Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-10-20

or the protective system. Inc theory
of free trodv being generally an attrac-
tive one as an abstract proposition ard
many OF the holders of chairs Of political
economy in the colleges being theorists,
rather than producers and mon OF BUSH
ness it was TO be expected that a ma or-
ity Of the replies received from the pro-
fcssors would favor free trade as opposed
to protection but the positions taken
vary widely, sometimes in the same in
stitution. Thus Professor Summer Of
Yale, long an ultra free trader. declares
the protective tariff to be "all wrong"
and that the assertion that the tariff If
modified must be modified by its friends
simply means that the protcotioni mean
to keep control of 1t. Professor Emery
who holds the chair Of political economy
in Yale. agrees with the President that
the protective policy Is definitely es-
tablishcd. With the industries of the
country. as n matter of fact. based on
the protective policy. and with the recent
revival of protectionist ideas everywhere
in the world, Professor Emery considers
the desirablity of the adoption Of free
trade to be a purely academic question.
He believes. however, in a judicious mod
ification of the tariff.
Without taking the space to give alb
stracts OF the views OF the II professors
whose replies are printed by the Post,
the same being largely q thrashing over
of old straw-we give below the replies
from the University of Vermont. Presi-
dent Buckham says:
For the first ten years of my study
and teaching of political economy. was
free trader. but with wider study and
arguments for free trade IN the United
states are spccious and fallacious. and
now for ~ years | have been. and | st;ll
am, an out-and-out and hardened pro-
tcctionst, The reasons for my change
of view and for my present faith would
take too long in tho telling for this prief
space, but they are essentially the same
as those which would make me IN Eng
land d free trader--thut Is to say. they
arc national and not abstrtct or cog
mopolitan considerations. desire IN
dustral and trade prosperity for all ma
tions. but as my political responsibility
attaches primarily and mainly to the
prosperity of my own country, shall
favor the policy which in my Judgment,
and in the judgment of the great major
ity Of my fclow-citizens from the FIRST
tariff onward till now, is for the highest
welfare Of the United States
Prof. {. w. Mixter of the department of
political economy, says in part:
1T is my opinion that Throughout our
whole history but especially of recent
years the economic importance Of the
tariff has been overestmated, both by it's
advocates and opponents. The real
..s.tt u Mic
have never been. think. very much
helped or hindcred by our external trade
policy. The internal free trade from ocean
to ocean. secured to us by the wisdom
of the fathers. has been of ines,inable
advantage There can be no doubt Of
that: and this creates of Itself strong
presumption in favor of the general phil
osophy of free trade.
That aspect of the tariff which is most
worth discussing at the present dny is
DOT economical. but moral and political
Protection leads to things nanifestly un-
fair. to the drbauching OF the electorate.
to the lowering OF the tone of our whole
civic life 1t is manifestation. as 1t
actually works out in practice, Of that
hateful thing which formerly h0urished
everyw here under kings and broken down
aristocracies, and which the advent Of
democracy was supposed TO have banished
from tho world-privilege. 1t
seems clear to me that many trusts en-
gagged in tho manufacture of articles also
produced abroad would be less able 10
control the situation under free trade
than under protection. Other trusts would
not he affected. Tariff revision is not
ut all ovasive. but simply incomplete, as
means Of dealing with the trust prob
lem.
There should be no singing out for
punishment Of special industries con-
trolled in whole or in part by monopolcs
Not punishment but no privilege should
be the watchword
Free trade and reciprocity are not com
pHtinle. Neither are protection and reel
procty Under reciprocity tho proter-
ZIONIST house will become divided against
Itself. In the nature Of things reciprocity
cannot endure. While II should last. If
established at all. it would be less eo,it-
adj" than out and out protection Under
protection at the present day but n mere
fringc OF our economic life external trader
IS directly affected. BY far the great bulk
of the commercial transactions Of our
countrymcn consists of sales and pur-
chascs in common protected market
one sells at an inflated price and one buys
at an inflated price. The mutual "sct
o'' Is not complete: some citizen. gain
1T the expense OF other citizens. and there
are losses which nobody gains Put There
Is an approximation to mutual 'sct-oY.
An industry which should los. its protoc-
would on the contrary, sell in a free trade
market while il continued 70 buy in a
projected market. There is no Justice or
common sense in that. The Vermont
farmers, for example are right in onpor-
ing the on" sided Massachusetts, idea of
ahadian reciprocity to the bitter end s,
Htf as economic considerations 90 we
want either tariff reduction all along the
me or none at all
Prof. Mixter is of course entit,e1 10 his
belief that protection of American indus
tries lowers the tone OF our whole civic
life" That, as VIC look at the subject
amounts TO proposition that prosperity
tends to lower the tone Of our civic life
III that were true the tone of civic M,
should be higher in the half of the conn
try which believes in free trade. and IS
the less prosperous OF the sections. than
IN the half whose Industries have been
most largely built up under protective
tariffs, and which believes in protection
or the Industries of the whole land The
reverse of this is certainly the case
"MORRILI. HALL" FOR VERMONT.
No more fitting monument to tho
memory of the late United States Sena-
tor Justin s. Morrill, could be devised
than memorial agricultural college
building at the University Of Vermont
erected by the State which he so sig
nally honored. 1t is not right or prop-