The Van Buren press., 1870-05-03
prot.ctiv. Tariff and who Pays the Taxes.

SHALL, Nj. e., or Illinois, uciNcicu III
Congress on the Doth Of March last, on
the new Tariff Bill, which is now about
to be adopted by the Government
Mr. Chairman, some fifteen years ago
strange and dreadful malady afillcteaa
portion of this city. 1t struck down some
of the strongest and most powerful III
the land. Science was bafiled. No one
could tell what it was or whence 1t came,
and all attempted remedies utterly iaileo
to perform their office 1t was known as
the " National Hotel disease" lhe VIC
tins felt the grasp Of the monster upon
them, but knew not what 1t was but
the disease was reality nevertheless
The posion was in their veins, but they |
/ knew not whence it came. And day by
day they travelled their hopeless journey
to an inevitable destiny, and for years
they were dropping one by one INTO the
grave from which there was no escape.
Take the strongest man, in the vigor and
health of robust manhood; tap the
! smallest of his veins from which drop
of blood can be taught to flow; conceal
the puncture from him, and day by day,
drop by drop, let this imperceptlole
stream continue to flow, and the strong
man, though unconscious Of the loss,wlll
be exhausted, and if it is not stopped de-
cay and death are inevitable.
$50 it is with the people Of the West.
They have been tapped by the protective
system. A ceasoiess stream hows ever
from their veins, unconsciously to many
of them. They are paying taxes every
day of their lives on every tool they use,
on everything they eat drink or wear.
The farmer starting to his work has
shoe put on his horse with nails taxed
81 per cent, driven by n hammer taxed
| 81 per cent. cuts stick with a knife
/ taxed so per cent. bitches his horse to
plow taxed 30 per cent with chains taxed
81 per cent He returns to his home at
night and lays his wearied limbs on Il
sheet taxed 5S per cent, and covers him
self with blanket that has paid $50 per
cent lie rises in the morning, puts on
his humble flannel shirt taxed so per
cent, his coat taxed 90 per cent, shoes
taxed 35 per cent, and hat taxed 10 per
cent opens family worship by chapter
from his Bible taxed % per cent, and
kneels to his God on an humble carpet
taxed $50 per cent He sits down to his
humble meal from a plate taxed 40 per
cent, with knife and fork 80 per cent. :;
drinks his cup of coffee taxed AZ per cent ,
or tea rs per cent, with sugar 20 per
cent. seasons his food with salt taxed
100 per cent, pepper 291 per cent, or
spice $40 per cent. He looks around up
on his wife and children all taxed in the
same way takes chew of tobacco taxed
100 per cent. or lights a cigar taxed l2O
per cent, and then thanks his stars that
he lives in the forest and best Govern
ment under heaven. If on the Fourth of
July he wants to have the star spangled
banner on real bunting he must pay the
American Bunting Company Of Massa-
chusetts 100 per cent, for this glorious
privilege No wonder, sir, that the west
ern farmer is struggling with poverty, and
conscious Of wrong somewhere, al
though he knows not whence the blow
comes, that is claiming him to life OF
endless toll and reducing his wife and
chidrseyn. 81. to ti as 9sSGlarIYil 81 rIYilr moSoronlsrs.
"The advocates of high tariff have
several favorte dogmas which, though
often proven to be false, they adhere to
with wonderful pertinacity and repeat
with extraordinary volubility. The first
is, We ought to protect our American
industries against the competition of for
eign pauper labor Certainly American
industries should be properly protected
by the Government. But what are Ameri-
can industries Arc not navigation, and
ship building, and farming, and railroad
building, and the labor Of the thousands
+ Of poor sewing women, the carpenters,
the blacksmiths, and other mechanical
occupations of our country, arenot these
all American industries : And yet to
put money into the pockets of the man
uiacturers you have by your high tariff
taxed our commerce from the seas, de
stroyed our shlp.building interests, put
burden of from three to five thousand
dollars per mile upon every railroad en-
terprise in the land and are robbing the
; fan mers, mechanics, and laborers Of the
country Of one-hall of their substance
and their earnings by enhancing the price
of every tool or machine they use, every
thing that they are compelled to purchase.
d" say, too, that we should protect
American industry Protect it from the
cruel greed of hcartless, grasping CAPT
tai protect it from spolatiod, protect it
by just and equal laws end by striking
Off every tax not absolutely necessary to
an economical and honest administia iation
of the Government"