Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-05-24

ana all other charges, for SLIGO pei
barrel, thus showing that they not
only need no protection against com
petition from that quarter or any
other, but that they can underse
Canadian salt manufacturers in thcil
own market. The Onondaga Com
pany, on capital of only Sl60 900
have been enabled, under the present
tariff, to reap dividends amounting ia
many millions. A more outrageous
instance of plundering the masses OF
the people for the benefit of few in.
dividuals, is not to be found in the
legislative history of any country.
Gen. Brinkerhof then proceeded TO
show how the existing tariff discrini.
mated against the poorer classes
Woolen cloths, carpets, blankets,
shawls, &C., &c, were cited as exam.
Piles, in all OF which the coarser arli.
cles used by the poor are taxed much
higher than those Of finer aud more
costly material.
One striking feature of our present
tariff, he said, was the great number
OF articles upon which duties were
levied The list numbered over 4, ,00O
presenting u striking contrast to the
tariff of Great Britain, which raises an
annual revenue of 100000, 900 in gold
from fourteen articles alone. In refer.
ence TO our own tariff he stated that
one half of our revenue was derived
from ten articles that three quarters
or Sl40,000,000, came from thirteen
articles that this latter amount with
such internal taxes as should be re.
tanned, would be amply sufficient to
meet all the Legitimate wants of the
government and leave surplus of
s25, ,OOO, 900 year to be applied TO
the principal of the national debt
that the duties should be retained on
these articles, alone, viz: tea, coffee.
sugar, molasses, spices, fruits, wines,
spirits, tobacco, glass, silk, linen, tin,
furs, gloves Of skin, nuts, sardincs,
chocolate, opium and liquorice, and
abolished on all else. He argued that
the tax should be retained on tea,
coffee and sugar, because every dollar
of II goos into the treasury. From
these three articles alone the revenue
is So, 100000 year, and yet the ex
pensc to each individual consumer
does not exceed $3.50 yearly. A man
pays that much tax on every pair Of
boots that he buys; and on suit Of
clothes he pays us much tax as a
family of half a dozen persons would
pay on their tea, coffee, sugar and
molasses for whole year
Referring TO the rapid decline in
our commercial marine, Gen Brinker.
hoff said that since the present tariff
went into operation, our shipping has
decreased at the rate of half a million
of tons yearly. or the l25 great
steamships that traverscd the Atlantic,
not one carried he american fdgNi-I
In 1860 there were employed in the
New York ship yards 10000 skilled
mechanics and 1000 apprentices. -
Now the number docs not exceed 500.
To expose the fallacy of the "homc
market argument of the protection
lists, he showed that the great pro.
teetcd industries of the country-iron,
cotton and wooden manufacturcs-
gives employment to only 100000
persons, including women and chill
drcn. He said if each of these per.
sons were man and consumed an
average Of $3.50 agricultural products
a year, the aggregate consumed by
them all would not equal 1 per cent,
Of the aggregate agricultural produc
tons of the country. And were they
all swept out ofoxistence the effect on
the price Of wheat would not be visi.
bic. Nearly the entire work Of the
great manufacturing establishments
connected with these industries is per.
formed by machinery, and to talk of
drawing TO them, through the agency
of the tariff laws, sufficient number
of operatives to consume our surplus
agricultural products is the climax Of
absurdity! The present protective
tariff has been in operation ten years,
and VIC are no nearer "homc mar.
kct' now than at the commencement.
While, therefore, the tariff does not,
and cannot, in the very nature Of
things, benefit the agriculturalisr by
increasing the price Of his products,
il works him great injury by increas.
ing the cost Of production and the cost
OF transporting his commodities to
market Tho cost of railroad con.
sluction is increased to the extent of
$1,000 per mile by the duties upon
railroad iron alone. This increased
cost Of construction is made up to rail
road companies in increased rates for
passenger firo and freights. Hence,
the effect Of the tariff is to compel the
farmer to pay more for everything
that hv buys, aud receive less fOr
everything no sells To him "pro
lection" is two.cdgcd sword that
cuts both ways. lie is first taxed to
"protoct' the manufacturing interests
against the f'paupcr labor Of Europe"
aud he is then left TO compete with
that same "pauper' labor on the "pau-
pers' own ground. Yet IN inc iace
Of all these facts, so apparent to the
common sense Of every man, there
are thousands of farmers who sing
hosannas 10 "protection,' and swear
10y Horace Grcoly as its prophet
There arc other points in the excel
lent lecture of Gen. Brinkerho1 which
are well worthy Of notice, but want
Of space compels us to forcgo further
comment - Keokuk (IoiOd) CoHstitu.
ton.
A good story is told ola man who
went for the first time to bowling
alley, and kept firing away at the
pins TO the imminent peril of the boy,
who. so far from having ANYTHING TO