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Show j j REACTIONARY. ' A London cablegram says that the ;j Cabinet have reached a decision on the ; j tariff question. A bill will be introduced j into Parliament authorizing the imposi- I ! tion a utT on "nports into Great Brit- ! f ain coming from countries imposing a , duty upon English goods. If this bill is f f introduced it will be an official recogni- I f j tion of the cry which has been heard in f j England of late, . but hushed so soon as heard, for reciprocity. Reciprocity is but j ; protection in disguiae. Some years ago j when there was. a very considerable , j . . " discussion in the English , magazines H and reviews as to the state of trade in England and the causes for the I j general depression in business, the ! ' doctrine of reciprocity came to the j front, and among the very first duties ad- ) j vocated by the friends of reciprocity was I j a corn tax to relieve the British farmer. : J j That very suggestion showed the weak-' weak-' ' j ' ness of the entire scheme, for it made it 1 plain to the dullest intellect that the im- ; position of a duty upon any article for ?. ; j . t:ie protection ot tne home producer of ii ' ; that article was a tar levied upon the j I consumer to benefit the producer. The j: repeal of the Corn Laws saved England I I from great distress and from riots that f' j were fast leading to revolution. To Cob- ! den and the men who won the fight for i j . free trade England owes the unprece- ' - dented prosperity of half a century, and , i j it is not at all probable that 'she will re- j L turn to the thraldom from which she l, . M freed herself. It is almost certain that il j l the Commons will throw out any jj I ! bill looking to the establishment of j " J R protective tariff, no matter what j i high-sounding name it may take. Could ! I I I anything be more specious and alluring' ! j I than such a high-sounding word as reci- j i procity? Reciprocity: the doctrine of ' i doing unto others as yoi would wish to ; be done by. Beautiful definition! and more than all, it is Christianity introduced intro-duced into commerce,. But the word is as false and deceitful as it is high-sounding and specious, and the Ministry that will undertake to make it a test of its strength before the country will have to abdicate. The great body of both the Tory and Liberal parties are of one mind as to the great worth and true principles of free trade, and they will not abandon their position at anyone's bidding. The bill to be introduced as the resnlt of Lord Iddesleigh's Commission xm Trade is reactionary in every respect. What will England do for raw material, she being par excellence a manufacturer? |