announce myself an adherent of them, and wish in some way to aid in disseminating them. You may place my name among those who advocate such wholesome ideas, and I will make a good use of such publica tions as are for distribution by the Alliance -a few at first as seed. FROM LEROY, WIS. The doctrines of the Alliance are so obvious, that it seems to me every candid, unbiased mind on becoming versed in them would receive them as sound and practicable. I, for one, propose to devote my energy and talent to their dissemination, and hope at some time to give substantial aid pecuniarily, but for the present will be obliged to confine myself to the press and forum to teach them. FROM MADISON, WIS. A people capable of freeing 4,000,000 slaves ought to be capable of freeing their own trade from the shackles of monopoly and the traditions of feudalism in its worst estate. In a century the country has retrograded from the simple revenue tariff of Washington's day, and adopted all the worst features of those of European nations. The spectacle of a great and free people taxing themselves four dollars as a donation to private greed to get one into their treasury, and as incident thereto destroying their own commerce, is, at best, a sad reflection on the assumed advance of human intelligence. I am more hopeful at present than during the past thirty years that truth and light will break the gloom so long prevailing on these matters. In theory, nearly all our people are Free Traders. When the West does awake to its own material interests, there will be a thunder-clap. Even now three-quarters of the people are on our side, and need only to be freed from demagogue rule to vendicate themselves. FROM ELMIRA, NEW YORK. I find a number of gentlemen here who are in earnest sympathy with the Alliance. I understand it is proposed to organize an Alliance or Club here before long. I send you by this mail a copy of a pamphlet on the glycerine manufacture issued by Marx Rawolle, 163 William Street, N. Y. I have marked a passage on page 4, which illustrates how the tariff, instead of protecting, really cripples our manufactures. It shows the impossibility of drawing the line between crudes and products. The crude material of the glycerine manufacturer is one of the products of the soap maker, and the tariff, protecting the latter, injures the former. Just so I remember some years ago the unfortunate discovery of an emery bed in Massachusetts was followed by an im position of a heavy duty on imported emery, doubling the price, so that every manufacturer who used emery had to pay tribute to the owners of that mine. FREE TRADE SOCIETIES. INTERNATIONAL FREE TRADE ALLIANCE. The fifth monthly public meeting of the Alliance was held at the rooms No. 43 Washington Square, on Thursday evening, March 9th, Mr. Harrison presiding. On introducing the lecturer of the evening, Professor W. G. Sumner, the President remarked: "Gentlemen,-At a recent meeting of a literary and scientific club in a neighboring city, the following incidents occurred and were related to me by one who was present: A gentleman of wealth and culture, who was engaged in the manufacture of iron and steel, took strong protective ground, and said that he attributed the panics all the way from 1837 to the present time, to low tarriff or free trade men, who he believed tried to bring our labor to a level with the pauper labor of Europe. He also was of the opinion that these low tariff or free trade men were simply "theorists," while he and his coadjutors reasoned and acted upon the facts of experience,-which brought forth from those present of his brotherhood of protectionists exultant laughter and applause. At which point a free trader put the following questions to him: Was not Christopher Columbus a "theorist "? Were not Pro fessor Morse and Robert Fulton “theorists"? The tables were turned upon the protectionist, and the exultant laughter was stilled. "We have with us this evening a gentleman who addressed us at our last monthly public meeting, and who then declared At the conclusion of Professor Sumner's. very able lecture, which is given at length in this number of the journal, the Secretary stated that about fifty letters had been received since the previous meeting, giving encouraging statements regarding the progress of the cause. These letters are from friends living in twenty-one different States; they are acknowledged and quotations given from as many of them as room will allow, on other pages herein. One interesting feature of this correspondence lies in the fact that about twenty colleges and educational institutions have requested that the Journal shall be sent regularly for their library. After a free discussion, relating to the field of the Alliance, which was engaged in by Messrs. Kemp, Robbins, London, and other gentlemen, the meeting adjourned. The April meeting of the Alliance was held on Thursday evening, April 13th, at the rooms on Washington square; Mr. Harrison presiding. The President, in calling the meeting to order, said: "Gentlemen-Since our last monthly meeting we appear to have made progress. The Bulletin, published in Philadelphia, and the recognized organ of the "American Iron and Steel Association," 'has paid us the compliment of noticing us, and criticising the lecture delivered by Prof. Sumner at our last public meeting. This is encouraging, and we are glad that Prof. Sumner has aided us in drawing the fire from such a large and influential body of men. We also have letters from various sources of an encouraging character, which the Secretary will read." The Secretary made brief reference to the letters received since previous meeting, upwards of thirty in number, and from thirteen different States. Reading of extracts at length was deferred until the following week, when another meeting was announced to be held for general business and discussion. Professor Sumner then gave the third lecture on the Tariff Controversy in the United States, which is printed in full in this number. The lecture elicited a number of questions which were aptly replied to by Professor Sumner, resulting in an animated discussion, in which Messrs. P. Ferez, R. R. Bowker, T. T. Howard, Jr., Mr. Boucher and others participated. M. Ferez, who introduced himself as a French republican, called to this country by the International Exhibition, said that the Emperor's settled policy of free trade, against the desires of French manufacturers, had resulted in enabling the manufacturers to compete successfully with England without protection. The Emperor said they "must have it," and this determination gave France an opportunity which the fluctuations of our popular mind denied to this country-the chief difficulty, he thought, of our governmental system. Mr. Bowker replied, in behalf of the Alliance, that it hoped to develop in America that fixity of purpose which the unerring will of a despotic ruler gave, sometimes for good, but oftener for ill, to France, by enlightening and fixing the popular mind by the one great panacea of democratic illseducation. Education was the one word that defined the purpose and hope of the Alliance. We acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of letters from the following correspondents. They number about eighty-from twenty-four different States: Maine-Edward W. Hall, Waterville; Richard C. Stanley, Prof. Political Economy, Bates College, Lewiston. New Hampshire--C. W. Scott, Hanover. Massachusetts-Wm. Downie, Pres. Boston Free Trade Club; Chas. P. Britton, New England Review, Boston. Connecticut-H. T. Blake, Bridgeport. New York-Edwin Crane, Fort Edward (2); John B. Jervis, Rome; Levi Miller, Antwery; M. S. Bidwell, Elmira; S. A. Wheelwright, New York; F. Butler, Albion; C. D. Hudson, Troy; D. H. Cochrane, Brooklyn; M. K. A. Benchley, Ithaca; Samuel Hotchkin, Elmira. Ohio-M. H. Scott, Athens; James A. Clark, Xenia; H. T. Eddy, Cincinnati; Wm. Pettingill, Hudson. Indiana-M. V. Galbreath, Hebron (2): H. M. Williams, Fort Wayne. Illinois--John G. Farris, Henry; S. H. Harrison, Montrose; Geo. W. Minier, Minier; D. M. Johnson, Wheaton; S. T. K. Prime, Dwight (2); W. B. Fyfe, Pontiac: Fred. B. Ward, Orion; A. Gilkeson, Chi cago. Iowa-Albion N. Fellows, lowa City; Benjamin C. Earle, Davenport (2); Jas. M. Gow, Fontanelle; John Gray, Jefferson; John A. Story, Greenfield; O. Perkins, Durant; Prof. A. N. Currier, Iowa City; Ray Billingsley, Iowa City. Michigan--D. W. Richardson, Standish (2): T. D. Hawley, Detroit; Prof. Andrew Ten Broeck, Ann Arbor. Missouri-Clarke Irvine, Oregon (2). Wisconsin-J. J. Hagerman, Milwaukie (2); J. W. Mills, Lancaster; Rowley Morris, Brodhead; W. H. Whitney, Mazo Manie; F. W. Lyman, Kenosha; J. E. Follett, Milwaukie; II. A. Tenney, Madison; E. H. Benton, Leroy, Dodge Co.; S. D. Carpenter, Madison; John C. Hall, Monroe. Minnesota-Hon. James Bottomly, Nashville Centre; F. H. Widstrand, Lake Constance. Kansas-G. W. Spurgeon, Jacksonville; Charles Disbrow, Clay Centre; H. G. Nicols, Elgin; Frank A. Prather, Wellsville. Nebraska-Jas. Urquhart, Marshall. Colorado-John Williamson, Glen Plyn, near Denver. District of Columbia-M. H. Muhleman, Washington. Maryland-William G. Harrison, Balti more. West Virginia-Henry Bryan, Grafton. Kentucky-James G. Haswell, Hardinsburgh; Titus Holmes, Bedford (2); L. V. Dodge, Berea. Mississippi-C. W. Sears, Oxford; V. H. Fugate, M. D., Vaughan's Station. Louisiana-Thomas D. Boyd, Baton Rouge. Texas-John Warner, Trinity Mills; F A. Mood, D. D., Southwestern University, Georgetown. California-J. C. Rowell, Oakland. Oregon- Jas. W. Marsh, Pacific University, Forest Grove; Jos. Emery, Corvallis College, Corvallis. Canada--R. J. McDowell, Demarestville. INTERNATIONAL FREE TRADE ALLIANCE. THIS organization has been formed for the purpose of promoting industrial and commercial freedom-absolute freedom in exchanging the productions of industry with all the worid. WE HOLD, That freedom in Trade and Commerce-freedom in exchanging the productions of our agricultural and manufacturing industries with those of other countries— is as necessary to the prosperity of the nation, as freedom in producing is to the individual. That it is a principle essential to our American liberty which cannot be violated without injury and danger to our institutions, and should never be infringed upon by the government except when absolutely and unavoidably necessary. WE NOLD, That comfort, wealth, civilization, and the welfare of mankind are directly promoted and increased by exchanging the products of labor between individuals, and states, and nations. That farmers, or mechanics, or any other producers do not promote their own welfare by keeping more than they need of anything which they have produced, but by exchanging the surplus in purchasing whatever they desire of things produced by others, wherever they can do so most advantageously to themselves. That as a people, we are not free, in so far as the liberty to make such exchanges-such sales and purchases -is restricted by the arbitrary power of government. WE HOLD, That the Custom House system of obtaining national revenue, violates the principles of American liberty, fosters international prejudices, is hurtful to republicanism, and hinders the growth of peace and good-will among men. That it interferes with and injures lawful business, which is constantly the subject of sudden and arbitrary changes in the tariff. That it is a formidable obstacle in the way of our national prosperity. and the pursuit of useful and honorable enterprise. That it has for many years been one of the most fruitful causes of sectional irritation and animosity. That it is a wasteful and unjust method of obtaining revenue, in causing the people to pay, in cost of living, an enormously greater amount than ever reaches the treasury. That it is a constant and strong incentive to bribery, corruption and smuggling, which are ruinous to honest merchants. That it affords excuse for employing a very large number of officials, who control political and party machinery, and whose influence prevents the first step in Civil Service Reform. The efforts of the ALLIANCE will be directed towards obtaining ABSOLUTE FREEDOM IN TRADE AND COMMERCE by abandoning the Custom House revenue system, as soon as it can be done without injury to the best interests of the people; providing for the necessary expenses of government by a just, undisguised, and economical method of TAXATION; and ensuring CIVIL SERVICE REFORM by reducing the multitude of offices now existing, but which will then be no longer necessary. The work of the Alliance will be prosecuted by appealing to the intelligent common sense of the people through the Press, and by public meetings. |