The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-06-19
VOLUME 3.

the European merchant a duty which he cannot
pay, and thus you Danish him from our commercial
intercourse. You say to the western farmer TO
agriculiurisis everywhere. that there shall
be but one market in which they may buy.
You drive them to the counters aud foun-
deriS of men whom you protect in a
monopoly of the sales which they make.
You do al this for tho sole and avnwed
reasons that goods from abroad can b. sold
here cheaper than they can be made and
sold by cur own citizens, and that pro-
lection must be given to high prices.
Every school boy in political science knws
who pays this increase of prices. Need
|. at this beriod Of American history, dis
cuss the operations of a high protective
tariff? Need | stop to show its folly and its
injustice? No, sir. II is one Of the settled
questions of the governmental policy.
Twenty years ago is was fairly tried, and
the American people passed an intelligent
verdict of condemnation against it. II
was fully heard by greater advocates than
it has to day. aud repudiated as an unfair
and ruinous system. If any question was
ever. in tie history of ibis Government,
distinctly tried before a tribunal of the peo-
pie and condemned. it was the question of
protective tariff. The coutry prosperedby
its reputation, and the laborei bought where
Lis money would buy most. But this issue
has again risen. and in shape more often
sve and injurious to the true interests of
the country than ever before. The pres
ent tariff is one which no partg in the past
would have sanctioned. 1t would have
alarmed the old Wing party as much as
any otker by its stringent and prohibitory
features. 1t gees far beyond what was
deemed wise or prudent by the strongest!
proteetionists of former high tariff periods
Though perfec! equality should prevail
In meeting The immense taxation which is
coming like mountain avalanche upon
this people. yet ii vii be borne amid sor-
row and weary pain; but when it shall all
fall virtually on given class of citizens il
will become an intolerabe, suffocatinc
nightmare of ruin and Of death. | chal-
lenge the attention Of the country that
such is the working OF the present sys-
tenn. which 1t is pretended has been ad-
opted for The support of the Government.
Already we see its effects The great
manufacturing corporations Of the East are
crowding their bloa.ed pockets with rapid
and e ganiic gains Their dividends of
profits are swollen some thirty, some sixty,
aud som. an hundred fold This IS no
random statement. but is sustained by the
statistics before me- 1t is fact too Of
which the whole country has taken coy
nizaace.
Sir, no sectional boundaries 10 my love
of country prompts these remarks call
God to witness with what devotion love
evsrv sad and rock and river, mountain,
prairie. and forest Of my Eative land. For
lts happiness and glory il would be sweet
and honorable to die. reckon no section
OF 1t above another Ii is all alike to me.
all dear and hallowed BY the principles Of
constitutional liberty. But | speak IL the
name of jastice. which is everywhere
present. in the name Of frate,ral and Amer
lean equality, and ask you. implore you
to look AT the Condition of the western
people. Their interests have been aban-
doned on this floor BY more than half
their Representatives. and they stand to-
day bearing the hard brur; Of the pitiless
storm which has burst from the angry sky.
They are shut out from all fair yoaIkets for
their produce. Their natural channels of
trade TO the South are closed BY the imp;-
Gus hand Of war, and their avenues TO the
markets Of the North are INSTRUCTED by
the ayariee OF railroads. 1t costa sixty
cents TO freight bushel of corn from the
Wabash river to New York and leaves
from seven to fourteen cents to the farmer
who has caused it to grow and gathered it
In, as the reward Of his toll. For every.
thing else he receives the same beroarlv
return And yet who has lifted up his
voice here IN behalf Of that great. that
honest and oppressed people? Where il
their representative in the Committee of
Ways and Means, that great despotic com.
mlttee which natures measures of tariff
Of taxation. and of finance, and whose de-
crees on this floor are as unaltersbe as the
laws Of the Modes and Persians? On that
committee. which speaks the voice Of fate
for the veal or woe of the tax payers Of all
the land. the great imperial Comain of the
West, from the feet Of the Alleobanv
mountains 10 the Pacific ocean. has had no
member during this importent session.
Blow after blow has fallen on her naked