The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-10
LODGE ON TIE TARIFF.
The Voice of Massachusetts
Raised Against Wilson Bill.
A MOST MAsTERLY DISCUSSION.
or the Whole Subject OF the Tariff
by the Eloquent England
Alone Maintains IL and Her People
Suffer.


WASHINGTON, April Ex-senator Henry
Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, was listened
nttentiyely to this afternoon in the
Senate when he began his tarln
speech Senator Lodge is recognized as
possessing marked ability and has won
high place as an eloquent speaker In the
Senate.
This afternoon members of both sides
crowded the chamber to listen to him,
and they were we'll repaid. His
speech would fill very nearly two pages
OF THE NEWS, and was a logical and
mastery presentation OF the subject.
Mr.. Lodge exhaustively entered into
the breaking down of the feudal system,
and the gradual substitution OF four
forms of government, the change
from personal to popular governments.
With these physical revolts came in
telectual revolts against state
interference of any kind and
paternalism came TO be regarded as the
equivalent of the bideous despotisms
which the French revolution destroyed.
He showed that this theory that State in
terference was necessarily bad, was an
error of the basest sort.
Free trade rests entirsly on the let-alone
doctrine-that Is. upon the doctrine that
the least interference of the Ltate is best;
or in other words, that the State ought
not to interfere at all in the
affairs OF its individual mem
bers, except TO maintain order
at home or abroad, or in defense of public
morals and public heaSAs., and even these
are logically infractions of the doctrine
of absolute individualism. Free trade,
comparatively speaking, is not a
merely the expression in one
limited direction of much broader
principle. II the let-alone theory is cor
rect as a general economic principle, and
If the experience and practice OF mankind
show that it is correct, then free trade is
of course correct as one of its parts.
He then took up Free Trade. England
has alone presisted in it. France tried IT
aud failed and repudiated 1t. Entlands s
colonies-repudiate it.
England does maintain protection, n
little different in form, but Just as absolute
in the shape OF her big bounty system.
Every labor union is a reputation OF
this doctrine.
/ am aware that one wise acre, repeating
what another wiseacre has said, Will reply,
"Nou admit labor iree while You cry
for protection against manufactured
goods" IL is almost as easy to answer
this statement as to make it. In the first
place, it is not true that we admit all labor
free. In the second place, the labor that
we do admit free comes from Europe, and
the immigrant from Europe does not
bring his rate OF wages with him.
Our standard of living becomes his and
he ceases to lower our rate of living and
modes OF life. The European
immigrant does not bring his
rate OF wages with him; but the bale OF
goods from Europe does bring its rate OF
wages, and the bale of goods Is not sus-
ceptible to the influences of association
or to standards of living.
The Protectionist theory is to discrimi-
nate by duties in favor of every article
which can be grown or manufactured III
the protected country in sufficient guam
titles for the use of the people
and everything which cannot be grown or
manufactured, in sufficient quantities
Continued on Page 2.)