The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-14
The Tariff.


destined again to occupy as prominent Q po-
si,ion in politics as it ever has in the history
Of our country. There is large party in the
country who can always be relied upon to
support protective tariff. 1t consists, first
", Of the whole New England manufacturing
interest; secondly, of the Pennsylvania iron
interest; and thirdly, of large class of
bought up politicians and dreamy political
economists and their followers scattered all
eTer the country, who labor necessarily to
delude and hoodwink the people into belief
in their absurd vagaries, that never had sny
foundation in common sense. and are solely
thebirth of New England greed.
The effects Of the tariff are, however, be-
ginning to come home to the people in SO
direct and palpable shape, that willy politi-
clans and political dreame-s can no longer
humbug or hoodwink them. The case in
plain English is like this: A pound of cot
ton costs SO cents, and will make three yards
of Shooting. The utmost expense of manu-
featuring yard Of sheeting is six cents.
everything else, ard 8 cts. is an outside est-
matd Ee nave, then, for three yards of
sheetina-50 cts. for cotton, "a cts. for man.
ufacturing, tax, brokerage, &c: total "A cts,
and the manufacturer sells 1t for 81 20
profit IG cts. on yards Of sheeting or some
forty odd per cent. Ten per cent. would be
enormOrs-45 per cent. is simple robbery.
On many other goods, particularly woolens,
the profits are said to be 100 to 200 per cent
The manufacturers have entered into such
combinations that it is impossible, by the
usual mode of fair competition, to break up
this system of robbery. The only practicable
mode of reaching it is to repeal the tariff
and let in English and French goods.
The people of the west are, however,
afflicted by another imposition as grievous as
the exorbitant tariff and robbery by the COM
binatiOn of manufacturers. This is the eRor.
nous increase in freight charges The time
was, a few years ago, when a bushel of corn
could be taken from Ottawa to tide water for
ID to 20 cts. When corn was worth 80 cts
in New York, it was worth IS cts. in Chicago.
Whest Mt $3.50 in New York, was worth
si-25 in Chicago. Now corn is worth o. cts.
in New York and As in Chicaso-difference
- cts. Wheat at $l.75 in New York is
worth Sis in Chicago-difference As els.
Then, on the goods brought from the east in
Tay 70, our wheat, corn, &C., this enormous
freight tariff is again doubled. No Illinois
farmer can live raising wheat and corn and
stand these enormous charges.
What isto be done? We must quit raising
corn and go to manufacturing. A pound of
wool is worth 40 cts. in Illinois. 1t will make
three yards of flannel. Cost of manufactur-
ing say II cts. yard. Cost of 3 yards IS
cts We 90 to the stores and pay three dol
lars for three yards of fanneli Why? 1t
costs us 40 cts. per pound for freight to send
our wool to New England, and so cts. more
TO bring it back manufactured and then we
are swindled 80 cts. more BY the tariff and
combination Of eastern manufacturers. We
can save all this By taking our capital out of
farms and turning it into WOODEN mills We
can also escape the gouging We Gre subjected
to in, cotton goods by the same remedy.
The west must do this, or compel the poll
'icanS 10 give US . reasonable tariff, and
open up for US cheaper channels of communi.
cation TO the east. The carrying trade of the
west has grown so enormous that the Erie
canal IS inadequate to tenth of it; and the
railroads ares loaded down that they charge
what they please. A ship canal from the
Illinois river to the Hudson, with . rival one
to the st Lawrence, would afford some re-
iiei- -tInt our surest remedy is to commence
manufacturing.