Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
EDITORIAL NOTES.
And Other Matters of Interest
to the Readers of the
Courier.
xneaading Clippings From Our
Exchanges and Miscellane-
Gus Matters.
FREE TRADE.

FREE TRADE.
Free trade in the English sense is
the "unimpeded intercourse between
such manufacturing and commercial
communities as, having reciprocal
interests, are under separate govern
ments, and, therefore, have separate
financial systems" 1t designates
such commercial intercourse be
tween any particular country, the
colonies, and foreign countries, as
gives the maximum Of facilities for
reciprocal exchange, and in the least
attempts to make fiscal system the
means for stimulating and assisting
domestic industry by protective an
nouncementS."
From the American standpoint
free trade means the repeal of all
tariff laws, the shutting up of all
custom houses, and opening each
country to the trade OF the world.
with no duties on imports. This is
absolute free trade.
AS generally advocated among us,
tree trade means an exclusively
revenue tariff-one having no refer
ence whatever to the protection of
any branch OF American indurtry.
Every country has double mar
ket--a home and foreign one.
The home market lies the nearest
to its products, and is the most de-
sirable, because the most valuable.
It costs less to put ones products
into the home market, because the
freighting is less. The home mar
ket should be preserved to the home
manufacturer and farm
ers; but it is often brought into COM
petition with the foreign market.
All countries are not OF the same
age, and have not all reached tie
same stage of commercial and indus
trial development, and cannot all en-
ter upon the same free trade system
with equal advantages. Other con-
siderations, also, show the impracti-
cability of making free trade among
all nations policy. We do not stop
now to point them out. Of the two
markets home and foreign, it is bet
ter to sell in the nearest. There is
beth saving in time and money;
and contribution made towards the
building up of town near where
one may come to buy cheaper and
get more for what he sells. Too many
farmers have too small home mar
kets. 1t does not pay to keep hens,
or make butter, or raise vegetables.
One reason why farmers have not
advanced more rapidly in material
prosperity is because their markets
have not been nearer. They either
have not had transportation facilities
or they have been too costly. Goods
hauled long distances net the ship
per less, or cost the consumer more
than tina same articles marketed on
short haul. The rea sons that exist
tor ones selling in home market
will hold good as to his buying in a
home market. A western state might
send its corn or wheat direct to
Europe and buy its iron or woolen
goods there. Should it do so it
would have to take off from its ship
load of corn, or wheat, the freight
out which might be about one-half
the value Of the cargo. Freighting
cannot be done for nothing. 1t is,
Of course, better for the farmer to
have his market 50 near that he will
not lose the equivalent of every other
load in disposing of the crop. But
should he be able to get to the dis
tant market with less loss to himself
in freights, than we have intimated
he will st;l! be doing himself an in
jury in tie evil lie would inflict upon
his country by buying in foreign
market those articles which should