The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-05-04
TcoNcLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE. |

Mexico conduct theirs.
Mr.. Wells then referred TO the eXtraOr.
binary improvements made in the manu-
facture of boots and shoes by the intro
duction of improved machinery, enabling
a man to produce twenty pairs where ne
formerly produced one; yet notwith
standing this, boots and shoes were thirty
per cent. higher than in 1860. Some
agency, therefore, has come in since 1861
that has swept away all the advantages
of that machinery, at the same time add
ing some thirty per cent to the cost OF
those indispensable articles.
In contrast with this, in the manu-
facture of iron ships on the Clyde, while
wages had increased since 1868 and 1864
at least fifteen per cent yet the cost OF
ships had materially diminished, owing
to the adoption of improved machinery
and the exerciseof greater skill. In Great
Britain wages have increased and The
purchasing power of wages has increased,
and consumption has increased, while our
exports and our cost nf production have
proportionately Increased.
Mr. Mundella. member If Parliament.
who RI Gently visited this country, AMI
who is the largest hose manufacturer in
cost of the paper boxes used to pack
dozen pair Of hose by our manufacturers,
was equal to the entire profit which the
British manufacturer expected to make,
although our boxes were made by i'm
proved machinery. of which they knew
nothing. When Mr.. Mundella was pass
ing through manufactures here, and was
recognized by some of his own former
workmen, they asked that he would take
them back, giving as reason that taking
the purchasing power of the wages re
ce1ved here into consideration, it was no
advantage to live in the United States.
Mr. Wells described the feelings of
pride with which he viewed the magnfi-
cent old Fulton, of the New York and
Havre Steam Line, DEPART from her D,er
in tho North river, in the spring of 1869
an American vessel, bearing rne Amer
can flag across tho ocean-and then stated
thai year ago he saw that same noble
vessel, ut the docks in New York, in
the course of being demolished It. was
not worn out, and few thousand dollArs
would have put her In complete repair
1t had been taken for debt, and though
offered for sale at $4,000 (having origin.
ally cost 5000, 10000, no purchaser could be
found, and was beng broken up for the
old material Within half mile of that
yard twenty thousand workmen were II
few years ago EN- ployed in building ocean
steamers and making marine engines
Out OF all these works there was but one
left, and chat employed but about seven
hundred hands
What is it that has wrought this change
L.. -,
of production, swept our commerce from
the ocean, decreased the purchasing pow
er Of wages with increased production .
There are three thing which can b. men
toned as he cause Of all this First .tht
debt; second the interest Of the deb /;
and third, the increased expenses and the
currency.
But there is no mystery about this
thing, land no occasion to deceive oursel YES
III relation to it. We can put our finger
on the secret and declare what it is. 1t
is not debt it is not taxation, it is not the
increase of our government expenditure
1t il not one and all of these that has
done the mischief; and apart from the
currency. 1t is the method of taxation ;
the method which takes from the people
hundreds of millions of dollars more than
the treasury ever receives or needs, ard
which blights the harvest which it caunnt
gather.
When you inquire into the origin Nv
which tlesedefective systems Of taxation
are maintained, it will be found to Or,
ceed from two cause.-the non.compre
henson and incompetence Of those to
whom we have intrusted these Subjects
and to- the greed and pure selfishness oil
money getterS. You will find the present
Secretary of the Treasury saying that he
does not believe that there is any such
thing as . science of political economy
and as you might expect from man &c
educated, he holds the cardinal view thai
maintenance of excessive taxation is thr
best way to promote the interests and W..
fare of the country.
Hon. John Sherman, Chairman of tl.s
Finance Committee, lately told the people
of Dayton that he did not recognize any
difference between tariff for prot eel ion
and tariff for revenue, although he
could not then mention single article in
the tariff on which duties had been lev
led for protection which bad not resulted
in loss to the treasury and in all increased
burden of taxation to the people.
Aud when you come to the Presiden
you find him gravely assuring the peopI,
in recent message, of the advantages IT,
sulting from the employment Of f0rely,
rather than American vessels sch ..n,
that foreign paper declared was simply
idiotic, and was equivalent to throwing
our money into the sea- And as to oul
Congress, it needed to be reminded of A
short speech of Charles the Second, who,
in descantihg on the necessity of main
txining the, royal prerogative said: SHOW,