The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-15

An ABSURD FREE TRADE AHGU.
AENT.

President Mckinley and Charles En-
DRY Smith, the postmaster general. have
been taken TO task by the free trade
Journals for their remarks 1T the ban
ouet Of the Pennsylvania Society In New
York. 1t In claimed that they then and
there confessed that free trade was
necessary to our prosperity. and the
New York Times complains that for
preaching just such doctrines 1t became
known as q British free trade organ
and was widely suspected OF subterran-
can and reprehensible relations with the
Golden Club.
The postmaster general comes In for
an unusual share OF denunciation. OF
his speech 1t lie said that II was more
cutspoken even than that Of HIS chief.
and opened more destructive IRE on
"the Chinese wall, upon which he has
kept a sentinel's vigil fer a score of
years, challenging every audacious soul
that ever dared 10 call in question the
beauty and usefulness Of that sacred
structure The particular sentence
which has attracted the lances OF the
free traders Is as follows;
sour marvellous growth has spannsd and
hIled the continent from ocean 10 ocean.
Our steadfast American policy has been
crowned with It's legitimate diadem OF eco
monte Independents and recognised agri-
cultural and Industrial supremacy. Our
wonderful productive capacity created by
this upbuilding has outstripped our own
needs. Shall We. then, stop our Industrial
and commercial growth. or shall ws ind
new outlets and broader markeis?'
BY what process OF reasoning can q
Newspaper like the New York Times re-
gard this expression as being an init
nation that a Republican leader has
changed his views on thu subject of
protection OF. as the Times expressed It.
turned his back upon MeKinlesism?'
Twenty years ago Charles Emory
Smith and far-seeing men like himself
predicted that IL this nation would per-
severe In the commercial policy which
the Republican party was advocating
within quarter OF a century this would
be the great commercial country OF the
world. Tho free traders. on the con-
trary. insisted that unless that policy
was abandoned and free trade adopted
we should be plunged in bankruptcy.
In the face Of such a notorious reallza-
ton OF the hopes OF the Republican
party how can free trader hope to de-
lude the people into the belief that our
marvellous growth has been in spite of
and nct In consequence OF that policy
which the nation adopted with conf~
dence7
President Mckinley talked IN the same
line, pointing out that we are advancing
IN manufactures and extending our
markets. but he finds, naturally. great
est qualification In the fact that while
the foreign markets contribute 80 our
prosperity our home markets are cur
chief maintenance. and that the p~o-
pie OF our own country are our hest
buyers. Our locomotives are going 60
Russia. watch cases made In Canton.
Ohio. are being sent 10 Geneva. which
IL very mitch like carrying Goals 70
Newcastle: bridges BUM in phasdelpnia
are being used In Egypf ana the prod
ucss OF the American farm are carried
20 every port ~ the world
The New York Times SAYS tAat the
late J. S. Macse. that unalnchins free
trader, used 20 write in the Same vein
about the extension Of eur trade. 50 he
did: but what he said wss sha, :, was
impossible unless we bad free trade.
whereas we have Il on 3 most s,sagniT-
cen. scale without free trade More.
over, the only time IN eur recent history
when the American People faltsred IN
their course ana departed from gepua-
,Icam doctrine they suffered froFn a ter
rieie shrinkage tn trate.
IL Is admitted that the hard times
under Cleveland were not entirely due
60 the Wilson tariff. ani Ii may Re that
the rood TIRES under Mckinley are not
entirely due 90 the Dinghy bill. hus Il
r. worth remembering that the Demo
cratic party generally has the sntssog-
tune 70 be " rarsE during hard ;isGss