New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-14

but real convert to Free Trade" which has fol-
,owea the revision Of the American tariff on
EnShsh INES, and been accompanied by q pa
ralysis OF business a shrnkage of National
creuit ana prestige abroad, and an immense
increase OF the National debt. Possibly 1t was
as we'll for him to pass lightly over the expert
ence which the American people have had OF the
destructive effects Of a lower tariff system un-
der the administration of the transatlantic Sir
nooert ,,s Feel The Golden Clubs guests were
not wildly hilarious during the delivery of the
chairmans melancholy address. II he had told
any superfuous truth about the results Of Demo-
cratic tariff legislation in America they would
nave been utterly demorazed
AFTER the chairman came Lord Playfair. with a
conventional Golden dinner speech. loud In de-
MAI OF the assertion that English Free Trade
mas rallied In any respect; and then Lord KIM
periey. with more original and unconventional
address, in which he catalogued the unfuhed
prophecies Of the great apostle of Manchester.
among these falsifed predictions were those
ating to the price of wheat in England, the con-
dition OF agriculture at home, the conversion Of
the world to Free Trade and the reconciliation Of
mankind In the bonds Of universal peace. He
attempted to break the force OF the collapse of
Mr.. Cobden's forecasts respecting English agri-
culture by showing that there was distress and
oscontent among American. German and Rus
sian farmers: but when he dealt with the prog
nostications respecting universal peace. he dis
closed heterodoxy almost as marked as MI.
Chamberlain's, whose Zoverein he condemned
as impracticable
He boldly declared that Mr. Golden was wrong
In assuming that commercial intercourse would
tons. He asserted that there was just as much
jealousy Of England throughout the world as
there would have been If her ports had rot
been opened to all nations fifty years ago. Free
Trade would not bring about the peace Of the
world but any country that adopted it as
economic system would inevitably prosper.
This was Lord Kimberey's singular manner Of
commemorating the jubilee OF the repeal ct the
corn laws-that Of discreditng the optimism Of
Mr.. Golden In assuming that free trade would
open the way for universal peace and the dawn
Of the millennium.
The celebration as a whole has been anything
but cheerful one. The violent onslaught made
upon Mr.. Chamberlains zollverein proposals has
disclosed the agitation of mind which has been
induced among free traders by really great
statesman's Abandonment OK what has been con-
sidered orthodox economic faith. The academic
assumptions Of leaders like Mr.. Courtney that
no country can prosper so we'll under protection
as under Free Trade are ridiculed wherever they
are heard. THE Observer will say this morn
ing: If the truth Is sown abroad In all lands.
II is equally true that the tares OF Protection
are being sown also. and not only abroad. but at
home. Every country In the world Is busily en-
gagged in excluding English trade and encourage
ing its own by means OF heavy duties ana ~ Is,
therefore. idle to pretend that the jubilee of the
Golden Club Is celebrated under favorable cir
cumstances. Cheap food Is only one object OF
democratic desire Steady and remuncrattve
employment is equally important, and the gem
eral tendency of working-class opinion may be
regarded as trending In the direction OF fiscal
changes in spite Of the expression of confidence
In the future of Free Trade which fell from Mr..
Courtneys lips y. r.