancy" 10 u good plea In
behalf OF Protection In u new country,
but not In an old one, that agriculture
ought 10 be protected Ut the expense Of
manufactures In England, aud manu-
features protected at the OK
pense of agriculture In Amer
lea, hut the laws Of political
economy cannot be bent to duit latitude
and longitude, The freedom Of trade
that benefits England would benefit the
United states, Commercial principles
cannot very between Liverpool and
New York, nor between Boston aud
Montreal,
The present so,called Protective Gya'
tenn In this country was born OF the
civil war, as every one knows, aud was
inaugurated 10 tax the American people
10 the utmost tension Of possibilities In
order 10 carry on u great war, Its orig
inal advocates claimed II only tempo
rary expedlent and agreed 10 abandon
II with the dissolution OF our armies,
Now II Ia the corner stoneo Of monopoly.
The logic of applied science has been
perverted, and the doctrine 10 now
taught and enforced In this country
that II Is patriotic to tax the many for
the benefit Of the few, that II is Just 10
aid by legislation, manufacturers that
do not succeed without iti that we
ought 10 sell 10 other nations but never
10 buy of them, Gen, Trumbull says Of
this doctrines "These are, we have long
since known, fundamental principles
among the advocates of the American
system, tits, however, extraordinary
that these ancient aud memorable max
inns sprung from the darkest ages Of
ignorance and barbarian, should take
their last refuge IN The United states
PerhapSlt II 10 not so very remarkable
after al, The desire 10 get rich at
somebody's else expense Is we'll nigh
universal II 10 easy TO persuade most
people that TO "protect" their own artl'
aan0 from the competition Of "foreign
pauper labor" Is an act Of patriotism.
This admitted, II is easily narrowed
down 20 our own State, our country,
our own city, our own village, or even
our own street,
In commenting on the rule Of greed
and money Ia the United States under
q system where every man has the bal
lot, Gen Trumbull well says;
10 suppose that the United States
was horn wise In these matters, would |
be 40 unreasonable as 10 think that " |
could be born old, Unjust go through
the same education In economics that |
went through,