The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-10-07
BRITISH OPINION.

The special Washington correspondence
of the Troy Times of recent date has
extracts from an author who has spent
some time in England, and these show
how the people of that country are inter
ested in the election of Grover Cleveland.
The letter says: One of the most force
full documents yet put forth on the tariff
question is an open letter writted by A.
2. Bowen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and
addressed to the young men of the coun-
try. The letter demonstrates clearly the
benefits which have accrued to American
industries under Protective tariff, and
shows how the Mckinley bill has crippled
the industries of England, Canada and
other countries. The author says:
During the campaign of 1888, although
l was then speaking for the Republicans
in New York, did not believe that
England was seriously interested in our
elections, and l often felt chagrined
when l heard speakers try to arouse an
audience by quoting English sentiment.
l verify believed the Democratic slur
that we were creating bogy man as
kind of scare-crow whereby to frighten
voters from the other party into ours.
But it was my fortune to be in England
from March goth to August 18th, 1892:
After had been there two weeks and
had observed the intense bitterness there
and had begun to comprehend to what an
immense extent England's welfare de-
pended upon the size of her foreign mar
ket and had learned that our market was
the largest in England's reach. and that
| if she was shut out it meant starvation
or at least change of occupation to thou
sands and thousands of England's peo-
pie, l was compelled to confess that the
half had not been told. And am sure
that could each individual Democrat
have the experience that had during my
| four months sojourn in England, and
read the numberless scornful slurs and
sneers at Americans that occurred daily,
and read the constant daily prayers foI
Democratic success and consequent Free
| Trade in our land, there would not be
100 Democratic votes cast for Mr.. Cleve-
land on November Sth. Simple patriot
ism would force them to vote for the
stars and stripes instead of for the union
jack. The daily evidence that Mr.. Cleve-
land is endorsed in England is multitu'
dinous and overwhelming. l offer mere
ly few of the most highly expressive" "
Mr.. Bowen goes on to quote from
British journals extracts showing plainly
the disastrous effect which the Mckinley
law has had upon English markets, ano
the extreme desire on the part of Britonf
for the success of the Democratic party
here in its effort to force Free Trade up
on this country. He says:
"The Bankers Magazine of London fol
July shows that the dividend of almost
every bank in the United Kingdom has
been reduced during the year by stagna
ton in all kinds of industry and trade
A London banker told me that it would
be worth fifty millions sterling $3.50,
900, ,000), per year if Cleveland's Free
Trade party should succeed inthe United
States. attended the Congress of the
Chambers of Commerce of about onC
hundred of the largest ciJies of the Brit
ish Empire, in fact, Congress of British
merchant princes. There were sixteer
subjects put upon the programme fol
discussion. The first of these was thu
Mckinley bill, under the high sounding
title of "Recent Commercial Legislation
in the United States.' For two and /;
half days the merchant princes of Grea
Britain debated the Mckinley bill, whilt
the other fifteen subjects were disposed
of in day and half. That is to say
that in the opinion of the merchan
princes of Great Britain the McKinle!
bill was thirty times as important as an!
imperial subject. And upon the fina
vote thirty-four Chambers of Commerct
were in favor of Great Britain adopting
a Protective policy modelled upon tn
Protective policy of the United States
while forty-seven Chambers of Commerce
were opposed thereto and in favor o
continuing her Free Trade policy. Jus
little more education from Uncle San
and Britannia will become Protectiv
country"