The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-21
TO SHAKE PARTY SHACKLES
Classic Boston Has a Full Fledqed
Free Trade Society.
THEY WANT TARIFF REFORM
This Band OF Latter Day Patriots Means
Business-The Members viii Shout
for Free Trade i'll the Last Ditch
Regardless of Party Ties
By the United Press.

Boston, Nov. 20.
The first meeting and banquet of the
season of the New England Tariff Re-
form league was held this evening at
the Copley square hotel. The object of
the dinner was to consider the adoption
or amendments to the constitution,
changing the name of the organization
to the New England Free Trade league,
and so revising the articles as to make
the Following statement of the leagues
object: THE object of the league shall
be to free our trade, our industries and
our people from all tariff taxes, except
those imposed for revenue only.
Its method shall be to enlist the con-
science, intelligence and patriotism of
England against the system called pro-
lection, which at the dictation of organ
lied wealth, taxes the whole American
people for the benefit OF the few"
William Lloyd Garrison, in his ad-
dress, heartily favored the amend
ments, and gave his reasons therefor
at length as follows:
Personally l could have wished that we
were advanced enough to adopt the first
amendment proposed without deemlng it
necessary to add the second but | feel
sure as we near our goal truer and wider
definition Of free trade will obtain, and
that indirect taxes for revenue will find
no economic support when protection dies.
Today, however, the sentiment of our
league has not reached that point, and the
second amendment justly represents the
limit to which the majority of our mem
bers are willing to commit themselves.
ha obo ,t,ill hoi t, La, 20,
us from party shackles to which we
have been too much subjected. Our very
policy has been dictated often in the in
terest of a party and we have been i'm
plored TO abate our interest against the
protective evil for fear that ii might
impair the chances for some aspirant for
congress, or secure some timid represen-
tative from voting our way.
We have recently had an object lesson
to show us what compromise and tim
idity accomplish. The Democratic party
was elected on a plank exactly tallying
with the second amendment We offer to-
night. The majority of the voters of the
country approved 1t. Had the admlnls-
tration attempted to carry it out to The
letter. the party might have been in exile,
as it is today but it would have had the
comforting companionship of self-respect
| the near future.
We are not a political party; we are not
in search of offices: we are not dismayed
when majorities go against us. We know
| that our feet stand upon an eternal prln-
! ciple and are sure that in the long run
| principles never fail to vndicate them
selves. We hitch our wagon to a stac.
| Our sole function is to educate the minds
of men and to change mistaken convc-
tions. The political atmosphere may be
melting with fervent heat but 1t is for us
| to stand in the cool atmosphere of truth
and to point out that, whether men will or
will not, there Is no deviation in the work
ing of the moral law. To transgress is TO
suffer and its benign reign can never be
brought about too quickly.
President Henry w. Lambin, opening
the meeting, spoke generally of what the
policy of the league should be. Pass this
declaration" he said, "and hereafter
when tariff reformers are called free
traders let them stand by it and face the
| enemy"