Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-28
TARIFF RESULTS.

p.ices to the moon. Rents, fuel,
clothing, everything which the poor
man needs to keep him from the
cold, are more than doubled in
price, whilst the average increase in
the price of labor, according to Mr.
Wells report, has been only So per
cent. Every tool the mechanic uses,
from a jack knife to steam engine,
is doubled in price. Every imple-
ment of the farmer, from rake to a
reaper, is the same way.
DEATH TO THE FARMER.
Cur agricultural interests are the
great foundation of all our prosper
ity. When they suffer, all suffer-
The protectionists have always
claimed that high tariff would ben
eft the farmer. Our tariff has GER
tainly been high enough in all con-
science, and yet wheat to-day is sell
ing for less money than for twenty
ears before, and in many parts of
the West focks of fine wooled
sheep are being slaughtered to fat
ten hogs.
Under cur present tariff our ship
1ents Of wheat to England show a
falling off of So per cent.
If we won't trade with country
they won't trade with us. Com
merce is simply an exchange of
products.
1t is true that our imports for the
past few years have been very large,
but we have paid for them mainly
in U. S. Bonds, and we are pretty
near to the end Of that string now.
OUR Stripping INTERESTS.
Ten years ago we stood at the
head Of the mercantile marines Of
the world, and now already rank
only as foErth-rate power. I'm
der this tariff we have gone down
steadily at the average rate of 5OO,-
600 tons per annun, and to day two
thirds of the frieights of our own
commerce are paid to foreign ship
owners, and it costs twice as much
to build ship in New York as it
does uI on the Clyde. The protec
tionists claim the Alabama as the
cause of all this, but the fact is the
Alabama went to the bottom of the
sea five years ago, and yet since that
time our shipping has declined more
rapidly than before. ..
TINE FOR ACTION.
Is it not time for the people to
wake up to THE subject and wipe
OF this tariff iniquity which is max
ing few men vastly rich at the ex
pense of the toiling millions Of this
country? Here, in the West, out
s.de of the pig iron interests almost
every industry that can be named
would be benefited by free trade
Here, in Upper Sandusky would it
not be benefit if you could furnish
houses and clothing and furniture
and farming implements at one-half
their present prices? Would not
the demand then be doubled for all
these things? TO supply this in.
creased demand would it not require
double the amount oflabor and dou
BILE the number of manufacturing es-
tablishments
ABUNDANCE A BLESSING.
What we want is abundance, and
not scarcity. The very life Of pro-
lection is artificial scarcity, and a
Chinese wall their very highest type
of legislation Frotectionists
among the Jews, when God sent
mana freely in the wilderness, would
have grumbled at Moses because he
did not intercede to protect the
home industry of the Jewish bakers.
A REVENUE TARIFF.
But, inquiries the protectionist t,
how are we to raise cur revenue
Simply by placing it mainly upon
articles which we do not produce at
home. Then the tax all goes to the
government and not to monopolies.
The greater part Of ouI revenue
comes from such articles already.
Three-fourths of our tariff receipts
last year came from thirteen classi-
fed articles. This year Mr.. Wells
estimates our customs revenue at
$3.50, 100000 as follows: From ar
ticles of necessity, such as lumber,
iron, tin, clothing, coal, salt, leather
and the like, $43, 100000. From
articles of luxury and comfort, such
as liquors, wines, spices, foreign
fruits and nuts, teas, coffee, tobacco
and snuff, sugar, molasses and the
like, 100000. From articles
Esuch as silks, linen cotton and wool
goods, &C., S54,500,0O0. From
U lenum ,rated articles, $7O0.OOO.-
From forfeitures. fines, &c, $5, 800,
900. Now our su plus revenue,
from all sources for the current
year, is estimated at $12O,OO0,O00
It will, therefore, be seen that We
could at once strike off all the taxes
upon articles Of necessity, and then
have $77,OOO,OO0 to apply on the
national debt. The General thought
however, that the amount is more
than we ought to pay, and he woul'
take $30,00O,0OO Of it and strike of
the most obnoxious of the interna
revenue taxes, which would leave
those upon incomes, liquors, tobac
, co and few stamp duties. We cal
do this and still have $50.000,00O to
t pay on the National debt. The du-
ties upon tea, coffee, sugar and pep
per yields a revenue of nearly $50,
100000 and yet it falls SO lightly
upon the consumers that it costs
each person only four cents pei
{ week. AS the matter now stands