Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-01-07
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

HhAANHlANs anu u tAAAi Wv US AAtANtA 10
/ In the Unitcd states-The Cobdea Clul
q. and the Reform Club.
About 1910, when Great Britain wa.
grooming under protection, John Bright
Richard Golden and many other gool
and philanth;Gric usen sew the gros
injustice Of the Corn laws that were
| taxing the bread of the poor, iniuring
most industries by increasing the cost
of raw materials, and pauperizing and
degrading hewhole nation, made vows
that they would agitatc until the ob,
noXious laws We're abolished. They
joined themselves together and formed
the Golden club. This club worked
unseltlshly aud systematically in the
interests of the masses, Large sums of
money were spent. A few years of such
work and the corn laws were abolished
forever and commerce was practically
free. The era Of prosperitythat then
began has made the little islands that
constitute Great Britain not only the
masterofth high seas and the distribut.
ing point for the worlds supplies, but
also the most wealthy spot on the globe.
Wages, which We're then extremely low
there, have advanced more than in anv
country, so that they are to-day much
higher than in any other European
country or other old country of the
world, and are higher only in the two
great countries of undeveloped oppor.
tunities-United States and Australia.
But,of couse, the great wrong was not
put down without hurting the feelings
OF the English landlords and Others
who were profting by the nefarious
system Of protection" These men
hated the Golden club like the devil is
said to hate holy water. They hurled
vile epithets at it and called the 'tfree
traders" the enemies Of the country.
Bright, Golden, 0'Connell and the other
leaders expected to be villiaed, but
they did not count on being called
traitors and bounded by the aristocracy.
1t only made them fight the more des.
perately and spend more money TO rid
the people and their country of the
heavy load Of taxation.
The history Of Great Britain is beng
repeated a half century later in the
United States. Protection can be ef-
tectiye only on goods that are imported
largely. 1t is the manufacturers, there
fore, and not the bread producers that
can and have profted by protection in
this country, And so well have the
manufacturers improved their oppor.
tunities that they now have higher
duties on their goods than the British
landlords ever had on their grains. If
we are not so much cursed rs were the
English, it is because manufactured
goods are not used to the same extent
rs breadstutfs and are less essential to
life; also because we were never so de-
pendent ON foreign countries for SUP.
plies rs England has always been for
bread. 1t is not then the fault Of our
monopolistic manufacturers that they
have reduced this nation in their thirty |
years OF rule or misrule to the same cy.
tent that the corn monopolists reduced
Great Britain in their thirty years OF |
rule. Ourmanufacturers avedoneth their
worst but circumstance have been
against them.
The corn-law men wanted the excln. |
sive feeding Of the manufacturers in
Great Britian-"home markets" they
1t: our manufacturers want, and |
practically have, the exclusive right to
us with manufactures-'home
markct'-thcy call it. British mono.
polists posed as the guardians of the
public veal and had laws made
in their interests. American
m~onopolists pose as the only real
patriots, and have iuggled our
to make what they call the
American system"-as il an American
OF robbery is preferable to a for
one. ProtectioniSt8 in England
were u privileged class of landlords
who for years made the masses believe
that protection not only gave them
the especial privilege of eating home
made bread, but that it was cheaper
than it would be il the tax were r..
moved and they were dependent o
foreign supplies, Protectionists il
America are a privileged class of manu-.
%iacturerS and mine owners, who have
made the people boli6re that goods
would be cheaper under free trade than
under protection and that with free
trade work would be searccr and wages
lower. British landlords got in in.
rents the benefits of protection
there. Agricultural rent has declined
30 per cent since 1850, but agricultural
with other kinds Of wages have doubled
then. American manufacturers
md mine owners get in increased prices
and rents the benefits Of protection
here, Work will be more plentiful and
higherwhen restrictions to trade
are removed and om monopoliSts lose
their grip, IN both cases the masses
were deluded and taxed for the benefit
1f q special class.
The Reform club, of New York, is
composed for the most part of unselfsh
men who wish to do for this country
what the Golden clnb did for Great
6ritain-abolish the curse Of ''protec.
ion and give the people more work,
better pay and cheaper goods. About
900 men, one-half in New York CITY. I
for several years been e~ontribut- !
ng to support'tho work of this club. !
lhe only hope of the vast majority OF !
he members is to abolish class legisla- :
ion, to give all equal opportunities. !
nd to increase the earnings and the !
happiness Of the masses. The first !
rood effects of the work Of this club !
seen in the elections OF 1890 and ,
S02' 10 say that protcctionists hate !
his "mugwump'' and free trade" club |
5 to put it mildly. The Crisp incident, {
1t the recent dinner of the club, has ,
republicans and protectionists- |
or the two are not yet quite synony- :
aous-the first good opportunity to =
'ent their spleen on this club. Bitter :,
nd sneering remarks are being hurled l
i these American ~Cobdenites," dis
Of British gold" 'ludicrous
elf-important statesmen these CON II
cited mugwumps" and tariff reform
rs" Really the officers of the club
nay congratulate themselves upon the n
nemies they have made. 1t is the best s
evidence Of the effectiveness of
heir work. 1t is scarcely necessary to
ay that such opposition will Stimulate
ne club to continun 80 ,yonl..