CHAPTER VIII.

FALSE PROPHETS OF JUGERNATH.

The truth of a religion may perhaps be gauged by the fulfilment of the utterances of its prophets. Let us analyze some of these.

_Prophecy._ _Fulfilment_.

Even the _free_ importation of Total importations of wheat foreign corn could very little in 1881 = 17,000,000 quarters affect the interest of the farmers as against 23,728 prophesied by of Great Britain.... If there Adam Smith. were no bounty, less corn would be exported, so it is probable that, one year with another, _less corn would be imported than at present_.... The average quantity imported one year with another amounts only to 23,728 quarters. (Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, Bk. IV, Chap. II.)

The Americans are a very cautious, After receiving the agricultural far-seeing people, and every products of America for one who knows them knows that thirty-eight years, we find the they would never have tolerated Americans are as strong their protective tariff if we had protectionists as ever, and the met their advances by receiving presidential message, 4th their agricultural products in December 1883, recommends that exchange for our manufacturing America should retaliate on all products. (Cobden, 1842.) countries taxing American produce.

I speak my unfeigned convictions After thirty-eight years of free when I say I believe there trade Prophet Bright admits that is no interest in the country that the agricultural classes, owners would receive so much benefit and occupiers of land have lost from the repeal of the Corn Laws more than £150,000,000. Numerous as the Farm-tenant interest in farm-tenants have emigrated this country. (Cobden, 1844.) to protectionist America.

I believe when the future historian The true historian will have comes to write the history to record:-- of agriculture, he will have to state:--In such a year there was a “After the introduction of free stringent Corn law passed for the trade, although the general protection of agriculture. From advance of wealth due to that time agriculture slumbered improvements in science, steam in England, and it was not until, and electricity gave to England, by the aid of the Anti-Corn-Law- from time to time, the appearance League, the Corn Law was of agricultural prosperity, yet utterly abolished, that agriculture agriculture gradually decayed; and sprung up into the full in 1884 millions of acres had gone vigour of existence in England, out of tillage; land had become to become what it is now, like foul and was badly farmed; the manufactures, unrivalled in hundreds of farms were absolutely the world. (Cobden, 1844.) untenanted; farmers had emigrated to protectionist countries; landowners had sold their land at ruinous prices, and invested the residue in America. Never was ruin more complete.”

You have no more right to Not only is no other country doubt that the sun will rise in the free-trader, but even England heavens, than to doubt that, in ten is getting rather shaky years from the time when England in her adhesion. Mr. Forster, inaugurates the glorious era of at Bradford, entreated his commercial freedom, every civilized hearers not to “say anything that country will be free-trader might induce foreigners to to the backbone. (Cobden, 1844.) _suspect that our faith in free trade was shaken_” Mr. Bright, in his letter to Mr. Lord, wrote; “To return to Protection, under the name of Reciprocity, is to confess to Protectionists abroad that _we have been wrong and they have been right_.”

I believe that if you abolish After thirty-eight years not a the Corn Laws and adopt free single country in Europe has been trade in its simplicity, there will foolish enough to follow our not be a tariff in Europe that example. France has drawn back will not be changed in less than from her commercial treaty with five years to follow your example. us. Mr. Thiers, in his speech of (Cobden, 1846.) January 18th, 1880, said: “In the first country in the world arrangements are made to protect the different branches of native industry.”

Bastiat prophesied that France France has not adopted free would adopt free trade in six years trade, and is more strongly after England had adopted it. protectionist than ever.

Bastiat prophesied that, without Statistics given in the next free trade, no country can chapter shows that the relative prosper. prosperity of protectionist countries is greater than that of England.

Bastiat prophesied that because Belgium is enjoying wonderful Belgium had rejected free prosperity. trade her ruin was certain.

Professor Cairnes says:--

“The able men who led the agitation for the repeal of the Corn Laws promised much more than this. They told us that the Poor Laws were to follow the Corn Laws; that pauperism would disappear with the restrictions upon trade, and the workhouses ere long become obsolete institutions. I fear this part of the programme has scarcely been fulfilled; those ugly social features, those violent contrasts of poverty and wealth, that strike so unpleasantly the eye of every foreign observer in this country, are still painfully prominent. The signs of the extinction of pauperism are not very apparent.”[30]

Disraeli prophesied in 1852:--

“The time will come when the working classes in England will come to you on bended knees, and pray you to undo your present legislation.”

And it really seems as if the time was approaching for the fulfilment of his prophecy, for I read in a recent Paper:

“It is the intention of the leading men among the Cotton Operatives to move next session for a Royal Commission to enquire as to what extent, if any, we suffer from foreign competition, and _what bearing free trade may have on the question_.”

Sir Edward Sullivan also stated in a recent speech that:

“Already a number of Operatives, far more than is necessary to turn a general election, have, through their delegates, given in their adherence to _Fair_ trade.”[31]

Fair trade is one step in the direction of protection.

FOOTNOTES:

[30] _Fortnightly Review_, July, 1871.

[31] _The Mail_, December 19th, 1883.