The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-09-03
Hon. Is. C. Cook and the Tariff:

Hon. d. G. Cook and the Tariff:
| 3essrs. Editors Il assume to address your
readers, not a. one having authority, but as one
among them equally interested with themselves
| in public and political questions. am not sat-
| is6ed with the action of the recent county Re-
publican convention, and I know that large
numbers of the original and active Republicans
of this county and the sixth congressional dis
trict are not.
The old distinctive issues between the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties have been finally
and forever, it is hoped, settled by the adoption
of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to
the United States Constitution, and the people
of the whole country, with few unimportant
local exceptions, acquiesce in the settlement
The question comes up then, Why should
party organizations be kept alive when party
| issues have been disposed of? Why keep
the scafolding standing after tho house has been
! finished?
Is there no new job to be done? AT any rate
| the scaffold mars the beauty Of the house. and
therefore ought to !be destroyed. 1t has accom-.
plished its end, and now only serves the purpose
| of burglars and thieves.
There is new job to be done. We must re.
form and remodel our entire revenue system, so
that the burdens of tax alton shall be taken from
the shoulders of all classes to large extent but
especially 80 distributed that capital shall bear
its equal share, and labor shall not be robbed, as
| it is at present.
This is "big job" Capital is now in power,
and it has unlimited resource of influences, but
one element Of power it has mott has not cotes,
and cannot get them, if the people will unite and
stand by each other! Let the old Republican
scaffoding tumble if need be, but let not the all
important new issues be postponed or neglected
for any considerations of party whatever
What is called "Protective Tariff" is only
fine name for robbery-for robbing one class
the laboring class-for the benefit Of another
class-the capitalists.
Mr.. Cook says, Eyes, to be sure, protection is
robbery. but We have national debt to pay, and
l am for revenue tariff" Precisely what do
you mean, Mr.. Cook, by a revenue TARIFF Is
your vote for Schenck's protective tariff bill to
be taken as your answer to this question That
bill taxes everything the poor man puts into his
mouth, or on to his body. Mr.. Cook tried, as he
Gays. to get fence boards and salt put on the free
list. The laboring millions of this country can.
not eat fence boards nor much salt, and they
cannot clothe themselves and families with
either. Why did not Mr.. Cook try to get tea
sugar, coffee, leather iron, steel, cotton and
wooden cloth and all articles of prime necessity
on the free list Mr.. c., in effect, replies: 20,
because We must have revenue to pay the n..
tionsl debt" 1t is precisely here that we take
issue with Mr. Cook, and insist that imported
articles of luxury upon which wealth squanders
untold millions, shall pay this revenue. Why
fitch from the hard earnings of the toiling poor
revenue on the food they eat and the clothes
they wesr3 Why tax every implement and tool
they use. from spade to steam engine, by a
revenue ON iron and steel?
The truth is very apparent Mr.. Cook il alto.
gether too much Of tariff man. He holds the
promise to the of his constituents, but breaks
it to their hope. The Pennsylvania iron manu-.
facturers by some means get his vote and we
lose 1t. OF course Mr.. Cooks consideration.
convictions are with them, and being IN their
favor, the people Of the sixth congressional dis.
trict cannot safely trust him 10 look after their
interests in Congress- He wants to protect iron
and cotton mills. He has heart full of sym.
pathy for the bloated bondholder, but no bowels
OF compassion for tho stomachs and backs of his
constituents.
Another big job to be done is to protect and
preserve what remains of the public lands for
the use Of actual settlers. 1t would be as sensi.
BILE to act fox to guard hen-coop as to rely
upon Cook to guard the public lands against the
Svarice Of the railroad companies. During Mr.
C.s three terms in Congress-, probably more than
thousand millions of acres of public lands have
been given away. and mostly to railroad com.
panies. Did Mr.. Cook ever cast vote or make
aspoech against any Of these laud steals? Ifhe
did, the writer has never heard it. Congress
first guve the Union Pacific Railroad Co. and the
Kansas Pacific Railroad Company money enough
per mile to build these roads, and in addition to
furnishing the funds to build the roads, gave
every alternate section of land for ten miles in
width on each side OF the roads, with the ex.
press condition that the government should re.
tain first lien upon the roads for the payment
OF tho money aud interest. During Mr. Cooks
terms, Congress has added to this magnificent
gilt aud loan ten miles ia width Of alternate sec.
lions OF land, aad released he first lien of tie goc.
eminent upon tie r0d,is, and authorised the rail.