Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-09

| atbcT.
The statistics show that beyond I
doubt the locomotive manufacturers o
the United States have carried on an in
creased trade with Brazil during thu
last year; but this has nothing to dt
with reciprocity, since locomotives were
admitted free OF duty prior to the pas
sage of the Mckinley bill.
ENGLAND AND THE TARIFF.
In the consideration of tariff question:
we hear great deal said with reference
to Great Britain, and it is charged thai
the Democratic party are attempting tc
| initiate the English. There are some
things that Englishmen like which
other people enjoy. There are many
habits of business followed by English
men which are likewise observed in the
commercial conduct of intelligent people
everywhere; and, however great our
prejudice is against the British empire
-and no doubt many of us have not a
little feeling in that direction-yet the
repudiation of a plan that is good in it.
self, merely because the English have
CHANGED to adopt it, would be puerile
and silly. We have enacted laws in
many OF the United States with refer
ence to the Australian ballot system.
We imported that law from a British
possession. Wewant the best that is
going; and whether we are initiating a
Russian or an Austrian, Norwegian or
an Englishman, is matter of indiffer-
ence. AS progressive Americans we are
desirous of the superlative.
As matter of fact, the fpresent tariff
policy of the Republican party is
modelled upon the programme which
England followed for many years, and
repudiated but little while before the
adoption of the Walker tariff. The old
garments which she discarded as unfit
for the usages of civilization have been
donned by Republican leaders; and,
thus arrayed, they are strutting about,
bearing upon their shoulders the thread
bare banner of protection, and are using
the same arguments in support OF their
conduct that were urged more than a
third of century ago by the repudi-
ated lenders of Great Britain's sristoc-
racy.
For reasons which 1 will give in
moment, it seems to me absurd, in any
event, to compare our condition with
that OF Great Britain, our natural ad-
vantages are 30 strikingly superior.
England is not really free trade
country. She raises one-fourth of her
revenue from her custom houses. For
many years prior to 1912 her fiscal sys-
tenn was rigidly protected. The number
Of articles on the tariff list as late as
1S49 exceeded 1900, of which more than
400 were the raw materials of British
manufactures. There were likewise ex-
port duties and prohibition OF exports.
Smuggling penalties were high, and
there was no mercy displayed in enforc-
ing the revenue laws. England then
had system of navigation laws, upon
which our present suicidal scheme was
based. What was the issue? From
1915, when all the great wars in which
she had been engaged were over, when
she had as much influence over the
affairs of the world as she has ever en-
joyed, England proceeded under pro-
during the 27 intervening years
OF comparative peace, her business
affairs experienced such stagnation that
bankruptcy was threatened. In 1916
her exports of manufactures and pro-
increase was scarcely worth taking into
($120,7l5). According to Mr.. Noble,
whose work upon English fiscal legisla-
tion is recognized authority, the effect
of this condition of affairs, the legiti-
mate result of the policy now initiated
by the Republican party, was to close
mills, workshops, depreciate property
values, paralyze shipping and drive
starving laborers to the poor house.
In 1841 Sir Robert Peel took the first
step toward reducing import duties
and by the act of 1912 there was an
abatement of the imposition upon $50
articles. The result was at once appar-
ent. A deficiency in the national reve-
nue. of $l2, lO5 900 in ls4l was converted
into surplus of $17 ,045 900 in 1S45.
The duties on wool. particularly. which
had been maintained for more than 200
years, where wholly repealed in 1874;
and in 1S45 more than 400 articles,
mostly raw materials, were added to the
free list. British navigation laws of a
restrictive character were abrogated in
1S49, with the exception of several re-
lating entirely to the coasting trade, and
these were eliminated from the statute
book in 1854. Mr.. Disraeli bitterly op-
posed the repeal OF the navigation laws,
and declared with the high projection
ists who had preceded him, and who
prognosticated innumerable evils as the
result of the acts of the Peel cabinet,
that the nation was in danger.
There was great opposition to any re-
duction of import duties. But the pro-
test did not come from the poorer or
middle classes, or from the body of the
people. Mr.. Justin Mccarthy, the
present leader of the Irish Home Rule
party, in his well-know work, History of
Our Own Times, says: ''The corn laws,
as all the world now admits, were
cruel burden on the poor and the work
ing classes of England. They who were
the incorporating opponents of free
trade at that time are proud to be its
zealots now. Indeed,
there is no more chance for reaction
against free trade than there is against
the rule of three" Says Mr.. Glad
stone: "When the free trade reform be-
gan trade increased to degree unexam-
pied in the history of the world.
Periods of distress have been due to
special causes which were beyond hu-
man agency to deal with. Such times
Of hardship have become almost, if not
absolutely, unknown, owing to the
blessed effects of free trade. The
country has made great step forward
and will not go back" The ex-
preston Stree trade" is used by these
statesmen in relative sense, since Eng
land has never ceased to collect large
custom revenue.
Charles Sumner, the great Republi-
can leader, wrote to Golden congratu-
- \ Sc sofA 10