Show I FREE TRADE I The American Free Traders Issue an Address TO THE FRIENDS OF FREEDOM In which They Advocate a Plan of CoOperation Ajjulnit the rrotectlonl A Free Trade Addrti NEW YORK August 29The following follow-ing address of American Free Trades has been published To Fncnds of Freedom The inability of the large Democratic majority in the National House of Representatives Re-presentatives to pass a bill for tariff reform re-form looking only to the removal of the heavy burden of taxation from a few great inn us tries and the refusal of representatives of the Republican party and their allies to even conider the abatement of tanfl taxation in any degree imteratively calls for aggressive ag-gressive and uncompromising political action by friends of Constitutional freedom There can be no doubt that a majority of the American people at present acting under unison with one or the other of the two great political parties are convinced of the practicability I practica-bility and necessity of tariff reform I and the abandonment of the hitherto dominant policy of high discriminating discriminat-ing and unnecessary taxation A clear statement of thu issue between Protectionists Protec-tionists and Free traders is of itself a demonstration of the truth of this assertion as-sertion On one side advocates f protection pro-tection start with the assumption that under a free and Republican form ot government the power of taxation maybe may-be lawfully used to aid private enterprises enter-prises and build private fortunes on a also plea now demolished demol-ished by the bare logic of facts that such legislation betters busmen and raises wages For a long period they have reduced this assumption to practice by imposing heavy taxes on articles necessary to the processes of great domestic industries for the bene bt of special interests of very small relative rel-ative importance to the aggregate industrial Indus-trial interests of the whole country Thus for years past our fiscal policy has been practically dictated by manufacturers manu-facturers of pig iron and growers of wool although the aggregate value of the annual product of pig Iron and woo Is not the equal of the value of the annual egg and poultry crop of the country and not to be compared with the value of the annual crop of either hay wheat corn or cotton Emboldened Embold-ened by long toleration the demand of these special interests increase in audacity au-dacity as shown in the recent propo i tioa of t tfauiuel 3 Randall t air representative repre-sentative to advance the duties on tinplate I tin-plate from 1 to 2M cents per pound i This article is used largely for the preservation pre-servation by canning of an excess of our uiea vegetables fruit fish and oil prouucts which without such treatment could not be marketed but would be wasted The present duty freights and commissions added constitutes con-stitutes a bounty which would cover the payment of the double wages paid in the tin plate industry in Great Britain Hut as foreign manufactories are conducted at n minimum profit the price of tin plats being the lowest ever Ertce known in history lilt preent taxIs tax-is regarded as lusiilicient and Ranaail proposed in sire of an overflowing over-flowing treasury to increase this tax from MX to an aggregate of lo OOOCOC and collect it by adding to tile cost of the preservation of meat fresh fruit decreasng our export nurVet accord ingly mils pans and pits of every farmer the cooking utensil and dinner pail of ever workingman and the construction con-struction of every dwelling house and railroad car in the couuir > a for the benefit a few iron manu acturers and I capitalist in Pennsylvania On the other side the principle of free traders may be simply stated as follows I fol-lows I First They demand that the whole system of federal taxation be reconstructed recon-structed and readjusted so that all taxes which the people pay shall be received re-ceived by government without the diversion di-version of any part for fostering private pri-vate iuterestu Second Ibat the promotion and true protection of domestic industry is to be found on the removal of taxes from articles rbich constitute the foundation or are necessary to the process of our various industries indus-tries and that incidental taxation be restricted as far as possible to articles which are ready tor final consumption con-sumption and wbich is voluntarily other than necessary ThirdThey claim that the abandonment aban-donment of the present hieb discriminating dis-criminating and unnecessary tariff taxes and the levy of national na-tional revenue on a comparatively few articles on which taxes can be collected col-lected with the least interference with freely chosen pursuits of the people are necessary steps to gradually insure to the country full industrial employment and high wages abundant production and low cost extended markets and permanent revival of commercial lativity Trade competitors of the United States are not loaded down with debt with the support of great standing armies which in turn entail he burden of taxation so heavy as to impair their resources cripple the ener I gie of their people and increase the cost of their products To successfully make a race for trade with nations thus hampered fits only necessary that the people of this country adopt a tax pol ICY diametrically opposite Other nations na-tions must then disband their Rand R-and set their soldier to work ter wages and better subsist t 1111 they now have to afford tW5 Any chance for competing with a country AO rich in resources intelligent and active in respect to population and so free in re pect to government as the United States It w for such a result that the American Free TiJe League invl e I the cooperation of patriotic men of all I political j ir i f strength it toi > < e IIc chance in a single district in half of the States from the side bf prot ctioUts to the side of freo traders is aU WafI required re-quired to reform the revenue system of government In more than this number num-ber ot districts a change of legs than 6 per cent In the vote will change the district dis-trict A comparatively small number of those opposed bv conviction to tbt policy of taxahon And restrii lori as terttiiff themselves actively caa tbu produce the desired result ILLS therefore there-fore essential that each friend of commercial com-mercial freedom in anticipation of the nominations in hU con rulona districts shall determine and as ar I as possible publicly declare his determination I deter-mination not to vote for any candidate for Congress who i not opposed to tariff for protection except where it is necessary to defeat by electing an avowed Protectionist opnonent a candi date who straddles Democracy by catering to monopolists and traders in special legislation n one hand while claiming support from the toiling toil-ing taxpaying masses on the other In what catea it may be best to put an indepedent can didate in the held and in what others to abstain from voting must be left to the free traders of each district to decide de-cide for themselves Added to this let every friend of the cause diligently strive to extend his local influence by diffufing sound economic literature and by promoting pro-moting the organization of club 01 five or more persons m as many places as he can reach Such system requires no large expenditure of money and need not be ncceisaiily dependent on the direction di-rection of any central organization But such an organization will exist and will be all the stronger from the multiplication multi-plication and co operation of independent independ-ent and in a large degree i dividual action It is thus possible that tariff reform may be accomplished by the force of public opinion within both parties compelling the acquiescence of those in power but if continued failures of the Democratic party in Congress to help by libertyloving Republicans to carry any practical measures of tariff reform continue to be met by the opposition op-position of th Republican party organization organ-ization ai d itt Democratic all cs Democratic Dem-ocratic and Republican free traders must unite to destroy a party which cannot carry out iu own principles to supersede super-sede them with a new party of freedom and to compel the advocates of restriction restric-tion to join together in the open field Our Democratic form of Republican government requires at least one great party having the courage of its convictions convic-tions and ready to show itself a party by risking defeats in defense of its principles If existing parties fail to face the vital issue of the day the organization of the league will furnish a nucleus for wider party development that may prove necessary For the present independent action in Congressional districts will accomplish every purpose The American Free I Trade League have reason to believe that where not in the absolute majority the number of free trade voters in most of the Congressional districts is sufficiently suf-ficiently large to hold the balance of power between candidates of the two great political parties and it only remains re-mains with these to whom this appeal is now made to decide whether that power shall now be so intelligently exercised us to make it both feared by politicians and respected by statesmen Let the first step be taken and the battle will be substantially won The address is signed by a large number num-ber of the members of the American Free Trade League |