Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-23

Citations with democrats we presume, and
being military mau and understanding
the value and necessity of discipline, we
have no doubt that he viii drop his British
tariff and other documents when the re-
publican Presidential nomination is an
nounced, shake off the dust of his feet
against his democratic friends, and support
it even though the candidate be a Penn
sylvanian, which neither he nor we sup
pose ID will be. t5t.l
~ But what of his argument? We think
his audience had right to candid treat
ment; to a fair representation of the tariff
and those who uphold it. Instead Of this
they got little truth with great deal of
clap-trap. There is no doubt that in some
respects the tariff should be changed. On
coal and salt, upon which the revenue re-
formers spend the most of their thunder,
the tariff should be reduced, but it so hap
pens that the protectionists themselves
have already declared in favor of such u
step. Had Mr. Brinkerhoff told this he
would have had no speech to make. Or
had - informed them how he could have
free trade while taxing the people heavily
to pay the national debt it would have been
worth listening to. Free trade and heavy
taxation are difficult to reconcile. Tax
the products of our own people to pay the
debt and let in the untaxcd products, lum-
Der, coal, manufactures of other countries
to compete for our markets, and not only
would our shipyards 60 to the Clyde but
famine and bankruptcy would spread over
the land. With heavy debt we must
have heavy taxation of and with heavy tax
alton free trade is an impossibility.
But letting this difficulty in the free trade
programme go, let us see about the equal
ization of taxation so that everything shall
go for revenue and nothing to protect home
industry The application of that principle
has been made in this city of Augusta. in
the; State of Massachusetts,, in all the New
England States The free trader would
have said to our people in 1867, when the
question was pending about this city aid
ing in the purchase of property for the
Spragues, ''you have no right to tax for
anything but the current expenses OF the
town, it is wrong to tax me, or place an
incumbrance upon my property, in order
to give the Spragues S250,00O to put into
their already plethoric purses 1t IS wrong
to exempt their property from taxation
and tax me for every dollar Ihave. There
is no equality about this 1t is nothing
but 'legalized robbery" This was the
argument in substance of Mr.. Brinkerhoff.
Now what are the facts about this scheme
to protect home industry, this "legalized
robbery" of our citizens. Why it has
opened up a means of prosperity to the
city worth millions Of dollars, made no
man poorer, increased the value of prop
erty, and is recognized even by those who
opposed it on free trade principles as a
realization Of success for the protective
principle that no antagonistic theory can
withstand. The application of this prin-
ciple on a broader scale has built up the
manufactures and railroads of the coun-
try, made markets for the farmer nearer
his crop, and increased the value of his
land. 1t was recommended as feature
of our tariff by President Jackson, and is
endorsed by President Grant in his late
Message. 1t may be misapplied, probably
has been in some cases, but its general
utility is one long acknowledged by the
government as essential to our national
prosperity
In holding up the free trade countries Of
Europe for models Mr.. Brinkerhoff was
careful not to make a comparison between
their poorer classes and those of our own
country, except to ridicule the idea Of
our laborers being brought in competition
with theirs. The condition of the mass Of
the people is the best test in the case.
The wages of common laborers and me-
chanics here are from 80, to $24 per week,
their children are educated in all the COM
mon branches of learning, they live COM
fortably and with prudence can have many
of the luxuries of life and accumulate
property. Our President was tanner and
many of our senators and members of
Congress are mechanics. The voice OF
the working people is absolutely the gov
eminent. Turning to the other side OF the
picture we find that England, whose tariff
is held up for our admiration, has work
ing population that is in state but little
better than slavery. In Germany the
wages of common field laborer is about
1924 a year with board women get SIG. In
Prussia the assessors and tax gatherers go
from house to house and assess and collect
taxes monthly, and wo to the man who
objects to the assessment or fails to pay
the tax. In Switzerland from ten to twen-
ty per cent of the population are paupers
says DR.. Bellows. The almshouse is the
only hope OF the most of the aged. Italy
is land of beggars. In Belgium the