The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-21
FREE TRADE vs.. A PROTECTIVE TARIFF.

FREE TRADE vs.. A PROTECTIVE TARIFF
Ii is often Il matter of surprise to men who
advocate the protective tariff system, that in
terest on money should be SO high or in
other words, that money should be so hard to
get at reasonable rate of interest II, as
they say, the protective tariff builds up the
country and adds to It's material prosperity,
certainly money should be plentier here than
| in any other country. Many hard working
| farmer and industrious mechanic has striven
all his days to accumulate a competence and
place his family in comfortable circumstan-
ces, and finally died in the traces, poor
man, because OF the high rate Of interest he
has paid and the low value OF his labor.
Other men about him, with fewer brains and
far less industry, have succeeded beyond cN-
pcCtation in some other business. III IS well
understood that the legitimate profits OF farm
ing in this country aside from the rise in
value of landD will not allow the farmer to
pay more than 4 to 6pcr cent for money
and the capital invested in farm land, nipple
ments, stock, buildings, etc, will not on the
average net per cent per annum, after pay
ing taxes, etc. The reason is this: The pro
tective tariff enables capitalists 10 accumulate
vast sums of money, with which they form
pool - and control the nation the most of for.
eign capital coming into this country is held
by these men, who pay higher interest than
the foreign capitalist can expect to make by
engaging in any individual enterprise or if
he does engage in business by himself and on
his own capital, they combine TO break him
down and drive him out; these wealthy capt.
talists are the ones that are mainly interested
in railroads, owning a controlling share OF
the stock in all the principal roads through
out the union; they combine to eXtort high
freghts from the producer and consumer, in
order to reap large annual dividends upon
the stock they hold; the farmer especially
thus becomes the victim from whose toll this
profit must come, for while he raises grain
that must be controlled by the price of grain
in Liverpool (there is no protection in Eng |
and) and other foreign markets, minus the
cost Of transportation, yet he is at the mercy
Of the monopolst manufacturer, who makes !
his goods under 4 direct government protec.
ion, and sells them at his own price, plus !
he freight when they reach the farmer.
Here then is the cause of high interest in
nutshell: The monstrous profits made by |
and the consequent high rate
If interest for money they are willing to
,Gy.
II is seen time and again. when prices are
If goods until rise takes place, but who
yer heard of farmer stopping the production
If grain when the price Of II was low? Very /
many have made great ado because farmers
burned grain instead of fuel, where the latter
cost more than the former, The present state
If society is fast drifting toward anarchy and
lcspotism, if the people do not wake up and
freak the fctters that are being fastened upon
hem. There is one blessed thing that has
cted as a balance wheel upon the avarice OF
capitalists, and probably will always do so; ,
is this; Wealth or capital very seldom
tags in the same family more than two gen.
ratiOns, and from this constant shifting, it is
lways divided up, and thus the masses of
he people are kept more upon an equal foot
ng. Were the capitalists of this country I'M
protected, there would be no danger what
lvcr to general society and the government,
because of this wise law of Natures God Il
Jut when men can make hundreds of thou
ands and even millions of dollars in single {
lifetime in one line of business, while not the I
me hundredth part of this amount can be z
made in another 1t shows q very unequal :
balance in the condition of political society. Il
believe that il il intended to be a law of
ature, that all branches of industry should !
c equally remuncrative, and capital (money)
invested in property, should be worth just as
much in one place as another.
We can reach no other conclusion, save
hat the immense profits made by capitalists
It the expense of farmers, mechanics and the
masses of the people in general, is the worst
possible form of usury and in the sight of
,ur Just Ruler, must be rs bad if not worse
han outright robbery. B. {