The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-24

ly Q brief reference to the manufacturing mis-.
tory of the country to disprove that. You
will, of course, not fail to point out the obvi-
ous fact that,if protective tariff is necessary
on the Atlantic seaboard to prevent the COM
petition of European fabrics in the country
ct lsrgejust such tariff, the prohibition
theory being admitted, 10 necessary at Chica-
90, to protect the infant manufactures of the
west.
But, gentleman, 1 need not further particular
ize--the proposition with which set out, that
we do not gather figs of thistles-that no sound
policy can be the growth of false and vicious
principle-that unequal and hence unjust taxa
ton is always wrong that no sophistry which
defends the doing of evil that good may follow,
can justify-that and these philosophically cover
the whole ground. The details of the argument
every man who has a family for which to provide
must feel: Ills pocket is daily monitor that
admonishes him to aid in the effort to bring the
country back to equitable principles of taxation
without which our government is a fraud
Every yard of cloth, every article of hardware,
every bar of iron, is reminder of the I'M Justice
that we are made to suffer, that the handful of
mill and furnace owners-not the operatives in
these mills and furnaces, for they are working
for low wages in New England and Pennsylvania
may grow rich. Is it not time for better, a
wiser and juster policy to prevails
Before | close these brief and somewhat dis
connected remarks, let me give you visible illus
tration. Some of YOU know that have had
business in Canada for the past half year, and
that have resided there months enouh tog ena-
BILE me to buy necessary clothing, without sub
jectng myself to the charge of smuggling. The
suit have on at this moment-coat, vest and
pantaloons-cost me in London, Canada West,
1874 in greenbacks My tailor here says he can
duplicate it lor $40 in the same currency-no
less Now let us see. | have been at some
N IN hp M
which my clothes are made. find them to be
"a cents per pound, and 40 per cent ad valorem.
The internal revenue duty the same article
| manufactured here, and I.early all such goods as
! these are made here, is per cent. Hence the
difference between this internal revenue duty and
the customs duties-that is to say the difference
between the added sum of "a cents per pound
| and 40 ceats ad valorem, and the one item of 5
per cent, is just what goes into the pocket of
the American manufacturer; and when you buy
such suit here, that you have to pay. As
| labor in Canada is well rewarded under a
revenue tariff of 20 per cent ad valorem, it is
here under our almost prohibitory tariff, we as
sumo that difference to be the difference between
SS4 and S70-a sum large enough to satisfy tie
rapacity of Pennsylvania herself, if such thing
were possible | use the illustration as visible
and palpabe evidence of the iniquity of the lie.
gislation which the northwest-the food. produc-
| ing section of the country-is compelled to en-
! dure. And when | assure you that the same
taxation which makes decent business suit here
$40 in currency, when it ought to be had for halt
| that money,runs through everything that We Of
the west are compelled to buy, and that our in
| dustry Is being consumed by legal extortion
| neither you nor the public will have any doubt
OF the necessity of gatherings like this in every
school district in the land. Again thanking you
for the fatterng token of your es,eem, invite
you to the consideration of such other business
as may be before you.