New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-07
CORDTNISU IN XTREUTS.


was emitted by Professor Goodwin Smith, who
describes himself correctly as one of the last
survivors of the simon-pure Cobdente coterie.
He addresses his lamentation 10 the British
public through the columns Of "The London
Times" With candor Mt once rare and re-
freshing he confesses that Free Trade is dis
paraged in Great Britain. that II has failed TO
fulfil the confident predictions and expectations
of it's first great apostle, and that 1t Is In actual
danger Of being abandoned outright by the
only considerable nation in the world that now
practises it, That is, we repeat, confession
the candor Of which is rare. for the average
Free Trader Is wont TO represent the pagan
creed" of Protection rs being already "ln the
gutter and certainly doomed TO speedy an
nihilnton. But It is absolutely true. Free
Trade is dlsparaged and discrcdited in Great
Britain. even ut Manchester and birmingham.
II has egrcgiously failed 10 fulfil the cocksure
nromisp of Golden. who told his followers they
had no more right TO doubt that within fifty
wears the whole world would adopt Free Trade
tban they had to doubt that the sun would rise
ON the morrow Instead Of being thus univer-
sally adopted. Free Trade remains In practice
in Great Britain alone of all great nations All
others are more strongly Protectionst than be-
fore.
In such circumstances IT Is not strange that
fine British themselves should, as Professor
Smith fears. think seriously Of abandoning the
discredited fetch. Why not? They are Of all
peopes the most intensely practical. II they
are not in the phrase which Bonapar'e Dor
rowed from Samuel Adams. altogether ina
ton OF shopkeepers,' they are the most shop
keeping and manufacturing and trading people
In nd follow
policy which Is best for their shops and fac
tories and commerce. Let us grant that Free
Trade has been best, and that under ii they
have enjoyed n prosperity rvalled by that OF
only one other naton-the latter Protection
,st nation be It noted The fact is not TO be
ignored that their prosperity Is not now what
II was II IS waning. Their import trade Is
increasing and their export trade Is decreasing
at an ominous rate 1t is easy TO sheer ut the
"balance Of trade" and to argue that nation
may buy more than It sells and yet be prosper
Gus Yes: but il cannot do forever and TO
an unlimited extent. Pretty soon 1t will be
living on its capital and not even a Cobdente
will contend that that Is sound finance. We
NAV be sure that when they find chronic and
enormous balance Of trade against them the
British shopkeepers and manufacturers and
merchants will begin 10 ask questions embar
RAISING for Cobdenites TO answer.
Nor are the British blind to other signs OF
the times They see, for example, the United
States building up an enormous tnplate Indus
try OF which they once had practical
MONOPOLY How? Through "McKlnleyism."
They see American locomotives ordered for
British railroads. and American rails, too; and
American machinery and rails and what not
ordered in vast quantities for Use in India and
Australia and Russia Why? Because OF
'Dingleyism" They see our export trade IN
creasing and their own decreasing, and they
remember that we are Protectlonists and they
Free Traders. They see Made In Ger
many" staring AT them everywhere, aud find
that Germany Is crowding them out OF the
worlds markets even the markets OF their
own colonies, and they remember that Germany
ia n Protectonlst country, and that oil It's mar
vellous development OF manufactures and COM
merce has been effected under Protection They
see their own colonies, once prosperous. reduced
to bankruptcy and ruin, and realize that II ~
through Free Trade and that because or tile
letters Of Free Trade-tO use perfectly truth
FIJI paradox- are unab" To help them ex
cept by giving aims.
such is the case as the British are beginning
10 see H. and as this eminent survivor Of simon
pure Cohdenism sees II. II Is Athanaslns
against the world. That Is an heroic attitude
to assume in a moral cause. But when no
moral principle is involved. and nothing but
questions OF practical lfinterest. the hard
headed Brton Is likely To come 10 the conclu-
sion that, however magnificent II may be, II
Is not business CObdens rallying cry was
Free Trade. Peace and Goodwl' Professor
Smith sadly owns that in respect to the Inter
two "thc world has certainly been going against
us" Does he imagine the first Of the three 10
be so much more important and so much dearer
10 men that II will he adopted while the others
are neglected; The truth Is that II Is n mon
strous injustice to attempt to Identify Free
Trade with Peace and to claim for Free Trad
ers monopoly Of peace-loving One might =