The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-17
England,s Past Tendencies.

in his house.
England's Past Tendencies.
The banquet given by the London
chamber of commerce to Congressman
William L. Wilson, of West Virginia,
during his recent visit to England, in
recognition of his service to the Eng
lish people in attempting to secure the
adoption Of free trade tariff bill by
the American congress receives and
merits the attention of every Amer
lean citizen. The kind attention paid
to us by our British cousins, and their
friendly interest in us which causes
them to lay awake o'nights worrying
over our waywardness, and contriving
means by which to persuade us to
adopt free trade and thus extend (?)
our commerce at their expense, and
their loss, is an exhibition of philan-
thropy which is truly affecting. 1t
brings tears to ones eyes to see them
so ready to destroy their own trade for
the benefit Of our commerce. They
have always taken the same kindly
interest in us. The careful student of
American history knows the record
well, and through the records of the
past reads between the lines of the
present.
The English people are in an abnor-
NAL condition. Britain is not nation.
A nation, in the true sense of the
word, whether large or small, is such
a collection Of people, residing within
given limits, as have within them
selves and in those limits all the ele-
ments of existence, and are capable of
existence and of sustaining and sup
porting themselves independently Of
the rest of the world and without ref
erence to it, England cannot do this.
Shut in by "the four seas" her popula-
ton is so dense that her soil cannot
feed her inhabitants, nor furnish the
material for her looms, her factories,
and her furnaces. She must, therefore,
depend upon other countries for her
food and supplies, and for market for
her manufactures. She cannot exist
within herself and Of herself, and in
just so far as she cannot do so she is in
an abnormal con dition. This is why
she must hold other countries in sub
lection to her, and why she interests
herself so much in our affairs.
1t is for these reasons that she holds
Ireland in subsection, has conquered
India, and seized the best part of AT
= RIGA. She has built up her commerce
and her manufactures by breaking
down and destroying the manufac
! lures and commerce of her dependen
cies. She uses these dependencies tt
= furnish her those things which, as {
: nation, she lacks-tO be the compile
ment to her deformities-and to sup
ply her with cheap raw material ant
, cheap food products, and to furnisl
her amarket in which to sell her man
ufactured goods. 1t is for these rea
sons that she discourages manufactur
: ing in her dependencies and endeav
= ors to make her colonies agriculture
provinces. With her colonies she doe
this whenever possible, by her tyran
mic legislation. Not being able to leg
islate for us, she endeavors to attail
, the same end by cozening such rattle
Drained statesmen as Professor Wilso
who deal entirely with theories, an
thus secure through free trade legisls
. tion from Washington what she ca
no longer secure by act of parliament.
y 1t is well to recall to the minds {
4 the younger voters how Great Britai
q has built up her commerce, and ho'
n she has shown her philanthropic spir
Of toward America. This deep interes
t, was shown as early as 1861, when pa
y lament passed the navigation &c
le which required that all articles ex
or ported or imported by the America
ct colonies should be carried in Englis
N ships, and forbade the colonists TO Sc
7. their products in any but Englis
N ports. The tobacco of Virginia mu
n not only be carried in English ships
r. English ports, but there must be pa
Us upon it both an export duty and O
re import duty. This is the we
Is the British built up their con
merce. 1t was not done by adoptil
J. free trade. The importation act of II
re laid eXorbitant duties upon suga
re molasses and rum imported into Il
IN colonies from the Dutch West Ind
x islands. England did not object
es the Americans paying high rate
MS duty so long as she collected the rev
ne nue.. In 1850 parliament passed la
at making it illegal for anyone to erect
Oh the colonies any mill, furnace, or for
ed for the manufacture Of iron; and spe
ny tally providing against the manufi
wv ture of steel, In order to prevent t
'st colonies from competing with the En-