The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-04
qatlp ARGUS.
Friday Evening, February 4, 1870.
- .-ssl|l4l.--.
PROTECTION.

BIZ A. sHoRrrELlow
Respectfully Dedicated to II. @.
The shades of night were falling fast,
As though the lobby door there passed
man who bore in either hand
paper with the strange demand,
Protection
His coat was white his hat was old,
HIS trousers hung in ample fold;
Aud from his boots, with mourniui creak,
There seemed to come the well known squeak,
Protection!
In fancy's dream he thought he saw
His model tariff bill-a law;
When al h,uld sell, and none must buy,
tear stole gently to his eye,
Protection!
''Try not the House, bland Potter said,
1.-The tariff men good as dead -
" lis British gold !" he fiereey cried,
And then he turned away and sighed,
Protection
beware of Garfield, Brooks and Wells,
The stunning facts their story tells %
This was old Morreips last good night;
Some one exclaimed. though out of sight,
Protection
stay not, said Kelley, as he passed.
My Tenth Amendm .nt's lost al last
The Jig is up we re fairly sold ="
A voice replied, BY British gold 20
Protection!
Al break of day the winters
A form outstretching on Willard floor,
Still bearing, pinned upon his vest
Those papers with the strange request,
There. mid the swcepings of the day,
sereuely bssutiful he lay;
And through the air in accents thick,
A voice came like a falling brick,
PROTECTION!
To Whist? To Massachusetts mill owners
and Pennsy ldsnia iron makers?
What right has Congress to force West
dollar to the government to pay, also, tax
OF seven dollars TO q Pennsylvania iron
master whom he neither knows nor cares
for =?
What right has it to compel a Rock Island
mechanic, when he buys an overcoat, to pay
Massachusetts mill owner a tax of four
dollars on it?
What right has government to take GER
tain classes under its protecting ard foster
ing care, make special tsvorites Of them,
and compel its other citizens to pay tribute
TO them as well as to itself?
But this is loyalty and noue but traitors
complain
Pile on the taxes, the people are used TO II,
and if any Of them dare say word, choke
them down with the cry of treason
Bat these things encourage Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania, and what if they do dis
courage the western farmer
What right has the government TO levy
taxes for the support of Fennsy lvanis Goa
mine owner, or Massachusetts chalk quar-.
ry proprietor?
What authority has government TO op
press and discourage one of its citizens
that another may grow rich? Such q
power is prerogative OF Imperialism. An
imperial government, which is avowedly
founded on distinctions, may foster and de-
velop fsvorite classes and persons But a
free state, which exists for the bensfit Of the
whole people, may not. It's very nature
torbids it. 1t cannot make salt boiling,
iron making, and leather tanning and cur
-ving imperial csllinrs, and farming and
carpentry and shoemaAing mere taxable
vacations. Il cannot make the accidental
owner Of Massachusetts chalk quarry and
the proprietor of q Massachusetts lasting
factory princes Of the realm, to be support
ed by ten million persons who use chalk snc
wear lasting shoes.
The Federal Constitution forbids this, both
b. its general spirit of equity and by the
absence of any specific permission to do it
1t gives Congress authority TO levy taxes fol-
the support Of certain persons, classes anc
vocations.
Il il the duty Of citizens TO support theil
government; it IS not the duty, nor IS It
right, Of the government TO support its citi
zens. That is right and duty belonging
to the citizens themselves.
Do these things need further comment
do you not all know the truth of them?
Yes. Well then, when next fall comes
are You ready to vote as your honest convio
tons dictate, or will your voice still be for
q continuance of the evils you so plainly see
now