Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-05-31
FRUIT OF MANS Toll.
HIS RIGHT TO 1T NOT COMPLETE
WITHOUT FREE EXCHANGE.

The Magic Word Free" Has Ever Been the
watchwora of Those Who stood For
Right Against wrong-To Hamper Ex.
change Is to Deny to Man His Earnings.
The country wants a free trade party,
and so long rs protectionists control
Democratic policy and dictate Demo-
cratic tariff schedules the rapidly grow
ing body of free traders who care little
for political names and much for politi-
cal principles will refuse to join our
ranks or follow our lead. And why
should they? Why should the people,
whom the last election showed were
conscious Of the robbery of the tariff,
and who have become more and more
conscious every day since then, put fur
Their trust III the sincerity of party
that can produce nothing better than the
Wilson bill, and then not even stand up
to that:
The schoolmaster is indeed abroad,
and such an economic education Of the
masses is going on as never before. BY
its bounty on sugar the Mckinley bill
proved even to protectionists that pro-
tective duty was the equivalent of a
bounty. The Wilson bill tenderly caring
for trusts is furnishing TO honest pro-
tectionists another great object lesson,
which the Republican papers are busy
in explaining to them--the lesson that
protection is never III the interest of the
workman, but always in the interest Of
the monopolist. These papers are teach
ing wiser than they know In showing
up the iniquity Of the Sugar trust they
arc showing the iniquity Of the Steel
Rail trust In showing the injustice and
wrong of protecting Democratic sugar
growers and coal barons they are show
ing the wrong of protecting Il Republic
an steel rail pool, wall paper trust and
combination of glass manufacturers.
The honest protectionist who has al
ready begun to doubt will, now that his
friends thus show him the evils Of pro-
lection, begin to believe that the Chi
cago platform was right when it de-
clarcd protection to be fraud. The Re-
publican protest against the Wilson bill
is doing free trade work III tho Republic
an camp. Mckinley, in his protection
run mad, did more to educate the people
on free trade lines than all the free
trade organizations in the country, and
Mckinley s work i'll now being complet
ed by the Republican press.
Free trade! Why should we fear to
announce it? Trade is civilization. Tho
wider trade extends the faster and the
higher the advance Of human progress.
Civilized men must trade. Without trade
we should be savagcs. Why not then
trade freely? A mans right to the fruit
of his toll is not complete without the
freedom to exchange it. To abridge that
freedom is to limit that right To ham,
per exchange, whether by q customs
duty or q tollgate, is to that extent to
deny the right of property tho right of
each man to his own earnings. If trade
be good, free trade must be good
"Frce!" The magic of that word has
choorcd the philosopher and inspired
tho poet. 1t has ever been the watch
word Of those who stood for right
against wrong. 1t has ever stirred the
heart of the masses. Why should those
who proclaim the equality of human
rights fear free trade? 1t is not an enemy
to dread. but friend to welcome. Hon.
Tom 7, johnson