The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-10
Facts for the People.

In 1858, under q moderate tariff, the
prices of mems stout boots was - 40; at the
! present time, under extraysgant tariff,
| the same boots cost SO 50.
| The exports of American manufactured
cotton goods in 1860 under q low tariff,
were four times as great az In 1869.
The export of WOODEN fabrics of American
make has declined, within the last fiscal
year, sixty per cent-amounting in the az
gregate to but $4,000 while Grea,
Britain, under free trade, exported in the
same year $l29, 900 900
The export of boots and shoes, in 1863
was 8 ,329, 900; in 1869 it had declined to
$475,050.
In Massachusetts, nine more persons were
crowded into each one hundred houses than
In 1861.
A gold dollar will buy twice as much in
England or Spain than in the United
States.
a gold dollar will, in London, purchase
one and third yards of tapestry Brussels
Competing; in New York it will buy but tours
sixths of yard. .
One hundred bushels of wheat will buy, in
Liverpool, 700 pounds of blankets IN
New York they will exchange Tor 3oo
pounds $40
In 1899. in the city of New York. 100
bushels of whea, would buy 1883 pounds OF
Gu. nails; in 1869 they will purchase but
: 200 pounds
Before the war, the price of cheap
gaiter boot was but sixty cents now it is
81 o..
Protect me !" is the imploring cry of a
com Portable, well fed, well clad parsonage,
,,l 80 no
for a beggar. protect me!n | own but
ten thousand acres of land IN the world,
1t is my all. 1t is full of coal but the Eng
lishmen and Nova Scotian have got coal,
too, and they offer to sell it cheaper than
the price | want. Shut out this foreign
coal and protect me, an American laborer.'
He looks even less like laborer than q
beggar
"What makes coal SO dear when the
weather Is so dreadful cold? God hell us
poor soulsr comes from between the
ehattering teeth of toll worn, care-worn,
shiverlng woman, as she measures with a
stingy eye, scanty fresh supply of fuel to
her wanting fire. No cry from her to
government for protection. No protection
to her from the greed of the cunning, the
strong, the avaricious. "Work for yourself:
Work or starve: Self help: Every one for
himself: If government gave bread, or
clothes, or fuel to the poor, it would demon
alize them Take better care of the
pennies you earn-lay them up in sum mer
for a wintry dav" Such are the answers
she would get if she asked for protection
if she turned beggar. There is no chance
tor her to put in replication. The voices
of the coal owners are mighty TO drown hers.
If she could be heard, she would say How
can | lay up pennies when the strong arm
of the government takes them from me
day by day. as fast as | earn them, and
hands them over to my richer neigh hora?
On every spool of thread | buy, govern
ment takes from NE penny or two TO pay
over to the Woonsocket Factory Company, so
that they NAV make dear thread and big
dividends On every garment | wear, II
takes pennies and shiIIngs from the where
with to fill the purses of the rich men who
make their cloth and stockings and shawls
and who cannot be content with less than
fifty or one hundred per cent. increase Of
their wealth every year, to pay them tor
making dear clothes for the American
aborer. When l buy stove or a pair OF
scissors, must pay some of my hard earned
pennies to support the wealthy iron maker
of nsylyania. l getno protection to my
labor, and ask none. Let US both alone
me and the manufacturer. As yon leave
me to work my humble way along as best |
can, leave him to do the same. Give him
no part of my esrnin~s, and | am content
with nv little share of this world, goods"
If it demoralizes society for government to
give the poor food and clothes and fuel, is it
not equally demoralizing for government to
give to the rich and the strong? And when
il gives to the rich by taking from the
comforts of the poor, is 1t not demoralizing
society ct both ends?-Detyoit Daily Union.