Free Trade A Theory

The wriicr of this artlcle once bougbt a " new fangled " patent Qat-iron, which was built on a theory. Tlie lmplement was a line looklog one, with nickel il:itng in abundauce, making il extremely attractive to tho eye. The tlieory upon whlch it was constracted was au alluring otie. Every man who looked at it bclieved it perfect. Tlie concern was warrantcd to save one-half the labor and one-half the fuel usually consumed in dolng the Ironing of a famlly, and it was not necessary to have any extra fire, for you could utilize the calorie in your sitting room or parlor stove, it you so desired. Well, we took tlie concern home. The women folks examined it, and spoke highly of' the theory. They then put it to a practical test, and it took only a short time to prove the excellent theory a complete delusion, the pretty Imple ment good for nothing hut old iron, and your humble servant a victim to a theory and a travellng agent to the tune of five dollars. Now frte trade, like that flat-lron, is constructeil opon a charmiiig and alluring theory. The professors i u our colleges, tuebookworms, the men who live by the forinulatlon of pretty theories, and entertain the people with brllllant speculations about things known and nuknown, are quite generally free traders. But tlie practical business men of the COHOtry, the thoughtful laboring men of the country, the business brain and the bone and sinew of the country, have tested the frec trade theory and know it to be fallacious and ruinous. It woultl close workshops, ruin the business man, starve the farmer (oven though his liekls were as prolific as the Garden of Eden, for of whal benefit would great crops be to him with no onc wauting to buy ?), and bting general destitutiou and want upon the laboring masses. Frec trade is alluring and plausible in theory, but delusivo and disastrous in practico- -for America. Like the handsome flat-iron, it would burn every thing that it touched. What's the use of lying so ! The Pree Press last Friday morning said that the republicans of Vermont did not come out to vote, and asserted that a comparative falling off in all the states would send Blainc to the wall by a large majority The assertion is a bare faced falsehood. The total vote of the state has fallen oö' 20 per cewt., and the same is about cqually divided among the republican and democratie parties. But notwithstanding that fact, the republicana have upwards of 22,000 majority, lackiug a few hundied oulyof being as great as in 1882 when a hot contest was made in the state. The democrats are welcome to all the comfort they can squeeze out of the Vermont elcction. It provcs conclusively that the independents are a scarce commodity, and tliat tlie people prefer the republican party lo the old secession element, yet Will the democratic-f iision-anü-monopoly-greenback, etc., organs that accuse Gen. Alger of being a "lumber baron" be kind enougli to defl'.ie the positiou of Gov. Begole in that respect? Whatkind of a bear-on ishev He ia a metnber of the iuinieniifi lumiifir firm of Reirnle. Fox & Co., of Flint, one of the richest In the state, and a director In two national banka ! To be sure he owns a half dozen or more farms (taken on mortgages, it is rumored,) bufihat doesn't make a faimer out of him does it? The result of the state election in Vermont is extremely gratifying to the republicana, considering the circumstances. The majority is considerable larger than two years ago, and this in the face of no efforton the part of the republican party. But the democrats attempted a sly game, and for two or three weeks previous to the eloction poured in inoncy and men in the hope of greatly reducing the majority. The result was a disnial tailure on their part. Vermont republicans still stand firm by their colors. The nomination of C. Frost Gibson of Bay City, on the 133d ballot for member of congress, may not exactly snit some of the people and politicians of tlie longdrawn out and in every way disproportioned lOth congressional district. It probably don't. But when they talk about defeating him at the polls, they don't uuderstand themselves. The Knightsot Labor are 0,000 to G.000 strong in that district and Frost is one or them. No one will question the New York Sun as being good democratie RUthority, and here is what it. says of Cleveland: "Our grievance is of the simplest and plainest nature. Tliere is nothing about it to require iuvestigation. We have published it repeatedly, and will publish it agaln whenever it is asked for. We hold that Grover Cleveland is not fitted to be president, and that he has done notlfing to merit such position." If the present Detroit Post could have ! been with the republican party for the past three or even two years, that pi.rty would be 10,000 votes stronger in this state tlian it is to-day. The Post begins to teem with sensible reading matter and sparkle with brilliaucy. And the people of the state irrespectlve of party, will rejoice. The Post should lead tlie press of the state, and we believe it will hereaftor. John Kelley voiced the sentiment of the laboring classes all over the country when he made this remark: ''The laboring class, on whom we relied mainly for support, are now pronounced against Governor Cleveland, and it will be dillicult for us to convince them that their condition would not be mproved by the election of the opponent of tliis gentleman." Every distinctively Irish paper except the Boston Pilot denounees Cleveland and supports Hlainc. Thisiscoinmented unon by T. O'Neill Hussel], the well known G;elic tcholar, as very ligniflcant of the vote of his countrynien at tlie coming election. When men like Patrick Egan, the president of the Land League, come out strong for Blaine it means that "moral lépera" may as well take a back seat. Our farmer friends will notice ona thing about the various tickets. 'J'here is one lawyer upon tlie republican sLate ticket, the candidate for attorney general, while upon the anialgamated deinofusio ticket tliere are live lawyers. Also that the head of the prohlbition ticket has grown enormously wealthy by nioney lendiug, etc.