The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-03
IN RED COVERS.
Joseph Chamberlain Issues
Pamphlet on Tariff.
Carries the War Into the Free
Trade Camp.
POINTS TO COLONIES
As Evidence of Advantage of
Protective Policy.
Address Men of All Shades of
Political Opinion.

London. Oct. 3.-"Every other ma
ton and all our own self-governing
colonies have refused to accept the gos-
pei of Golden, and yet although they
ought according to its dogmas, to be
in the last stage of depression and de-
cline, they have grown during the last
20 years in. wealth and population and
trade in. everything that goes to make
up the greatness OF nation
That is the keynote of Joseph Cham
berlain's manifesto which will be pub
lished October in the form of a shil
ling pamphlet. entitled Mr.. Chamber
lain's proposals, what they mean and
what we shall gain by them,'' by C. A.
+ Vince. secretary to Mr.. Chamberlain's
/ tar1n organization. In view of the
vigor with which the war of pham-
English politics, the publisher has ap-
propriately given Mr.. Chamberlain's
announcement deep red covers. in sig
niHcant contrast with the undecided
/ blue-gfay of Premier Balfour's aca-
demic treatise on the fiscal question.
Mr. Chamberlain does not mince mat
ters WIKI characteristic aggression he
carries the war into the enemy'S camp.
Those who maintain" he writes, e-'ln
a spirit OF blind obscurantism, the apso-
lutte inspiration of an intiquated Goc-
trlne will have much to explain His
4 remarks are addressed to men of all
political opinions since the questions
now raised are not necessarily matters
j of party politics. nor indeed is il iikeIy
1 that the issues will be ultimately decid-
ed on strictly party lines.
He begins by saying: 1T is difficult
TO believe that the results of the in
Vestigation will not convince every i'm
partial man of the necessity for some
reconstruction of the system which has
/ remained stationary and unaltered for
more than half a century while every
/ other policy has been modified and
adapted t9 meet modern requirements
! Continuing Mr.. Cham berlain points
/ out that. the property of the working
/ classes has increased in greater propor-
/ tion in the protected countries than in
! the United Kingdom and says:
Free trade. if itNhad ever existed
might have secured for US all that it's
promoters promised; but free imports
without fRse trade have brought us face
to face with problems which never en-
! tered into Cobden's calcul.a tions We
know that the idea of united empire
did not appeal to him. and that he re-
garded the colonies as an encumbl ance
to be got rid of soon as possible"
THE little Engla nders who follow his
| lead are not likely to be moved by any
consideration arising out of our new
found pride and faith in our distant
kinsmen. But, what would Golden have
said if he could have foreseen the trades
unions, whose existence he deprecated.
would be successful in protecting labor
in score of ways, tending to increase
the rate of wages and to raise the stand
ard of living. Would Golden as the rep
resentative of the manufacturing class
| have still maintained that while the
manufacturer was artificially prevented
from obtaining labor at the lowest rate
he ought to rest content when the prod
ucts of foreign labor, untrammelled by
any regulations and legislatio to which
he has to submit, undersell him in his
own market? Cobden's scheme was at
least consistent. 1t was free labor as
well as free import: but free imports
corlbined with protected labor is
neither consistent nor profitable to any
of the parties concerned"
Mr.. Charlberlain holds that the con-
soling theory that other countries are
running themselves by bounties and i'm
port duties hardly comedies with the
fact that British exports have been
practically stationary for 12 years while
those of other countries have increased
so rapidly that 'if the relative progress
continues for a few years longer they
will have left US far behind"
Dealing with the colonies desire for
better commercial treatment Mr.. Cham
berIain SAYS:
perial counsel which they have already
refused If we reject the proposals for
reciprocity we shall be in great danger
of losing our present trade with them as
well as the prospects for its fture ex-
tension. 1t is entirely owing to the
growth of our colonial trade that the
actual and heavy decline in our inn
ports to foreign protected countries has
been concealed in our general returns.
De the stern advocates of unrestricted
imports consider it satisfactory that we
should have nothing to bargain with and
continue to be grateful for such crumbs
as fall from the rich mans table in the
shape at the best of the most favored
nation clause, which only gives us the
benefits of the arrangements previously
made with sole reference to the inter-
estS of other persons and in respect to
where we never had been consulted
rs it not childish to ignore the fact
that by bargaining on equal terms other
nations have been able to promote their
special interests and that if we also had
in our hands weapons of retaliation, we
should proba bly, be able to bring the
world much nearer a universal free
trade system than it has ever been since
Cobdens time? Our free food frIends
will have to be little more definite and
more accurate. They will have TO ex-
plain why the transfer of taxation, say
from tea to bread. would be disastrous,
even though it benefited our industries
and restored them to something like
the relative position which they enjoyed
twenty years ago They will have to
deciie once for all whether 1oreigil
bounties are a blessing or a curse.
whether dumping is philanthropic
operation whereby foreigners are en-
deavoring to secure the welfare OF this
country or an insidious attempt run
our industries ana OBTAIN our markets
for themselves. They will not be allow
ed to evade these questions by the cheap
devise of abusing their opponents.
Dealing passionateiy with the accusa-
ton that his policy is intended to re-
duce the ''workmen to starvation Mr..
Chamberlain writes:
Let them at least admit that. rightly
or wrongly this policy is propounded
in the interests of the masses of the
poor much more than of the rich, and
that those who are responsible for it