[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR...] SIR,—The New York Evening
Post, I observe, is engaged in instituting an informal Referendum on the question of Tariff Revision. Its questions are being put, not, indeed, to the American public generally, but " to a thousand prominent men in all walks of life and all cities of the country." The names for the purposes of the canvass are taken from "Who's Who in America" "without additions or omissions." The results so far appear to be affording a crushing reply to the current Chamberlainite assertion that the bulk of economic opinion everywhere outside Great Britain is. Protectionist. In the issue of the 17th ult., to hand by last mail, the ".A's" had just been got through. Eighty-three answers in all had been received, and out of these sixty7nine were for Tariff Re- vision ; that is to say, they were for a move in the direction of Free-trade. Most of them, indeed, favoured moves of a very decided character. Among the answers in the last issue, for example, was one from a gentleman bearing the historic name of John Quincy Adams. To the first question, " Are you in favour of Tariff Revision ?" be replies " Yes." To the second, "In what schedules would, you like to see rates lowered ?" his reply is : " On all raw materials ; on all goods that the American manufacturers sell abroad cheaper than in the home market, because of excessive Protection." The frequency with which this last reply, or something equivalent to it, occurs seems to indicate that intelligent Americans are becoming fully alive to the fact that " dumping," as it is called, is in a much truer sense. a loss to the country that " dumps " than to the country " dumped " upon. It would be interesting to ascertain what replies with reference to our own Fiscal problem would be obtained from the denizens of the English " Who's Who " ; and, from the point of view of advertisement alone, it would probably well repay some of our newspapers to imitate the Post in instituting such an inquiry.
—I am, Sir, &c., WILLIAM WARRAND CARLILE. Bailed, Surrey.
Previous page
