Free Trade In England

London eorrespontletice of the New York Tribune: In Mr. Froude's brilliant sketch of Lord Beaconsfield, recently published, there is :i paragrapb. which is especially siguifieant at this time, when there is renewed eflbrt in tho United St;itcs to beat down the barriera of protection. At the time of the repeal of the com laws the belief prevailed in England that this country wonld become the world's ereat shop. That expectation has not been realized, fur Mr. Froude says: " The tido luis slackened now ; other nations havo rejected our example, have nursed their own industries, and supply their own wants. The volume of English trade continúes to voll on, but the profita diminish. The crowds who throng our towns refuse to submit to a lowering of wages, and perplex econo1 ; we are thus able to consider with fairness the objections of a few far-seeing statesmen of forty and fifty years ago." One of the objections offered by Disraeli to the proposed new departore of the government in fiscal policy was tlnu the principal changa to be eftected would be the eharacter of the people. Speaking in 1849, "lir the first time as the acknowledged Conservative leader," he reminded the House of Commons that in destroying what was called class legislatiou they destroyed the noble and ïnüeiatiganle amDitioii wliuii had been the soarce of England's greatness, prosperity and power. Bnt tree rade was to bring "unexampled prosperity." Disraeli saw tbat Ik could not stem the tide. but he utterec warnings that are coming thundering back to-day. For a season it seemed ab thougli the advocates of free trade spoke with plenary knowledge of its benefi cenee. "Carlyle told them that their uuexampled prosperity was, perhaps due to special circumstanees, whicl would not continue. Carlyle iras laughed at as a pessimist. Yet as time goes on," Mr. Froude continúes, "a sus picion begins to be feit that both he an( Disraeli were not so wrong as was sup posed." The English farmer is swamped under the competition of other worlds. "The other nations who were to have openei their porta alter out example keep then closed to protect their own manufacturera and supply their own necessities." The result is foreseen by clear-headec men. It is obvious. If other countries are to continue to maintain their prescent attitude, that English profits musí continue to shriuk ; that articles must be produced cheaper and cheaper. A.employment fails in the country districts the people stream Lnto the towns. "This great London of ours," says Mr. Froude "annually stretches its borders. Five millious of men and vromen - more than the people of all England at the time o the commonwealth - are now collectei within the limita of the belts of rnortalily." What is tlie eharacter of the people thus herded? What is their coudition? General Booth's book, "In Darkest England," makes answer. In London there there are 993,000 destitute persons. In Great Brittain 100,000 persons actualh homeless. In London 43,000 persons gö hungry to school. In the workhouses there are 199,006 unfortunates. The out-of-door paupers numbers 96S.000. In London 20,000 persons are out of work; in Great Britain, 100,000. A system so benencent as free trade is held to be should not propágate these terrible evils. "Once our English artists were famous throughoiit England," -Mr. Froude observes. "They were spread among the country villages. Kacli workman was complete of hiskind, in bis way an artist ; his work was au education to him as a man. Xow he is absorbed in his centres of industry and is part of a machine" - a part which becomes more and more insignificant as the rage for cheapness continúes. This rage for cheapness has not only verified Disraeli's prediction reganling the cliaracter of the people, but.it is now held to have destroyed English tntegrity itself. Other predictions remain to be fulfilled. "The infallible consequences of this," (cheapening process) Disraeli said. "is to cause the impoverishment and embarrassment of tlie people." This, then, is the state of England today, and this the condition of tlie English working class. If the grind of American competition already beara hard upon them it inevitably foüows that the development of American ndustrv will make their lot more unenviable. This being the case, it is easier than ever to understand why it is desiredthat America should throw open her markets, for on the decisión of America rests the fate of free trade in Europe. England does not ask the United States to join it in supporting that policy beeause it desires more competition, for that it caunot endure. Then it must be impelled to take the stand it does, because with the start it has obtained in the race for the markets of the world, and in the condition of its laboring classes, it is believed the United States will be taken at a disadvantage if it complies with the request, and that England will recover the ground lost and is losing. The Detroit News is not vet through with the distribution of the Kussian Wedding Feast, and are already out with the iinuouncenient of their next greal offer to subscribers. They will publish a beautiful quarterly magazine "The Quarterly Register 'of Curreut History," and "present it free every three months to all regular subscribers to the Evening and 8unday News. The book will be full of interesting reading and the choicest pictures. The expense of this imdertaking is enorinous wlien it is considered that they mast give away 45,000 copies to supply their regular subscribe r.s, not counting the thousandn who will oio take the News to secure this beautiful book every three inonths, but the News was never known to stop at expense when they undertake to do anything. -- "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorioua summer" by Ayer's Sarsaparilla. Thi.s wonderful medicine so invigorates the system and enriches the blood that cold weather Vjecomes positively enjoyable. Arctic explorers woukl do well to make a note of this.