Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-03-03
FREE TRADE VS.. TARIFF.
FREE TRADERS UNDOUBTEDLY HON.
EST BUT MISGUIDED.

FREE TRADERS UNDOUBTEDLY HON.
EST BUT MISGUIDED.
Statement of the Condition of the Country
Under the Five Periods of Free Trade
Contrasted with the Condition Under the
Mckinley Tariff Paupers In Various
Countries Compared with the Number in
our Own - Pauperism Increases Under
Free Trade, Decreases Under Protective
Tariff.
The American Economist answers the
question, "Are free traders honest? Do
they believe what they advocate? Would
they wilfully ruin the country?" as fol
lows:
In matters depending for their right
solution upon sagacity, foresight or
skill, mere honesty is absolutely worth
less. In affairs of government very
many of the most mischievous men the
world has ever known, such as George
III, Robespierre and Jefferson Davis,
were not only honest, but were models
of honesty. If man is mistaken in his
fundamental beliefs upon questions of
craftsmanship, morals or business policy,
the more honest he is the greater will be
his power to ruin himself and others.
Sir Archibald Alison, the most profound
and exhaustive historian of Europe and
the most pronounced and unf1inching
protectionist Great Britain ever pro-
duced, in discussing the commercial
crisis of 1887, which was brought about
by men of exactly the same kidney as
the modern free traders, says of them
Essays, vol. I. p. 2s5):
They have perpetrated an act not merely
of injustice to others, but of insanity toward
themselves, to which no parallel is to be
found in the whole annals of legal and aristo-
cratic oppression. No example more emf
nently instructive to the people of this coun-
try ever was offered; none could be conceived
SO wonderfully calculated to evince, even to
demonstration, the truth of the opinions
which we have never ceased to incucate-
that the Democratic multitude, in the blind
ness of party zeal or the worship of Repubi-
can ambition urge measures fitted not merely
In their ultimate, but even in their immediate
results to send themse Ives to perdition.
The act to which Alisonrefers was the
destruction of the bank of the United
States, as a regulator of the currency, in
immediate conjunction with the over
throw of manufactures by the comprom-
Use tariff of 1887. Thus the certainty
with which this class will ruin repub-
lie is cited abroad against popular gov
eminent itself, just as we cite the folly
OF particular despOts against all mon
archy.
Free trade has had five periods of rela-
tive prevalence in the history of the
United States. e., there have been five
distinctly marked periods when foreign
competing imports have been freer than
at any others to enter our ports, to the
subversion and overthrow of domestic
competing industries. These were:
l. The colonial period, ending with
throwing overheard the tea in Boston har
Dor and the battle of Lexington in 1775.
The British parliament forbade us by
law to manufacture in order that they
might monopolize our market. This
chiefly impelled us toward the war for
independence.
2. The sspeace under confederation
period from 1888 to 1888, when no ma
tional duties on imports existed. This
chiefly impelled us to adopt the Federal
constitution.
3. The period of the so-called recip-
rocity treaty with England in 1916 to
1924, eliminating in the financial crisis
OF 1919.
4..The compromise tariff period Of 1888
to 1912, including the unparalleled
crisis OF 1S36-39.
5. The Walker tariff period of 1916 to
81 intensified by the further reduction in
'57 and thus prolonged to March 3, 1861.
This period was marked by a general
poverty or s'hard times' crisis, setting
In In the summer of 1854, continuing
into a bankruptcy and non-payment
crisis in 1866, which caused a mercan-
tile bankruptcy crisis in England in
1856, and this reacting produced the
bank crisis in America in 1857, after
which the country struggled on in a
pauperized condition until 1861.
There is no fairer test of the relative
prosperity Of two periods than to COM
day, by census bulletin. dated January
10, 1882, New York (state) has 1922
paupers in a population of $780,, 1853,
being pauper to 5S3 persons. In 1853
the annual report of the secretary of
state of New York to the legislature, of
the paupers relieved in the several
counties at the public expense (same
classification essentially as the census)
gave 261, 155 paupers in population of
SOC, 900, being one pauper to every 1311a
persons, or 45 paupers at the close of IA
years of freeltrade to every one pauper
after thirty years of protection.
The thirteenth annual report of the
New York Association for Improving
the condition of the Poor was made in
1859, and was signed by James Brown,
president while such men as James
BOorman, James Lenox, HOratio Allen,
A. r. Wetmore and John G. Green were
its vice-presidents.
This report compares the pauperism
of England and Wales with that then
existing in New York state as follows
Population. Paupers.
England and Wales. 10, 5000 SS5, 900
Scotland. ..............3 1885, 900 1928
Ireland. ................6 6, 100000 $500
New York State. ....... 3,5O0,0O0 26l los
sin other Words says the report,
''the pauperism of England and Wales is
in the ratio of four and six-tenths per
cent of the whole population; in Scot
land, three and nine-tenths per cent; in