The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-03-18
IN DARKEST ENGLAND.
FREE TRADE THE CAUSE OF
GREAT SUFFERING.
Iis Blight Is Upon All Industries-The
Widespread Pauperism In Great britain
aud It's Cause-British Agriculture De-
caying and Manufactures Falling Away.


lished the following article i'm the New
York Mail and Express, and since then
all the dispatches confirm the reports of
destitution:
Again the plague spot OF free trade Eng
land Is uncovered and the gaze OF the civil
lied world is turned upon scenes OF poverty
and restitution which can be witnessed in
but few other Christian lands.
The new book by Gen. Booth. OF the Sal
walton Army, In London, bearing the title
ain Darkest England merely corroborates
the statements OF Kay, Mayhem, the Rev.
Stopford Brooke and other writer's and
speakers who have endeavored To describe
the terrible condition OF the poor In both
town and country in Great Britain.
Gen Booth presents as his estimate of the
total number OF paupers In Great Britain,
"Three millions, or, 10 put il roughly, one
tenth OF the population"
But Mr. Chamberlain says there are four 10
five millions in the realm, mass OF people
equal TO that OF the metropolis OF London, who
have remained constantly in state of alb
1ect restitution and misery. Mr. Isaac
Hoyle furnishes an argument showing that
the whole pauper class OF the community Is
somewhere near seven millions, or one in
every five OF the population. This exceeds
the total reported by government officials.
The Imagination falls To conceive OF the
extent OF the restitution and suffering In
Great Britain. The Rev. Mr.. Stopford
Brooke says: awe are pre-eminent in Lon
don in these matters. There is nothing so
terrible in any other civilized city-no. not
I'm Paris or New York There Is nowhere
else in the Christian world such mass of
wretchedness, squalor and degradation as
in England"
Free trade is said TO be the cause of this
widespread pauperism in Great Britain. Sir
Edward Sullivan, Henry G. Carey, stephen
Colwell and Robert Ellis Thompson are
among the writers who have taken this
position. They maintain that since the
doctrines OF Richard Golden were put in
parctice in England, in 1s40, the people
have been visited by destruction. The
boosted cheapness Of products does not
alleviate the general misery caused by the
want OF employment. In total population
OF 5000, 600 only about 100000 have fixed
incomes of Gl00 year, and there are 35.-
100000 who depend on some kind OF la Dor
for their support. With no protection, this
vast mass OF people is brought into COM
petition with both Continental and barbar-
ian labor.
Free trade demands cheap labor and does
not foster diversified industries or seek TO
furnish employment for the people as does
protection.
Free trade destroyed British agriculture.
Before the repeal OF the corn laws the
landed interest ruled the country. The
agitation for resembling these laws was be-
gun by Golden and other manufacturers i'm
order TO obtain cheap food for their work
men, and keep at the lowest point "the
natural and necessary rates of wages
The cotton barons and iron lords are now
i'm the ascendant, and the landed interest Is
fast going into decay. Foreign importa-
lions of grain are causing the land TO go
out of cultivation. The small farmer Is un-
able TO subsist, and he is selling his holding
TO the large landed proprietor to be used
for grazing purposes
England and Wales have 100000 land
owners, while protectlonist France has three
and quarter millions. Great Britain has
30 per cent. of her soil under tillage, while
France has 81 per cent. In France there
has been i'm ten years an increase OF 30 per
cent. in the area under wheat and cereals;
I'm England during the same period, there
has been a decrease I'm like area OF % per
cent. The British yeomen were once the
glory Of the realm To-day they are flee
ing from the land, and crouching in the cell
lars OF London or Liverpool, or emlgrating
TO America or the United States.
Free trade is causing the decay of British
commerce. The capitalists OF England en-
bark in many foreign enterprises which do
not pay. Even sbipbuilding is sometimes
attended with loss An intelligent Scotch
man said recently TO the writer: "There are
many steamers belonging TO proprictors in
the old world which do not pay expenses.
Shipbulding Is often losing business The
also shown that the foreign investments
made by Englishmen are sometimes haz-
ardous.
statistics exhibit the remarkable fact that
the commerce of protectionist countries has
grown more rapidly than that OF free trade
England. Sir Edward Sullivan presents in
his "Free Trade Bubbles the following per-
centages which are probably gathered from
Mullhall showing the proportionate growth
OF commerce in the countries here mention
ed during the period from 1865 10 1870: In
the United States the Increase has been 6S
per cent. in Holland 81; France, 81; Italy,
AS Germany, 30; British Empire, 81
Free trade Is undermining the manufac-
turing industries OF Great Britain. Norway
and Belgium, having abundant forests and
cheap labor, supply England with window
frames, doors and other carpentry work
The result OF this is that British ioners are
compelled To emigrate. The duties on silk
goods were abolished i'm 1860 and the silk
manufactures OF Macclesfield and Coventry
were destroyed. The workmcn either en-
tered the poOrhouses or left for foreign
countries.
service on one OF the English railways. The
iron beams OF st. Thomas Hospital. which
il situated near the houses of Parliament
were cast in Belgium. 1t is computed that
the loss TO England from competition with
Germany and Belgium i'm the iron and steel
trades has been, In the last four years,
$500. 900 900, and Mr.. James Adamson, the
President OF the British Iron and Steel AS
ISOLATION. has declared that unless the iron
masters have protection or pay lower wages.
this industry will soon be destroyed. Under
protection. however. the United States has
taken the first rank among the nations In
the production OF iron and steel though
Great Britain has had open TO her "the mar
kets OF the world.n The English cotton
trade is also suffering from competition
with Germany and Belgium.
"Forty years ago. says Sullivan, "Great
Britain produced two-thirds OF the dry
goods OF the world at present she produces
barely one thrd.n The manufacturers OF
Manchester declared, not long ago, that
either lower wages or protection must be
had Tho lace industry OF England has been
destroyed by admitting the cheaper fabrics
OF Saxony free OF duty, and thousands are
starving in Nottingham. Free trade has
closed every sugar refinery in England and
30 900 workmcn have been thrown out OF
employment.
Cal .. Brice's Cnpaid Taxes.
Senator Brice, the millionaire New
Yorker who bought an Ohio seat in the
United States Senate. is coming to grief
Ii. Il.