The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-01-29
BLAINE'S REPLY
TO THE HON. WIN. GLADSTONE

OINItNI ~ I'LL IL
TO THE HON. WIN. GLADSTONE
On the Discussion "Eree Trade vs..
High Tariff"
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 inter-
ference with our affairs. He may
be assured that apology is super
fiuous. Americans Of all classes
hold him in honor. Free trade he
believes advantageous for England;
therefore, without the allowance of
any modifying condition, great or
small, the English economist de-
clares it to be advantageous for the
United States, for Brazil, for Aus
tralia; in short, for all countries
with which England can establish
trace relations. 1t would be diff.
cult. II not impossible, for Mr.. Glad.
stone to find any principle of ad-
ministration or any measure of
finance 30 exactly fitted to the
varying needs Of all countries as he
assumes the policy Of free trade to
be.
The American protectionist, let
1t not be discourteous to urge, is
broader in his views than the En-
glish free trader. No intelligent
pr0tectiOnist in the United States
pretends that every country would
alike realize advantage 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 resemble any ether nation in the
world; yet, when we compare the
two on the question at issue, the
differences are 50 marked that we
almost lcse sight of the resemblance.
THE TWO NATIONS CONTRAsTED
Great Britain is an island less
than ninety thousand square miles
in extent. Its life depends upon
its connection with other countries
Its prosperity rests upon its com.
merce with the world. On the 9th,
er ISand, . single Stats 0f tlfe U6IJa
is nearly three times as large al
Great Britain. Several other states
are each quite equal to 1t in area
The whole Union il we'll nigh forty
times as large.
With these fundamental points o
difference between the two coun
tries, assume that varied financial
and industrial systems, wrought b,
the experience of each, would b.
the nal ural and logic result. Hence
l DO not join issue with Mr.. Glad
stone on both o. his propositions
He defends free trade in Grea
Britain. lie assails protection il
! the United States. The first propo
sition l neither deny nor affirm.
On many points and in many re
spects it was far different wit
Great Britain hundred years ago
! She did not then fec! assured ths
, she could bear the competition {
Continental nations. She wa
< therefore, aggressively, even crue
!. ly, protective. She manufacture
for herself and for her network {
:. colonies reaching round the glob
q Into those colonies no other natio
n could carry anything. There VIZ
v no scale of duty upon which 9th,
q nations could enter a colonial Dol
q What the colonies needed outsil
!. Of British products could be tu
II nished to them only in Britis
ships.
WAS GREAT BRITAIN MERELY
SELFISH?
10 During the last thirty years
=, ~ her protective system, and espet
:, ally during the twenty yeas fro
= 1926 to 1916, Great Britain increase
her material wealth beyond {
" precedent in the commercial hist
ry of the world. Finally, with
vast capital accumulated, with
g low rate of interest established, al
with manufacturing power un
Il qualed, the British merchants we
n ready to anderbid all rivals
n seeking for the trade of the worl
At that moment Great Brita
had reason to feel supremely co
- tent. The traffic Of the wor
T. seemed prOspectively in her CO
= troll. Could this condition of ira
N have continued, no estimate of t
growth of Englsnd's wealth Won
o. he pOssible.
a. But England was dealing with
Ia infollioonca CON al In ho1 0un n