The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-21
The @ailg atsns,
Pre-, Trade IN the sOuthwssi-

,hs sd;,csshIu.of ri Il. Rhett Jr., ard ~
n TonL;ns regsining the place, which for
- Su. ,.aa-. r hsId hut sir brief period
Ia - ~ the Mend n Journalism In the
Sos,h,wss, declares itself, as might have
49, a,,,S,,IssI ION its own history and
~, 49,, M rs senior editor, openly for
fres trada II says I'VE are for free
trsds hut wemean the thing ! u !
The Jfeav,ass has, moreover, clear
idea OF the shameful character Of the leg
islstion which at the last session Of Con.
,,ress removed the duties from tea and
coffee, though the revenue thence all went
into the United States Treasury, while
retaining those duties undimipished which
foT every dollar paid into the Treasury |
were ltile means whereby mOnopolists
robbed the people ofsS. II says;
'Nonly last winter when tea and coaee were
made free Of duty n order that manufacturers
might be able 70 lay or kesp heavier duties on INC
produce II we mistake not the whole Democratic
party In Congress voted for the BILL This IL sup
porting fres trade with vengeance" -.-r.
The scandalous Legislation which rouses
the disgust Of the PScayhRe deserves to be
recalled frequently to the recollection Of
the people. Iron, hammered and rolled
and railway iron, steel, copper, lead, wool
and wooden fabrics, cotton fabrics, mater
ais for boots and shoes printing paper,
salt, and coal paid 20 the United States
Treasury in lS7O--Tl the sum Of $6s 205,
500 Far larger would have been the
amout of duty had the rate or tariff been
lower but besides these IS millions need,
full TO the Treasury, the monstrous rate OF
duty was the direct means whereby the
monopolists plundered the people Of the
United States of at least 1906, 340, geo
more. Our total revenue exceeded our
needs BY near hundred millions. The
monopolists by log rolling, bribery, and
the stupidity Of congressman abolished
the tea and coffee duties which were all
clean revenue aud retained at their mon
strous rates rates the duties on the articles
which gave 6s millions 10 our Treasury
and 300 millions 10 our plunderers.
The indignation Of the PieayaHe has
abundant warrant, but il is mistaken in
saying that the whole Democratic party in
Congress voted for the bill They did
nothing Of the kind A few uninstructed
or timorous Democrats were seduced into
voting for the bill By the humbug cry OF
free breakfast table" or by their failure
to see that such vote helped monopoly
whilst speciously promising tax relief to
the poor. But we venture 10 believe
that james Brooks has for the last
time given his accession 10 a swindle Ike
that of Congressman Dawes Whom he
helped 10 put tax on emory for the bene
fit of constituent of his in Massachusetts
and for the plumber Of everyuser of emory
in all the United States Mr.. Brooks was
alive when this was written. And we ven
ture 20 believe that Fernando Wood viii new
err again do such injustice 20 his intelligence
as in his vote for the Tea and Coffee dodge
TO keep the hands Of mouopolists in the
pockets and tills Of the people. And so o.
the few other Democrats who that day
Numbered
Now, the Free-trade issue Is at the from
along with all the questions of taxation
currency, and fiscal reform They have
not 10 be brought 20 the front. They are
there already and will not be pat behind
or aside That Is the fundamental fac
which politicians have now to consider On
these issues they must take sides, and live
or die, every Bezonian Of them, accordinl
as they speak for sense or folly, for Ere,
Trade or monopoly, for honest fixed weight
and measures or a fuctuating currency, FOL
cheap and little as possible burdensom,
taxation devised 10 get the needfnl revenuI
only, or swindling tariff like the present
means of Dr;,tata eus;,h Hui '"N'"s 'n'
..Frsc TAD ,s,,H dsh, ~ .ou,,. a. ma
10 be paid BY duiies on impOrtsi This seems yer!
IKE humbug instead Of practical principle.
Which viii propsc revepas sns Free SesT Ty,5 W i
50 vast debt TO be paid a strictly revenue tarii
mus mus De very heavy on imports, and to large e1
tn. n, ''''vu',
,, me T r',l!y; represents some o. IN
unieut 90 sa I, wulcn sun ooDwep TN
T ,a,hs VI L seVg Tsn ST0ngressmeh we know
nus'a .I MAJ rree L,aue yer plenty OF rev
enue' though her 9ept ~ larger than our
pu5 none tne less 90 congressman breathe
ana Iuncton VINO sincerely think the slz
VI our rg Yen re- o9llees US 70 abandon tn
nolv " " ~ ~ isane. 1ney VIII earn incl
ca'ecuishl oe'ier ~ the Time uney want
rehominauon A strictly revenue tarift
- lar Irou Dellg heavy on imports shouh
pe ngnt 10 produce most revenue, and .
idT Uph eAciuulng lmpOrtatlOns shout,