Telegram-herald., 1890-09-27
OUR FOREIGN TRADE
eglL oTHER NATIONS sus O. -
r. wE % NOT suY FsoA T1EM'

EssiAna.s Frss-srsas Psla~s .a& hssss
o1r Z .ri1 ~ ISsesa@t n&s kssaitsa
fron or Presses E&ria- Hes - L.
srs.ss w-ses
Our fxrmsrs are Eew ea.Q71ag serles
q forensic eaeouuters between The Al
yoeatss Of Prstect3on snd free-tr4cs.
ia which TIE Protectionisg VII os found
talking foE American interests every
time, and tae FRYE -trAierwill appeal foE
tolerance or sympathy Tor some foFeiga
interest. generally British, a. their heav-
lest contnbuuons. both q ideas and
money. are derived from that source.
The suggestion. Il no; the argument, Of
the Free trade orator viii be that, as
England Is the largest purchaser Of our
farm products. clearing our markets Of
a surplus which would otherwise Be very
incoayenient. We should reciprocate and
admit her manufactured goods; that
England viii not bay Of rs unless We
buy Of her.
This is faIlsey. England WI buy
where she can buy the cheapest in the
future, as in the past The foundation
idea Of the British political economy.
Free trade, is TO sell dear and buy cheap,
keeping the wages Of operatives AZ the
lowest possible point. 30 that the prunts
OF the completed transaction shall be 81
the maximum.
England adopted Freo-trade only when
her statesmen knew their country supe-
in organization and in facilities Of trans
portation, which gave her at that time
the cheapest freight rates OF any coun-
try in the world The measure was
adopted without regard to the interests
OF her farming population, who are being
eliminated.
1t Was the hope Of England that al
the world would grow raw produce to
sell to her for her manufacture and con-
sumption, taking portion Of it back in
payment, England charging her own
price for transportation each way; that
the world should "sell her skins for a
sixpencs and buy back the tails for a
shilling"
When England devised Free-trade
and induced us to accept it also she
thought 10 offer us the only market for
our farm produce. She intended 10 keep
the only shop at which we could buy
Our tariff Of 1s46 gave her such start
in that direction that the balance Of
| trade on merchandise against us was
over one thousand and FIVE hundred
million dollars, sum paid in gold and
bonds for goods we find we can manu-
facture cheaper and better than thos'
she sold, while we have debt TO her re
Quiring the transmission OF about ont
hundred million dollars yearly as inter
est money.
These vast sums she has immedistely
invested, largely in countries intended
to compete with US in the sale of farIT
produce The efforts of the Free-trader
seem to be directed to increasing tht
capital which ngl.2Gc can so employ il
the future.
Under our present tariff laws over fivi
| hundred uniilSn uo1Iar5 worth OF mer
chandise was brought into this countr,
the last fiscal year, al of which coulc
have been manufactured here. Thi
sum at an average of $200 per capt.;
would have supported a quarter of
million people, whose expenditure 70
American farm produce of all kinds can
not be put at less than twenty-five
million dollars. whereas if they Were EN-
ployed in England-our largest custome
for such produce-they would not tax
much over n million dollars worth
Free traders also claim that a tarif
enabling us to afford the employment
five hundred million dollars would pa,
for would not increase the wages 0
those 80 employed.