Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-10-25
PLACID old FOGIES."
FREE TRADE COBDEN CLUBITES
MEET IN LONDON.

Regard Labor Unions as danger
ous"to Their Low Wage Ideas
Believe in the Free Sale of For
clgn Prison-Maae Goods.
At the last general annual meeting
o. the members of tho Golden Club,
which was held in London August II,
Lord Farrer seems. to have been spokes
man of the day and he noted with
satisfaction an approach to free trade
in the Australian Colonies and the
United States. At the same time,
however, Lord Farrer found it neces-
sary to strongly advise all free trad
ers to keep careful watch upon Lord
Salisbury's doings," as he "wished to
have protective duties upon foreign
manufactures in order the better to
fight the foreign tariffs"
We are not surprised to find Lord
Farrer regarding trade unions as s'dan-
gerous, because they always must be
in free trade countries where the sole
desire of the manufacturers Is to de-
press the value OF labor and make
men, women and children work for the
lowest possible wages. A tendency
was noted in England among the work
ingmen to 'stop foreign importation,
and when this tendency was united
with that ''of capitalistic producers to
try and get protection for themselves
there was no knowing what mischief
might have been the consequence.
From one who regards trade unions
as dangerous" it is but natural to find
an opinion favorable to the free use
and importation Of goods made by
prison labor in other countries, Lord
Farrer saying that "the stoppage of
the sale of prison.made goods was
wrong-economically, socially and
morally" The free trade branch of
the Golden Club, which has its head
quarters at the Tariff Reform Club in
New York, has not yet dared to 60 as
far as Lord Farrer in advocating the
free importation and sale in this coun-
try of goods made in foreign prisons.
A Radical member of the Cobden
Club, Mr.. ]. s. Leadam, urged "that
the free membership of the club
should be maintained SO that they
might protect ministry favorably
disposed toward free trade against the
assaults of their own misguided falla-
clee." While the Golden Club greeted
approvingly Hear Hear!] this sug-
gestion of protection for an admins
tration "favorably disposed toward
free trade" there was not cne word
said in favor of protection for Eng
lish industries or English wage
earners.
The suggestion that the club should
adopt and support the principle of BIZ
metalism was frowned down by the
chairman, ''as it might lead to differ
ences in the club" 1t was evidently
thought advisable to leave the money
question in the hands of the American
branch of the Golden Club, the Tariff
Reform Institute at New York.
Editorial criticism from the Man.
chester Courier indicates that the free
traders are hard up in England as we'll
as in New York. "They are unable
to maintain their publications, as "a
question OF funds prevents them"
The same trouble exists here, but
"the placid old fogies" OF the Tariff
Reform Free Trade Club appealed to
the protectionists for funds to aid
them in the dissemination of their de.
structive literature in this country.
We are very sorry to say that many
protectionists have uuwittingly aiaAd
their enemy.