Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-24
MR.. BLAINE REPLIES.

MIR. BLAINE SePllES.
There can be no doubt that Mr.. Gladstone
is the most distinguished representative of
the free trade school of political economists,
He apologies for his apparent interference
with our affairs He may be assured that
apology is superfluous. Americans of all
classes hold him in honor Free trade he be-
lieves advantageous for England; therefore,
without the allowance of any modify wing con-
dition, great or small, the English economist
declares it to be advantageous for the United
States, for Brazil, for Australia; in short, for
all countries with which England can estab-
lish trade relations. 1t would be difficult, if
not impossible for Mr.. Gladstone to find any
principle of administration or any measure of
finance SO exactly fitted to the varying needs
of all countries as he assumes the policy of
free trade to be-
The American protectionist, let it not be
dscourteous to urge, is broader in his views
than the English free trader No intelligent
protectionist in the United States pretends
that every country would alike realize adj
vantage from the adoption of the protective
system. Great Britain and the United
States certainly resemble one another in
more ways than either can be said to resem-
BILE any other nation in the world; yet, when
we compare the two on the question at issue,
the differences ara 90 n,arkad that wa almost
lose sight of the resemblance.
-,,.., ..,, 1,o..u,,.
i"N i"o NAiioN' YIN i"A'iAD
Great Britain is an island less than ninety
Thousand square miles IN extent Its lie de-
penu' Upon its oon'eou,on WIN o'iier couii-
with the world. On the other hand, single
state of the Union is nearly three times 40
large as Great Britain. Several other states
are each ouite eoual TO il in area The whole
Union is we'll nigh forty times as large
With these fundamental points of difference
between the two countries assume that
varied financial and industrial svstems
wronpht nv the exnerience of each would ha
the natural and LOGIC result Hence do NOT
ioin iss,,e with Mr. Gladstone on ho+L of bic
nronositions He defends free trade in Graat
Britain. He assails protection in the United
States. The first proposition neither denv
nor affirm
On many points and in MANY respects il
was far different with Great Britain n him.
dred wears ago She did not then feel assured
that She could bear the competition of Con-
tinental nations She was therefore. ap
pressively. even cruellv. protective She
manufactured for herself and for her nat
work of colonies reaching around the plohe
Into those colonies no other notion could
carry ANYTHING. There was no scale of dirty
upon which other nations could enter n
colonial mort What the colonies needad ont
side of British products could be furnished To
them only in British ships.
WAC cnr , ,.,..
DurihS the last thlrty years OF her pro-
tective system, and especially during the
twenty years from 1870 10 lofo treat Brl-
tain increased her material wealth beyond all
precedent III the commercial history OF the
world FINALLY, with vast capital accumu-
iaUed' WIN low rate OF interest establish
co. ana Win manufacturing power une-
quaieu, the BRUSH merchants were ready TO
underpld all rivals In seeking Tor the trade OF
the world
AT that moment Great Britain had reason
TO feel supremely content. The traffic of the
world seemed prospectlvely In her control.
Couid this condition OF trade have continued,
no estlhate OF the growth OF Englands
wealth would be possible
But England was dealing with an mtelli-
gence equal 10 her own. The American
people mad, by repeated experience, learned
that the periods OF depression in home manu-
tactures were those IN which England most
prospered IN her commercial relations with
the United States, and that these periods of
depression had, with single exception,
easily explained, followed the enactment by
congress of free trade tariff, as certainly as
effect follows cause. One of the most suggest
i've experiments of that kind had its origin in
the tariff to which have just referred, passed
in 1916 III apparent harmony with England's
newly declared financial policy. At that
moment southern president (Mr, Polk, and
southern secretary of the treasury Mr..
Robert j. Walker) were far more interested