Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-05
THE FRIDAY CLUB.
PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE
DISCUSSED YESTERDAY.
The Arguments From Opposite Points
of View.

| 49, - viz AAAOoS ALI POitohb luhCbiOhI
OF club life is the making of women
think on the important and serious ques
tions of the day. The Friday Morning
club has certainly developed the fact
that its members are capable of coping
with questions of national import, and
with degree of interest and intelligence
that shows careful study and sound judg-
ment.
The subject of discussion before the
club yesterday morning was Protection
and Free Trade.
The first paper, presented by Mrs. E..
A. Lawrence, was entitled Tariff as Rev
enue. Mrs. Lawrence opened the ques-
tion very clearly. One OF the indispen-
sable conditions of prosperous commu-
nifty is good government. Laws must
be made and executed by corporations
for the general good. These cor
porations, known as the gov
ernment, help to create the wealth
OF the nation, and share of this wealth
belongs to them under the law of dis
tribution. Each individual who shares
in the benefits shall contribute to the
support The aggregation of these con-
tributions is the revenue of the govern
ment, and It's apportionment is known
under the general name of taxation.
Taxes are of two kinds, direct and in
direct. Direct taxation is paid by the
individual on real estate, personal prop
erty, etc. Indirect taxation is illustrated
by the internal revenue system. The
single tax has found much favor among
many thinking men. The bone of con-
tention is the tariff, the point at issue
between the two great political parties
OF the day, and the subject of continued
discussion in congress. Over the
troubled political waters Mckinley
has poured oil in his famous tariff bill,
which became law after one of the
longest sessions of congress known in our
national history. A murmur of discon-
tent is rising all over the land. Each
year millions are poured into the gov
ernment treasury to aid private enter
prise and build up private fortunes. 1t
is none the less robbery because called
taxation. May the time come when the
taxpayer will feel that the three colors on
the American flag are emblematic of the
fact that liberty, justice and equality
are extended to all who dwell beneath
it's folds.
The next paper, entitled Free Trade,
was given by Mrs. Galpin
Women are born free traders, and are
natural everywhere. They cannot un-
derstand why they should buy an arti-
Gle on one side of the river and pay
double the price to get it over. 1t is the
labor of locality applied to its natural
resources which produces wealth.
Legislation may attract and redis-
tribute, but it cannot create wealth.
On the laces and farbics of France our
government imposes enormous duties.
This results in our manufacturing in
ferior articles at cheaper rates.
The wealth of a country is in its agri-
cultural resources. Ii we take money
from the pocket OF agriculture, of labor,
OF commerce, and put it in the pocket OF
the manufacturer, we have not created
wealth; we have redistributed it.
Abnormal intellectual development is
at the expense of physical power, and
results often in early death. Increased
wisdom will look with alarm at the ab-
normal development of manufactures at
the expense of the vital powers Of the
Americas chief source of wealth-agri-
culture.
The great question with the laborer is
not 81 day or 50, but whether he must
pay 81 for the sake of receiving So.
The startling figures of statistics show
that in Kansas nine-tenths of the farm
ing lands are covered with mortgages
which call for 10 per cent interest. If
the wealth of country is in its soil
products, all taxation of the country falls
indirectly upon the farming community.
Increased tariff increases the diff
Guilty. Stopping imports stops exports.
Nature teaches that the survival of the
ittest brings in the end the highest good
to all. Natural growth is the only
wholesome growth, whether it be Of
plant or manufacture.
Mrs. Mathews then followed with a
paper on Protection. Self-preservation
is the first instinct of life. To promote
home industries and home markets our
patriot forefathers considered of the
first Importance. Acting upon the
doctrine that a protective duty
continued for a reasonable time
will best promote this end, pro-
lection has its support in the governing
men and the countries of the world.
The United States, full of resources.
a world within itself, will supply all our
essential needs and make us independ-
ent in time of war.
In the history of manufactures we
find so great difficulties to contend
against--and, individual enterprise
unaided by the government could not
have made them successful. Protection
lists believe that in the end, by the
inevitable law of competition, the con-
sumer will reap the benefit in lower
prices, more accessible and surer sup
plies, as we'll as goods better adapted to
his wants.
An animated discussion followed this
paper, showing much interest and broad
views on many points.
Next week Friday will be "pioneer
day." in charge of Mrs. Hughes, Mrs.
Senator Cole and Mrs. Whiting.
Rain coming. Macintosh cape coats rubber
coats of every description; silk, alapaca and
gigham umbrellas. Globe Clothing company,
Sprinp near Third