The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-11

D. try today are singing a new song, an
are endeavoring to induce the people
: believe that the Democratic party is nt
free trade party, never has been fire.
trade party and never will be a fire.
trade party. Their attempt is a goo
deal like trying to convince the publ
that there never has been any trouble i
the world and that there never will b
any trouble in tho world. The peopl
know better and are not to be so easil,
hoodwinked.
Beginning with 1856, when the plat.
form for the Democracy declared 18th,
time has come for the people of the
United States to declare themselves in
favor of free seas and progressive free
trade throughout the world" through
the platforms of that party down to
Chicago, 1892, when protection " was
declared "a robbery" and unconsti-
tutional," the Democratic party has
been the party which has advocated free
trade. In season aud out of season il
has through its leaders and its press ad-
vocated free trade.
Today the party is hedging and in
way that surprises those who really be-
lieved that Democratic principles really
represented Democratic belief, and
would be carried out if the party was
given the power to legislate,
The events of the past IA months have
proved the falsity of this idea. Work
on tariff was begun. principles were
thrown to the winds and scramble for
the protection that was denounced as a
robbery was at once instituted. ,
Now Democratic papers are claiming
that they never asked for free trade and
never wanted free trade.
The New York Times makes it's apol-
ogy as follows:
One real reason why free trade has so
Few active advocates in the United
States is, curiously enough, that the
country has for more than q century
enjoyed absolute free trade on a scale
known TO no other nation of the modern
world, except England. Free trade
witnin our own borders, steadily |
extending TO meet the vast and |
varied progress OF population that has
spread over continent and created
eVery ten years dominion as
large In area as many an European
country and OF greater resources than
any but the largest, has absorbed the
thought and energy Of the American mao.
pie. And it has left them SO far indie
pendent Of foreign trade that the con-
iltions OF prosperity in foreign trade have
escaped them. Until very recent period
ioreign trade has been confined chiefly
% the purchase of Injuries and some
materials OF industry and to the sale of
staple. products. The real market of
americans has been American, and in
'very corner of that market, from ocean
% ocean, and over the whole range of
Inc temperate zone, they have had per
'ectiy free range, with entirely open
competition. Our foreign trade, great
Is mas been Its volume. has been of very
United variety, and has been in reality
Incidental. Like all English-speaking
Peoples we have paid strict attention to
he business in hand and have worried
'ery little over theories as to matters of
eiauvely obscure and remote nature.
In England free trade sprang from the
tomach. England could not feed her
workers. from her own fields. In striv.
ng ior free food her statesmen envolved {
he principals of free trade generally ,
md as her manufacturers, with native
ire and fuel, producing far more than
hey could sell at home, found profit in
rec materials and feared no corn
'eution from imported wares, these
principals were readily adopted
ND steadily adhered to. In
ms country the situation is reversed +,
We produce more food and less mann I
actures than we could consume. and
he principles of free foreign trade had
70 interest for us-were, in fact, appar-
ntiy opposed to the great body of our i
interests. Hence there has ,
ever been and there is not now any free
rade party in the United States.
This states the Republican position !,
cry fairly, but to say that it represents !.
'emocratic doctrine merely because IL :
printed in Democratic paper is the .
eight Of idiocy.
IL has been the Republican contention . .
nee the party came into existence that :,
ir home markets were the most valu- =
Die in the world; that to abandon !"
'ese markets in the hope of secur- =
g other and less valuable markets T"
as course which was more =,
iminal than foolish. As in the old -
bic Of the dog with bone crossing y
bridge who saw his reflection in the
ater and dropped his bone to snatch
the semblance he saw in the water.
ereby losing his own bone, we would tc
nply lose our own markets and gain z
thing. IL
I" Keep our home markets." has been al
Republican watchword for years. an
le policy that England adopted is not tie
liable for the United States. Other
tions have watched the actions of the We
mocracy with wonderment and for ci'
IN theorists with axes to grind have M
tied Democratic leaders on the back
d urged them on. fr,