Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-05-28
Protection W. Free Trade.

Protection W. Free Trade.
The subject before Congress at the
present time, which interests all the people
Of the United States, says the Montana
Gazette, but much more particularly the
people Of the West, is the question whether
the taxes of the government shall be col
lected 90 a. to raise the price of home
manufacture, or whether free competition
shall be allowed between our own and
foreign manufacturers. The New England
States under the Morrill, tariff have for
years been paid millions of dollars by the
people of the West that was not only need.
less but was wrung from them as a tax We
suppose for the superabundance of morali-
ity, honest and religion they pretend to
furnish for the benefit of the Union. Not
satisfied with even that, we now End, that
stung to madness by the report Of Mr..
Wells, and feeling, Sumner like, that they
can include the autocrats and aristocrats
Of the Union, they even have the consum.
mate impudcncc Git would he called so
anywhere but in New England) to ask for
further extension OF their hitherto al.
most uubcarable privileges. But at last
the West has begun to wake from the mes
merle sleep that has for the last eight
years overpowered her, and even western
Republicans, humble and whipped slaves
of Sumner and Butler as they are and
have been, arc raising mild and patient
eye to their New England masters, and
asking in humble tone why they are so
doubly taxed, first, to the Government,
and second to the Massachusetts, task mat.
ters.
We arc proud and glad to see that at
least, one Republican paper Chicago
Tribunc) has had nerve enough to throw
off the shacklcs of Sumner, Butler and
Greeley, and take strong aud certain
ground in the cause of free trade.
How can any Western man for an instant
reflect upon the fact that from 40 to 80
per cent. Of the cost Of many Of the arti-
cics lie needs and must use is paid as a
bonus to Eastern capitalists aud manufac-
turers. without remembering that in this,
as in all else. they have been the /" tools Of
the other party" Even in the war, the
West had to do the fighting; the East hid
quietly at home, or else, like Butler,
skulkcd behind some Farragut until all
danger was over, and then, with big blus-
ter and pompous exhibition Of authority,
stole spoons to get even. The West has
been robbed. abused, insultcd-trodden
under fout-and all by an Eastern com.
munity who have nothing but a purse,
proud pomposity to sustain it, and whose
best idea Of talent is the ghoul-like inven-
ton of Harriet Becchcr Stowe.
The feeling now, however is changing.
The people who have blindly rushed on
passing tariff aud tax as called for by the
autocrats-pa.tcd on the back and told
that it was all for the good of the Union
party, and to pay the war dcbt-uow have,
like young puppies, reached the age Of
nine days, Gin their case years. and see
that while with bcnded knees and up.
turned eyes the holy men worshipped the
goddess of Freedom and while every mo.
ment in Congress was taken up by tho Ia
bors of those holy men for the down.
trodden negro, they were iu fact only car
rying out their cutie fish plan of darken.
ing the water around them while they stole
upon their prey.
But convusion in this, as in all mat.
ters must come. Let us hope that the
poisoned chalice which New England has
presented to the West may not be forced
back to her own lips. The West now
should control the Union. As soon as
true patriotism shall arise from the dark
abyss of the last four years--as no doubt
she will-then God help those who have
abused her. As it is at present in the
United States, about 80, 900, 900 of people
are working for and paying tribute to
100000. How long can such = state Of
things last? One of two things must
come-either fair play, free trade and
equal rights for the West, or the govern
ment Of the patrician families Of the East
supreme and universal.