The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-17

90 shape the laws. that while
the owners Of the pine4ies shall put thirty |
Der cent. additional profits in their pockets,
you wretched farmers and mechanics ehall
nav henceforth seven hundred and fifty dol
lars for house which but for Us you might
have built for FIVE hundred, and fifteen hum
dred for one which but for our laws would
have cost you only one thousand"
To the thousands of Industrious, hard
working mechanics aud clerks, who every
year build themselves neat frame cottages in
the suburbs, of cur great cities. congress Will
say Back to the filthy tenements, BACK TO
the unwholesome and crowded streets. we,
the protectors of the lumber interest, will
not let you live oeanly and comfortably-we
will not suffer your children to grow up In
pure air and with healthful surroundings
We insist that our patrons shall gain thirty
per cent. additional profit 1t your expense.
Nor 10 this all. Seven.eighths Of the iun-
Der which comes INTO market in the eastern
states comes from Canada. Our eastern for
ests are greatly denudet; orr western piner-
les do not even supply the western demand.
| OF the immense quantity of Canadian lumber
| which now comes here, part is consumed In
the building of cheap houses for mechanics,
| farmers, clerks, &C., part is manufactured
| here for export to all parts OF the world
| This last gives work to great number OF
skiIlful American workmen. it gives a com
Portable support to their families, it enables
| them to educate their children to be intelli-
| gent and useful citizens.
But on the Doth of next March all this will
| disappear. Already this vast industry feels
the palsying hand of death the relentless
grin of the protectionist is upon it; in few
weeks it will cease to be. For, with thirty
per cent. duty upon Canadian lumber, and
| thirty per cent. profit added on American,
the foreigners who have hitherto drawn upon
us for ali kinds of finished" lumber must
90 to Canada. Already our merchants en-
gagged in this business have received notice
that hereafter this trade will be earned or
with Canada direct. 1--WE can afford to pay
higher wages to Canadian mechanics, rather
than pay the enormous tariff dues your gov
eminent imposes" write their foreign CORES
pondents.
Thus with one act congress deals a blow q
the Independence of American worklngmen
and ssps the prosperity of one of our mos
useful branches of industry! And for what
Is production cheapened lie consumption
increased -? Is the general welfare benefit
ted? On the contrary every interest IL In
iured-except that of the owners of the piuer
les. of whom the Detroit board of trade, las
year, said in an official report:
ut is we'll known that the pireries OF tn
, great west are being rapidly taken up b.
large capitalists, and thar, in a few years
monopolists will hold the most of these lands
This result will leaye the consumer at tn
mercy OF these great lsndholders, who woul
then control the price of Der, and hold
, st such a rate as would greatly re.ard tn
building and i'm proving of our cities, town
aud villages, ana weigh heavily on our farm
ing interests. We therefore consider it
fortunate thing for the people of the gree
west that we have the privilege of the Cans
dian lumber market to keep in check the d.
sire of our own dealers in that article to rails
it TO an unreasonable price. Cheap lumbe
{ is commodity of indispensable necessit
with us'
House building for the industrial classes
checked rents, already too high. are mad
. higher, multitude OF our most skillful me
chanics are deprived of employment, and
deadly blow is struck at the independence
American workmen-all to put more none
in the pockets of few great land owners,
few mon of wealth who nionopolize the gres
. pineries of the west. That is what the 1ri
, Jst.e calls protection to American indus
try"