Daily Republican., 1890-06-06
Foolish Free Trade Argument.

A great hue and cry has been raised
BY the friends OF free trade about
manufacturers selling their products
to foreigners cheaper than they do to
people al home. This charge has been
steadily and earnestly made. Tho
New York World is quoted by a local
evening paper as having made this as
sertion and credits 1t with saying that
on May goth Congressman Smyser, of
Ohio, attempted 10 deny thst protected
American manufacturers habitually
and methodically sell their products to
foreign buyers at lower rates than they
will concede to the home market, but
found himself In o moment In very
deep hole from which he was glad to
crawl out. The story goes on farther
and says one Of his colleagues rushed
to the telegraph room and sent des-
patch to widely known protected
manufacturer In New Yors, asking
him to telegraph prompt and ring
ing denial. Il is eaid that within
twenty minutes he received this reply
from his correspondent: "Of course
We sell cheaper to foreigners than to
Americans. What is protection for2"
We have no disposition 10 say harsh
things about this report and others
like 1t that have tor some time been
going the rounds OF the free trade
papers, for we have no doubt many Of
them think they are telling the truth.
while others deliberately falsity the
facts. Such stories do not carry
good lace, and anybody with ordinary
Intelligence and good common sense
would be art to say ut first sight thst
it was the biggest kind OF canard
1t amounts to charge that our Ameri
can manufacturers discriminate and
sell their products cheaper to people in
q foreign country than they do to their
own kith and kin. With all due
Difference to the evidently set up and
prepared beforehand reply of the New
York manufacturer that '.of course
we sell cheaper to foreigners than to
Americana" we want further proof OF
the habit as general rule than the
fiippant assertion OF a manufacturer
who Is either an out and out free trader
or the tool OF free traders.
10. bring the caee more fully and
plainly before the eyes OF our readers,
let US suppose case In our own city.
McLear q Kendall manufacture Car
Tiage and put.it in their show room for
sale. Along comes two purchasers,
one foreigner aud the other an
American citizen at home and to the
manor born.
Each OF them offer $500 for the car
Iiage. The first impulse Of the Messrs.
NcLear Il Kendall would be TO let tho
American have the carriage as a
preference, but before the bargain is
struck the American offers five dollars
more than the foreigner, The last
offer settles the question, according TO
the New York World and the Every
Evening; the Messrs. McLear & Ken.
dali would Immediately sell to the
foreigner and snub the home buyer.
We do not believe any such balder-
dash. Unlesss there was large sale
Of carriages or some other compen
satlng advantages behind 1t anybody
OF good sense would say that the gen.
tlcmen named were fools Tor selling TO
the lowest bidder. Asa general rule
American manufacturers arc Ike other
people, and will sell to the customer
who pays the best and highest prices.
The free traders must be bad of for
arguments when they resort to such
miserable cooked up stuff as an ergu,
ment In favor oil free trade, and be-
yond that II is direct insult to 0
people with good common sense tc
expect them TO beliye 1t.