The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-10
The Golden Centenary.

The celebration of the one hum
dredth anniversary of the birth Of
Richard Golden in London last week
was made the occasion Of a gather
ing of his followers in great force and
apparent enthusiasm.
1t was evident that the defenders of
the present system intended to make
the centenary a spectacular demon
stration that Cobdenism is still a ire
mendous power. This was to offset
the Chamberlain movement for tariff,
or as he calls it, fiscal REFORM" thru
preferential duties under which the
colonies are to keep up their present
trade with the United Kingdom and
give the mother country preference on
all the trade with foreign competitors.
Mr.. Chamberlain has organized his
movement on an apparently strong
basis, his proposition including ex-
emption from duty of all wheat COM
ing from the colonies and British pos
sessions, and the levying Of duty on
foreign wheat and flour. Colonial
wines and fruits are to receive prefer
ence and corn and bacon are exempt
ed for the advantage Of the poorer
classes. Remissions of three-fourths
duty on tea and half the duty on
sugar, with a corresponding reduction
on cocoa and coffee are on the pro-
gram The proposition is antagon-
lied by many conservatives and the
liberal party is practically against it.
But the campaign has gone fa1
enough to bring these elements out OF
the disdainful poo-poohing stage to a
condition that looks very much like
alarm.
The Cobdenites added interest to the
centenary by having several descend
ants of Golden appear. The gather.
Ing, as evident by Sir Henry Camp.
ell-Bannerman's speech, was ar
effort to whoop up the free trade
element to a defense of the half cen
fury old commercial policy of Eng
land, which it's supporters still con
tend is Indispensable to the prosperit.
of the country. Yet 1t has had a seri
Gus effect upon several British in
dustries for the reason that, while
Britain's policy admits most Of tn
products of foreign countries thru he
ports without restriction, her product
are heavily taxed by the tariffs of he
foreign manufacturing competitors.
Cobden's original policy was sire
trade in it's simplicity" The presen
great manufacturing competitors Q
England had not then risen to thei
stalwart strength and Golden san
guinely predicted that every nation /
in
England's example. But they did no
and England has never had real fire
trade Golden believed that the ma
lions would be content to let Englan
v be the workshop Of the world, Will
they furnished her operatives wit
food. Thomas Jefferson, in 1885, too
the Golden view when he wrote: 9TH
workshops of England are the mo:
proper to furnish the supplies of mar
ufactures to the United States b
when he found that England pei
sistently sought to exclude our shiI
from ports where we had trade, +
changed his views and argued fl
placing the manufacturer by the sic
of the American agriculturist to {
away with dependence upon the TO
eign manufacturer. So we develope
our industrial independence and
have Germany, France, Italy, Austr
and Russia.
The convictions of men change wi
changing conditions which affect the
individual prosperity. The one-sidt
free trade of England proved satisfa
tory to Englishmen until other n
lions began to manufacture and cor
pete, and then the trouble bega
Had the other nations stuck to agl
culture and never lighted a furna
or turned a wheel, England would
justified ii. sticking to free trade. 81
would have continued to dominate tt
earth industrially. Under the prese
tendencies, those nations are wise
who perceive the trade advantage
moderating excessive tariff duties
reducing each to an amount equal