The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-22
WE ARE ALL FREE TRADERS.

4ASS AN AAAN'
The Pine Knot sees but one side Of
the shield. 1t has two, and no just
Judgment can be reached until both
sides are inspected. 1t Is true that the
inherent impulses of our natura-those
motives that are so universal and ger
sistent as to form the basis Of what
we term economic laws-impel us all to
so act as to secure for ourselves the
shield, both Of its sides. But the i'm
pulse acts in two directions, each fer
the same end. We desire to get all we
can for that which we produce or give,
because it gives us the greatest bene-
fit, and, with equally imperious i'm
pulse, we strive to acquire what We
want or need at the lowest eXDendi-
tuTe Of that which we produce or give.
The free, untrammeled play Of these
two forces is possible only under con-
dltlons of freedom Of trade; but, wheth-
er free or hampered by restrictions, the
impulses operate, and, in practice. we
are all free traders, the most ultra
protectionist as we'll as the most devot-
&C individualist.
We doubt not, for instance. hat OPT
esteemed brothers of the Pine Knot
habitually buy their paper and material
where they can get it the cheapest.
II there come a representative of a type
founder offering type 10 or 20 per cent
below what the house with which they
have dealt will sell it, no sense of pro-
lection for the interests of the TYNE
n will avail to prevent the Pine
Knots owners from taking the cheaner
type. They are applying the principle
of free trade, which is only seIf-pro-
lection, to this transaction. On the
other hand, if a merchant wishes a LOT
Of billheads or letterheads. or wants a
standing advertisement, we doubt not
that the instant impulse of our friends
will be to get for their work the best
possible price. Again they are acting
on the free trade principle and PRO
tectlng' themselves. So Is the mer-
chant, if he refuses to pay the price
asked because another printing estab-
lishment will supply him at less rates.
1hese statements are all elementary,
OF course, but they are important be-
cause they lie at the base of human
freedom. When one is obliged to sell
MS wares at less than he might other
wise get, or is compelled to pay more
for what he wants, the natural i'm
pulses are denied right Of action, and.
to the extent of the restriction. the
man is not free.
Now the practical question which ev-
cry man should determine for himself.
freed of any sentiment-in matters of
trade laws never anything but the
mask Of greed-is whether it is not best
for me, and if for me then for all, that
L have the utmost freedom to ger all I
can for my product or my service and
diture of either. If he will examine the
laws enacted to give so-called protec-
ton, they affect but one side of the
shield, the impulse to get all one can.
n never he other side, the impulse
to get as low as possible. They are
designed to help men to sell dearly,
bu hobble them in buying, so far as
such laws car be made effective on in
dividuals at all. The net operation al
ways is, and cannot be other, than to
permit some to get more than free play
of these impulses would allow and COM
pei others to give it. AS human ma
ture is, one can hardly blame these for
inducing congress to thus aid them, but
what can we think of the intelligence
of the rest who permit themselves to
be beguiled into this plucking by the
thin sophisms of higher wage or a home
market? These form the class whom
Andrew Carnegie accurately but very
bluntly characterized as economic
FOOLS" If protective laws operated on
both sides of the shield, enabling every
one to get more, in equal measure, for
everything produced or given, product
or labor, then it would be immateriaI
whether we had such laws or not.
There would be precisely the increase
in wealth that would come to the Pin
Knot if it's editors were to transfer
money from one Of their pockets to
another. But there is nothing the prac-
teal protectionist so hates as all-round
protection. A casual reading Of the
congressional reports shows this. Free
but it is beautiful in practice, because
it is complete freedom.