Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-04-12
Free Tea and Coffee-A candid ad-
MISSION of the Trick.

The Philadelphia Pres, the organ OF the
PENNSYLVANIA Protectionists, under the heading,
q How the Free Traders have been circumVen-
ted," says:
"A debt of gratitude is due from the whole
nation 10 Judge Mercur, of Pennsylvania, for
Ills rnaster-strOke Of strategy against tue free
Traders in the House Of Representatives. by
securing the passage at critical tlnee 0f a hl,I
repeating the duties on tea and coffee, which
are not needed, either for revenue or protection,
he and the faithful friends Of American indus
tries who cooperated with him have saved the
country from possible calamity.
hThe tea and coffee bill leds diversion Which
/, EkeIy 10 BE- snccessfM. The only free-trade
soDhistries which took at all with the people
were those which attempted To prove the larh to
be A burdensome tax upon consumers. Asser-
lions upon this Joint were readily believed by
many, who cantrasted present prices with thhse
that prevailed before the war, sni forgot TO lake
into the account the effect OF an Inflated ana ir-
Nedeemable cuWeney, and of the onerous inter
nal taxes which the extraordinary expenses of
tbe war necessitated, and which have been con-
tinued SO long mainly through the influence OF
free traders that they might have better reast n
70 ask q reduction of the tariff.
"Thus the people aud not few ot thelr rep
reseutatives followed the crooked logic OF these
Industrial iconoclasts ouly far enough to become
convinced that they were grevously overtaxed
BY the tariff, and to make demonstrations 10
some quarters in favor OF reduction OF the
duties. They cared little or nothing what kind
M duties. whether customs or internal protec-
hTe on revenue were removed, so long as taxa
Hna,sbOuld be lighlened, and the income Of the
Government be cut down to lis present neeessl-
tiss.
Thus many Representatives and Senators
,xha were conhdentialIy counted on eY the tres
trnders have fallen into tie protecton'st trap, ana
,tcI 10 rsDedi s!e duties on tea and coffee, thereby
oommitting themselves in favor OF s'rlklng on
twenty mitli1ns Of taxation when nave oorhe
npouall ciasses of the population, Hno'ant %
he fact that tie passage of this measure, Whns
n neither hurt American industries nor heipeu
foreign manufactured would prevent tue l'ee,
trade attorneys and lobbyists from securing
such reductions as would laVor l,h'hense .oIelgu
interests at tho expense NOT ohly o' Hine' % IcAr S
yerkingmen and manniaelursIsi ou' ., ,I'e a.
mars, wo0l-growersi Transporting
and. In shot Of every Drahch VI NIla NuG"' ~
which Is improved by the general prosperity "
The county,"
Fhe "proLeeiionist trap" was "a iree tea anu
eesse to pre- veas any change in the ou''ag'o"sy
discriminating tariff by which the people were
burdenei to build up and enrigl few powerful
suecial industries and many Representatives
and Senators Who have f,llt n into tue trap are
pnw taunted With their "ignoran9e.' Ana ys'
some p.,,sic Journals which pretend to advocate
" free trade" are so in,xcusably stupid or ins'n
cere as to pret nd that the r'p'al Of tea and eoi
fee duties was a tsiamph Of reF'Aue reform, and
a blow at the prOte;li9 Its