The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-26

Mr.. HAwLEY voted 10 reduce the tax tea
| and cofee.-Union.
Yed-and it was done in the hope of catch
ing the votes of tea and coffee drinkers
but Mr.. Hawley and his high tariff party
also in the same act voted that the redue.
ton should not take place till January 1871,
and before that day arrives the elections
will be over and they can then reconsid.
er the act.
| But Mr.. Hawley's vote for reduction was
not in the interest of his constituents. If
he wished to relieve them he should have
vo.ed to reduce the tariff on clothing, such
as hats. caps, boots and shoes. blankets,
alpaca, spool thread, cotton and wooden
goods, salt, etc He would then have
relieved the people of heavy burden. But
this he dare not do, for that would offend
bis eastern monopoly friends.
The true rule for a tariff is to put low re-
venue duty on such articles as We neither
grow nor manufacture, and such as go
iato general use, for by that course every
body is made to pay little something toward
the support of government, and no monopo
lists are made rich at the expense Of the
mass of the people. Tea and coffee are
Injuries, and people can do without them
But blankets and clothes and salt they can
not do without. A very light duty on tea
and coffee does not protect and build up q
gigantic monopoly and center capital in the
4 IL i i
salt, etc., compels the mass Of the people to
contribute to the wealth of the few.
This subject is one of great interest," not
only TO men and women, but TO boys and
girls. Look, for instance, at the thousands
of boys and girls in the land who are under
the necessity of earning their own living,
and see how they are kept poor by high
tariffs on their clothes. Thousands of boys
and girls, from II to 20 years old, are
working az lsborers, hired help. ap
prentices, clerks, etc., and are obliged
TO clothe themselves out of these wages.
| They are anxious to appear well in th>
the world, and their steady and industrious
habits, their good standing in society depend
much upon their personal appearance, their
dress. How is it possible, then, that any
boy or girl, any apprentice, clerk, or hired
help can support Mr.. Hawley in his tariff
theories? The course he pursues compels
them to forego the pleasure and comfort OF
nice warm clothes, and actually turns the
largest portion of their hard earnings over
to the protected mopopoles. Let them
| think whenever they want any new article OF
clothing, or nice pair Of blankets, that
| fully Que third of the money they pay ls
rojbed from them By this high tariff, and
but for that they could have many more and
better clothes than they now can.
And if this subject comes home to the
boys and the girls, how much more does i,
to the heads Of families. Let
our readers refer TO the letter
of Hon. James Brooks, member of congress
from New York published in the WEEKLY
ARGUS of the 18th inst, and they will there
find this matter argued in detail. In brief
it is this: A family OF six persons VIII
consume annually 80 lbs sugar, six of coffee
and one of tes, per head, and according to
Hawley vote, if the trader shall reduce his
price as the tariff is 10 be reduced alter
January LIST, 1871. the saving would be as
| follows:
On sugar 30 lbs per head, $50 lbs, 3c......Sl IS
On te~, ID per head, lbs. lac......--...... 8"
On coffee, 6 los per head, sc lbs, 2c...-...... ~