Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-06-18
The Error That Free Trade Had
Conquered the World is
Thrown Up.
Great Britain, 1t is Asserted, Must
Sooner or Later Adopt the
Inivitable

the prosperity OF THIS country is greatly
involved | allude to the question OF
our external trade
After all, this little island lives as a
trading island. We could not produce
in foodstuffs enough TO sustain the
population that lives on this island and
It is only by the great Industries, which
exists here, and which find markets in
foreign countries, that We are able to
maintain the vast population which this
island is inhabited
"But danger is growing up Forty
or fifty years ago everybody believed
that free trade had conquered the world
and they prophesied that every nation
would follow the example of England
and give itself up to absolute free trade
THE results are not exactly what they
prophesied, but the more adverse the re
suits we're the more the devoted proph-
cts of free trade declared that all would
come right at last
rIhe worse the tariffs of foreign coun-
tries became the more confident we're
the prophecies of an early victory, but
we see now, after many years expert
ence that explain it, how m any foreign
nations are raising, one after another,
wall-a brazen wall Of protection
around their shore which excludes us
from their markets, and so far as they
are concerned, do their best to kill our
trade, and this state of things does not
get better On the contrary, it con
stantly seems to get worse.
THE PENALTY OF SPEAKING.
"Now, of course, if / utter word
with reference to tree trade | shall be
accused of being a protectionist, of de
sire to overthrow free trade and of all
the other crimes which an ingenious
Imagination can attach to a commercial
heterodoXy.
But, nevertheless, ] ask you to set
yourselves free from all that merely vi
Imperative doctrine and to consider
whether the true doctrine of free trade
carries you as far as some Of those gen
tlemen would wish you to 60.
Every true religion has it's counter
part in inventions and legends and ira
dltIOns, which grow upon that religion.
The Old Testament had its Canonical
books and had also its Talmud and its
Mishnah, the inventions Of rabinical
commentators.
There are a Mishnah and Talmud
constantly growing up. One Of the
difficulties we have to contend with is
the strange and unreasonable doctrine
which all these rabbis have imposed up
on us.
III we look abroad into the world we
see it, In the office which ] have the
honor to hold ! am obliged to see great
deal of it,
I'VE live in an age of war of tariffs.
Every nation is trying how it can, by
Increment with its neighboT, get the
greatest possible protection for its own
Industries, and at the same time the
greatest possible access to the markets
Of its neighbors
This kind of negotiation IS continu-
ally going on. 1t has been going on for
the last year and a half with great &c
tivity
81 want to point out TO you that what
! observe is that while A is very anxious
70 get favor of B and b is anxious TO
get a favor of G, nobody cares two
straws about getting the commercial /
favor Of Great Britain. Cheers
THE REASON FOR 1T.
what is the reason of that 1t is
that in thistgreat battle Great Britain /
has deliberately stripped herself OF the |
arm0r and the weapons with which the |
battle has TO be fought
"l0u cannot do business ia this world |
of evil and suffering on those terms, If /
you go to market on must bring money /.
with you. If You sight, you must fight
with the weapo swlth 81 hlch those you /
have TO contend against are lighting
"Itis NOT easy forF0u to say: ] am a |
Quaker; do not fight q. all; / have no /
weapon, aud ID expect thst people viii 4
pay the same regard TO you, aud be as /
anxious To obtain your good Will and TO /
consult YOUR interests as they Will he OF I
the people who haveletaiued their armor /
and still hold their weapons (" Heal, /
heart
The weapon with which they all fight .
Omission to their own markets; that |
IS 10 sty, q us to ,, If You will make .
Your duties such tnat ] can sell in your
market, ] will make my duties such that /
You can ssll in my market
But We begin by saying that we WILL
ery no duties on anybody, and we de
clare that it would be contrary and dis
loyal 10 the glorious and sacred doctrine
u free trade to levy duty on anybody |.
Tor the sake of what we can get by IT.
Cheers
1T may be noble, but it is not bust
ness. loud cheers.l
On those terms you viii get nothing,
aud ] am sorry to have to tell you that
you are practically getting nothing
The opinion Of this country, as stat
71 Jy Is authorized opponents, has been
opposed to what is called retaliatory
policy. A voice: mo, nor
"Oh, but it has We, as the govern
uent Of this country, have laid it down
for ourselves as a strict rule from which .
there is DO departure, and we are bound .
APT 70 alter the traditional policy Of the
country unless We are convinced that a
arge majority ~ the country is with us
cheersl, because in these foreign affa rs
consistency Of policy is beyond all things
necessary.
As a COUNCILLOR TO THE PUBLIC.
But though that is the case, still if
may aspire to fill the office OF coun-
W. IL IL. g...N a H..