Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-01-17
Questions as to the Teaching of
Free Trade Asked BY a
Collegian.
Are Students Bound to Accept the
Conclusions Reached By
Professors9
Attitude of Bismarck and Napoleon
On the influence of Doctrin-
aries and Theorists.

college student writes II often see
II stst.d that the professors, presidents
and teachers in very nearly all of our uni
rsrsities and colleges are free traders
Tbev are blamed for preaching free trade
10 the students in those institutions, while
tha other Students themselves are often
blamed for being free traders when they
leave those institutions. and are scotfed at,
sometimes ridiculed and sneered at, on &C
count Of their free trade proclivities.
But why should the students be blamed
orcensured fer they have simply learned
that which they have been taught. They
90 tc universities, colleges etc, to learn
from those who are employed to teach
them. The question which | submit for
information is Are we students not
obliged to listen to, and are we not bound
to accept as final and conclusive the
teachings of the professors in our institu-
lions of learning? They claim that they
have made political economy their study
for wears, and have come to the conclusion
that free trade is the proper thing for our
government to adopt Must we not look
10 the wise for wisdom? If not to such
persons, to whom must we look for proper
instruction? 1t is easy to attack and de-
uounce both teachers and scholars, but
who is Judge? If we do not go to school
TO be taught and to learn, what do We go
f0rt These questions are respectfully
submItted for answers. -
The question and statements of Stu
dent seem to imply that blind and abject
obedience of the mind, with the suppress
sion of the mental and reasoning powers
of scholars, are due and should be yielded
to the teachings of their tutors, whether
presidents or professors Of universities and
colleges.
NOTHING MORE UNAMERICAN
could be imagined. An American stu
dent parts with none Of his rights, nor
ought to yield up a particle of his man
hood because he enters a university or
college. To lessen his self-dependence, to
weaken in any sense or to lower the digni-
ty Of his American manhood is to defeat
the very chief purpose of any or all gen
uine American education, on which alone
depends the perpetuity of our free institu-
tions
More than Two thousand years since,
chat eminent Greek philosopher Aristotle
said golden words:
"Ail who have meditated on the art of
governing mankind have been convinced
That the fate eff empires depends upon the
education Of youth.
Pope's coup.t:
cts education forms the common mind,
just a. the tWig Is bent the trees inclined,
is equally true, and no greater truth has
been uttered than that of Edmund Burke
that, Education Is the cheapest defense
OF nations. These sayings have passed
luto history and are recognized as axioms,
with which all are agreed, certainly all
Americans, excepting only those who,
from a desire for clerical or other despotic
control, would guide the minds Of our youth
astray from Just and patriotic allegiance
to the cardinal principles of the American
republic. Any genuine American mind
revoIts al blind and abject obedience to
any system whether of direction or educa-
tion, civil, theological or political. To re-
qure it or to exact it from American
youth IN universities or colleges is to &C
knowledge or proclaim despotism scarce
Iy bearable In a monarchy, and to be re-
sisted at all hazards in republic like ours.
History reveals to us the fact, worthy of
our remembrance, so well stated 1.-The
practical teachings of the early and happy
days Of Greece and Rome built up the
state. The later grammarians and soph
lists ruled it.
Bi5m rex, realizing the impending
danger to the country he had done so much
to build up to high standard of greatness
exclaimed to Mr. -Disraeli i want to
save Prussia from the professors. Ma
p2ieon Bonaparte also exclaimed; If any
empire we're made of granite. it would
soon be reduced to powder by political
economists"
Now, as political economy, or free
trade, which Is the only political economy
Taught by tne mass of presidents and pro-
tessors, its ablest expoundel declares that
Free trade is a science
BASED UPON ASSUMPTIONS.
mother and palmer language. 1t is an
ursound theory, and while it has never
been thoroughly tried, has proved a failure
Whenever only partially tested, and, IN
Tact, has not at this time any existence in
any prominent country
Student asks Must we not look to
the wise for wisdom?' Certainly we
should do so. But it is an important mat
ten TO FIRST find out who have, or proven
e b. wise. Many Of the ablsst statesmen
q England and of other countries have
declared that the founders Of oar govern
eent we're the greatest body Of men the
world mas ever known Lord Chatham,
WAC wouldn't permit the cocnists to
make 70 much as a hob-nail, yet in par
Lament extolled the papers sent by the
Na.ouists as equal to those Of Thurydides
constitution is probably familiar to
student, and he may too. have read "a
als advising tue English manufacturers
lH parliament in 1876
VT is vel worth while to incur a loss
upon the first expectations, in order by the
gut 20 stihe in the cradle the r sing man
ltacturers in the United States, which the
var hai forced into existence contrary to
DC natural course Of things.
The committee Of commerce and manu-
tastures Congressional during Mr. Madi-
son administration realized the import
ta1e. % this country, Of Br0ughams adj
e and in their wisdom reported:
as foreign manufacturers and mer-
-aAnts will put in requisition al! the
powers Of ingenuity; viii practice what
eyer art can devise, and capital can accom-
4sh, to prevent the American manufac-
i-ng establishments from taking root
a15 a7urishing in their rich and native
5r0ugham knee bow the country was