New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-22

products OF other portions Of the Empire; but he
mas also perceived that they will not do this
sratuitously. They must have a tremendous
concession In return. Canada must have free
market for her breadstufrs in England. while
American and Russian wheat is subject to duty
Australia must have free entry for her wool
while Argentine and American wool Is taxed
The sugar islands Il the East and West Indies
must have protection against the beet sugar OF
Germany. With difrerentias Of sufficient value
upon their chief products they may consent to
the establishment Of the Zoverein, but not
otherwise They want market where they can
get higher prices for what they produce. If
England will grant this inestmable boon of pro-
lection against destructive competition from
rival producers. the Colonies may be drawn into
the imperial customs union. But the shoe must
pinch somewhere. England Will have to pay
more for Its wool and its food supplies than it
has been paying The principle Of cheap food
and free WOOL which has been the free trade
Ark Of the Covenant. must be abandoned Cob
denism must be sacrificed This is the price
which free trade England Is asked to pay for
Imperial Federation in the jubilee year of Cob
denism,
THE ENGLISH FARMERS INTEREST.
The Colonies have heard Mr.. Chamberlain's
invitation and they will remember it. The Eng
lish farmer has also listened to il with keen in
terest. The proposal so Car wheat. meat and
other food supplies concerned is Identical
with that which English Protectionists have
been unsuccessfully advocating. with the single
exception that the Colonies are not excluded
from the benefits During half a century Of
agricultural depress on which has followed the
abolition Of the Corn Laws the British farmer
has been unable to obtain any adequate measure
of nd bo 20 oh ed
one decade after another. and their production
in England has been rendered less and less
profitable. Land has been steadily going out
of tillage because the returns for cultvating It
have been inadequate. one Administration
after another has been promising TO help the
farmers. and never accomplishing any useful
result. one porous plaster after another has
been prescribed when the agricultural interests
OF the United Kingdom were suffering from
paralysis At last arises Mr.. Chamberlain. the
Imperast with project Of Imperial CONNER
cial union with diferential duties for food sup
plies from America the Argentine and Russia
Those duties will be more helpful to the British
farmer than to the Canadian producer, for they
will revive domestic agriculture, which has been
Frustrated and ruined under free trade
II is also certain that Mr. Chamberlain's speech
Will create deep impression outside England
ment Of vast. federated. economic empire
united In It's business interests and arrayed for
self-defence against the world Yet his Free
Trade Empire. as he portrays ii. Will be Pro-
lection League. which will not differ materially
from the German Empire and the American
Union with free trade among the States and
tariff barriers outside He recommends duty
on wool ar a crisis In the economic fortunes
Of the American Commonwealth. when the in
PRODUCTION OF lower tariff. with free wool As
its fundamental principle. has been fraught
with ruin and disaster lie IS too preoccupied
with the conditions Of the Imperial problems
which are engrossing his attention to forecast
the tremendous influence which his reputation
Of Cobdenism Will have in America whore n
popular reaction against Democratic tariif-mak-
ing and financial acknowledgements has set In.
Certainly American protec,ionists could find n
stronger argument for the faith that is In them
than this frce-trade statesman's revolt against
Cobdenism. |. y. r.