Questions Answered

The following artide, taken frora the Chicago Inter-Oeean, is given to our readers, who, betng quite largely in a university city, are more or less interested in the ideas and facts stated: Several student, one from Yale College, two from Harvard University, one from Madison, Wis., two from Bvanston, and one from Lake Forest, III., have sent questions, all referring to the fact that so many - nearly all- of the professors of politieal economy in the colleges and universities of tuis country are, or have been teachers of free trade. The students. ask The Inter-Ocean to give the reasons for sueh a state of things. The questions being similar, and seeking the same Information, their publication ia withheld, only to economize space, and not out of disrespect to the students. The following, I trust, gives the reasons asked for, and a fuU and fair reply to all the questions, which was written September, 1881, is for the first time published in The ínter .Ocean, whose principies were thus sqaurely announced: "the ixter ocean is on guaed. as a senrinel over certain political truths vitally connected with the welfare of all American industries, agriultural, mining-, manufacturing and ommercial." The article In The ínter Ocean June 9th, 1892, is as follows: Owing to early and erroneous tuiion, there seems to be implanted in many American minds a sort of serile sentiment, -causing a too ready acquiescence in the theories of Enjiish politieal economists- a fact weli known to every close observer. The class to which we refor seem to have engrafted in them the idea that English politieal economy must be accepted as the only safe guide for American statesmen- that whatever is conductiTe to English interests will be "promotive of the general welfare" of the United States. This class is influential, ftecause there is unfortunately a large number of persons in this country who accept their political faith, as they take their medicine when sick, irom the written prescriptions of others, in blind confidence, or as they accept their religious beliefs, ready-made by the hands of others, and not the result of their own investigation or the independent conclusions of their own minds and mental efforts- the result of READIN'G, RESEARCH AND REFLKCTION Webster defines politica! economy: "That branch of philosophy which discusses the sources and methods of material wealth and prosperity in a nation." The language of the United States Constitutión (see preanible) shows that two of the principal purposes were "to provide for the common defense" and "to promote the general welfare." To securely provide for the "eommon defense" we must have the means of supplying ourselves with the meaais of defen.se, by ourselves and withln ourselves, free trom dependency upon others. The "promotion of the general fíu-e" can not be better effccted than by the development of every class oí native industry, enabling us to Bupply our own wants, whether for defense or welfare by our own labor, out of our own materials, by our own industry. Henee the first law ever passed after the formation of our constituïïoTi was a tariff law. A fatal mistake with American free traders is the assumption that there is a political economy alike adapted to all countries; that what is beneficial to one country must be good for all. Herein lies THE FUNDAMENTAL EKROK of every free trader. All history refutes the theory. Nature gives it the lie. Sad and bitter experiences to many and many a people, often resulting in national dcstruetion, has time and time again shown up the sophism in all its falsity and evil effeets. It was free trade in a great measure that ruined the Roman Empire and caused its destruction. Whoever carefully reads the speeches and pamphlets, or works of American free traders, chiefly those of American professors, principáis, etc., will observe that they are almost wholly English ideas, extracts, or elimina' tions from English authors dressed up in American clothes. There is this contrast, however: Englishmen, wheu arrayed in American garments, are' greatly improved thereby in their personal appearance. English free tra de thcories strut about awkwarflly when covered only wlth American cloaks; their borrowed plumage is not suited to the climate. The difference in fhe forma of the American and English governments would alone prove the futility of a like system of political economy being equally UEXEFICIAL TO BOTH COUNTBIES. There are otlier adverse circunistances and matters öf fact, showing how impossible it is to hare a single gystem promotive of the "material wealtli and prosperity" of the one nation, and equally productive of good to the other. English free travers claim the advantage it would be to England if American farmers could be induced to buy all of their manufaetured goods of England, shipping in return therefor their farm producís. Bngland aims to be the workshop of the world, to manufacture for all the world at her own price, taking their agricultüral and raw productions at lier own price also. That is the jughandle theory that England advocates nowhcrc finding so many sympa? thizers as in the United States. Nowliere does the reeruiting sergeant of tlie Cobden Club induce so many to take the "shilling" as in this eount ry, whre there are more foreign members of the club than in all other foreign countries combined. The Cobden Club comprehend tlieir American eousing; they have studied their simplicity and GACGED THEIK GULLIHILITY - they know their customers. England and America are totally dissinular, as to their natural resources. We have not only an illimitable supply of raw materials of nearly every kind, but our food ply is practically inexhaustible. Great Iiritaln without her colonies (who have enacted tarifi lawa for their own proteetion), under her present systeni can not raise sufficient food for her own people. For years she has been and is now largely dependent upon other eountries for her physical sustenance. All nations must eat or etarve. Food, clothing and shelter are the trLnity of a nation's as they are of individual', imperativo neees' sities. Tlie object in repealing the Corn Laws was to provide the working classes of England with lowerpriced food, so they could work for less wages, and herice could supply other countries with manufactures cheaper than those count'ries could make their oivn. The jepeal was at a time when England was at her zenith in manufacturing power, and, when judieious, well-direeted, libera] subsidies were developing her raerchant steam marine into the Iront rank, destined, as afterwards pro veil, to CRÉATE LINES OF MEKCHANT STEAMSRS, surpasslng the fleets oí ali the world eombined- thus enabling her to transport more cheaply and more rapidly raw terials, breadstuffs, merchandise, etc, than eould be moved by any other nation. Every nerve had been strained, with most lavish expenditure of money, to develope her manufactures by Lmproved machinery, unequalled in capacity and extent, with the most skillful mechanica and artizans, so that as was then said: "If the machinery of England was run to its full capacity for one year, it could supply the whole world with manufactured goods for seven years." It was with England as Artemas Ward said of the Puritans: "They claimed to enjoy their own religión, and tried to prevent every one else from enjoy ing theirs." A work that vill be of intense interest to Michigan people, those believing in the republican doctrines especially, and in fact oí interest to people all over the United States, is being published by Banker's Art Publishing Co., of Detroit, and will be entitled "Under the Oaks at Jackson, Eighteen Hundred and Plfty-Four and Since." Michigan's war governor, Austin Blair, in agreeing to write his recollections of what then occured, say.s: "Most of the aotors in the events I expect to chronicle have passed off the stage of human action, and I hope to recall the memory of them to some extent." On June 7, the national republican convention at Minneapolis wil] nomínate a winner. Cut out this and paste it in your liat. The Chicago Globe refers to the liquid sent through its city water pipes as "unspeakable water." "Unispeakable" is good, but "uncrawlable" would be better. Let the republican party be deposed from power and see how quickly the laboring masses will find out wlich party is their friend. But if such a thing is done the mistake may be found out too late. The laymen oí the Methodist church are in the minority at their genern] conference, and the question of giving them more power is again postponed another conference year. That wil! perhaps be its fate continually. When the agony ie over, and the game is lost and won, and every state's brave delegates have had their fill of fun, oh, where will be the "favorite sou ?" Ask of the waves that loudly roar on Minneapolis' peaceful shore, and on Chicago's banks of gore ! They'll sadly answer: "Xever more !" George Washington Childs would make a good presidential candidate. It might reduce liis avordupois a little if he should run very fast, but he could spare quite a lot and then have sufficient left for comfort. And he Is a person that no one could eay ought against. The printers ought to nomínate him. There doesn't seem to be many Pingi-ee men in thto county, but as the tact ios of that gentleman are not to liunt duoks with a brass band, but on the contrary to work the still hunt plan, it is possible, if Ilidi's iriends are not on the alert, there may be several Pingree delegates from this county ín the state convention. The demócrata of Iowa are not to be misunderstood. They are for their favorite son Gov. Boies, first, last and all the time, and so instructed their delegates. Unlike Illinois and Indiand, they didnt' propose to place themselveH in any false position simply ior policie's sake. Boies man not get there, but his friends have the right sort of grit and back bone. It has been discovered at Ann Arbor that the city is in need oí a new first class hotel. Would the Courier object to a government appropriation ?- Adrián Press. Certainly. The government has no right to expend public money in private enterpriaes any more than it has a right to expend public money as a sop to re-elect a democratie con gi-essman.