The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-02-25
A FARMER WITH A CLEAR HEAD.
Something for all Farmers to Consider.

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To THE EDITOR OF THE Rock ISLAND
ARGUS. The tillers of the soil are Just
now anxiOusly considering whether they
are to become the permanent ''hewers oil
wood and drawers of water, to the var
ious corporate interests that have Deen
imposed upon them through short-slghted
craftsmanship, or whether there Is yet
hope by peaceful means to throw on the
tyrant that is undermining the very iouh-
dations of the producing interests OF the
country. After careful survey OF the
whole subject, we feel entirely satlsned
that there is but one way out OF the dlfn-
entities that beset this class, aud that Is by
making their interests political issue In
every election where officers are to be eho-
sen that can in the least affect their inter
ests and then combine and elect such men
only as are identified Herewith This
course if adopted will bring speedy relief
because there is clear majority whose IN
terests are identical If party bigotry can
prevent the carrying out OF TINS pam eX-
nediept. il will be on account of a per-
verseness against which even the gods are
pOwerless.
The farmers Justly condemn the extor
tionate charges, and unjust determinations
of the railways, but is it not a singular
fact that thousands of those very producers
who are loudest in their anarhemas against
the railways, have all along voted Tor men
to represent them in Congress VINO they
knew, or might have known were IN favor
OF imposing a tax upon them which In the
aggregate is as onerous as that taken by
the railways, il not more so A tax of
TWENTY-FIVE dollars for steel rails, and forty
for chairs and fifty for spikes per ton, is a
heavy tax, but that is what railways have
to nav under the present tariff. Of course
we have 10 pay it all back again to them
I in their charges; and then again, we pay
for the steel used in all our agricultural
( implements from thirty b. torty-hve per
cent of a tax, and the iron used ON some
+ from twenty 70 thirty dollars per ton. And
I then again, we are compelled to pay a tax
of twenty per cent on all descriptions Of
| lumber used for building, and fencing, and
/ 50 on The tax on these articles might be
excused upon principles OF patriotism, If it
brought any revenue into the treasury,
but it does nothing of the kind; IT goes di-
rectly into the pockets of the iron and
lumber manufacturers, and then, when
tne peopte yet ftstlCss ullttI ulCSS iedNS
burdens, they use some of it to organize u
little Credit Mobilier ring in Congress 10
quiet the matter, as they did the Iowa
land titles, in favor Of those who pay for
the quieting. Both the iron and lumber
manufacturers have for years been sue
cessfully competing with similar manutac-
turers of other nations, in the markets of
the world In 1871 we exported of iron
and the manufactures Of iron. 10 Canada
West Indies. France, Mexico, Sandwich
( Islands, Hayti, San Domingo, and the
/ Central American States wood, and the
manufactures Of wood, T. nearly every
country on the globe, and ret the millions
must be taxed t. protect these interests
against the rauper labor O. Europe That
is the argument, but. to use a slang
phrase. it is getting exceedingly thin,
FARMER