Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-05
FREE TRADERS
WISH TO FORM
ORGANIZATION
ANTl-PR0TECTI0NlSTS APPEAL
TO CITIZENS OF U. S.
COMMITTEE OF THIRTEEN JOINS
IN PUBLIC ADDRESS
Claims Duty on Goods Erects Artificial
Barriers Between Nations and ls
Cause Of Unsettled Condl-
tlons in Country
tBy Associated Press. /

AT YORK, July 4.--The following
IN appeal to citizens of the Unite
~ States who believe i'm the tenet
Of free trade has been issued through
a committee of eastern men, who be
lieve in absolute and unconditiona
freedom of trade between the nations o
the earth:
To the Citizens of the United
States:
The apparent acceptance In some
decree of the so-called protective
policy by the present congressional
representatives of both the political
parties-the Republicans champion
ing protection with incidental
revenue, and the Democrats urging
revenue with incidental protection
might beget the impression that our
nation contains no men who believe
in the absolute and unconditional
freedom of trade between the peo-
pies of the earth.
The undersigned, proclaimlng
themselves as free traders, contend:
That protection erects artificial
barriers between nations, prevent
ing that natural and healthfdl in
terchange of products which makes
for increased comfort, for peace,
and for the solidarity of mankind.
That protection, by reducing the
quantity of incoming foreign goods,
reduces the buying power repre-
sented by such goods, and conse-
quently subtracts from the demand
for merchandise and labor which
would inevitably be fostered by the
unrestricted freedom of exchange.
Protection Increases Cost
That protection. In addition to
lessening the demand for labor, and
to consequent reduction of wages,
greatly increases the cost of neces-
saries, thus becoming a powerful
agent In dragging down the condi-
ton of our wage-earning classes.
That protection has not only be-
come the mother of trusts. but that,
by sitting foreign competition, it
has granted them a license to prey
upon the community.
That protection encourages ex-
travagance in national expendf-
lures, which, as they are paid by
taxes on what the people consume.
are in the main extracted from the
pockets of the wage-earning and
salaried classes.
That protection. by it's methods of
indirection, cunningly disguises the
incidence of taxation, and thus
weakens that desirable interest in
legislation and in government
policies which direct taxation tends
to develop.
That protection, which is in eff
rect a process of class enrichment
by legislative favor, is a fostering
source of political corruption.
Causes Panics
That protection, by engendering
special oVer-production due TO ex-
cessive profits and widespread
under-consumption due to excessive
prices, contributes to producing
those panics which cause so much
human waste and misery.
That protection. by comforting on
favored classes the right to tax
their fellow citizens, and by the
consequent unequal and inequitable
distribution of the boundless wealth
which is created by the energy and
natural resources possessed by the
American people, has generated re-
sentiments which express them
selves by dangerous methods in
tended to wrench from its possess
sors a portion of the wealth which
has been unjustly appropriated.
That protection, by the swollen
fortunes which it heaps up for its
beneficiaries, and by the concen-
trated, selfish class interests which
1t fosters, becomes so powerful
through their, ability and readiness
to debauch public opinion by the
expenditure of money, that 1t can
never be dislodged until the great
body of our people are brought to
realize its wasteful, sinful anti-so-
cial character.
Invites Adherents
Concurring in such views. the
undersigned call on all fellow cit
liens who are In agreement there
with, to join them i'm an effort to
consolidate the free trade senti-
ment of the nation. Such a consoli-
dation will reveal the true economic
opinion of at least a portion of our
citizens, and will facilitate CO.
operation with the free traders of
other nations which are also suf-
fering from the evils of protective
policy
Napes and addresses should be
forwarded without delay to any of
the undersigned:
JOHN BIGELOW, 21 Gramercy
Park, New York.
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, In
dia House, Boston. Mass
JAMES II. DILLARD. 51 Audu-
bon St, New Orleans, La.
LOUIS r. ENRICH, SO West nth
St, New York.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON. 6
Beacon ST.. Boston, Mass.
BOLTON HALL, 56 Pine ST., New
York.
BYRON w. HOLT, 54 Broad ST.,
New York.
TOM L. JOHNSON. 2S4S Euclid
Ave, Cleveland, Ohio.
DAVID STARR JORDAN, STAN
ford University, California.
GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY, 2
Rector ST., New York.
LOUIS f. POST, Ellsworth Bldg,
Chicago. III.
WILLIAM G.. SUMNER. Yale Uni
versity, New Haven. Conn.
C.ITADT nc n XVITT.TA Ms IA 10,