Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-15

LIDS pccu SAhdlA Jun aASU WIN "AA-S -
would have been, had the wealth and
labor of the country been equal to its
energy, ambition and apparent business
wants. Notwithstanding the building
of over sixty thousand miles of railway
at cost of more than three billion
dollars, the following census figures
show remarkable growth Of manufac-
lures from 1860 to 1870:
1870. 1850.
ments . y e 252,14s 14O,4ss
Hands employed. 2,O5s,996 Isl, 246
Capital. 81 us, 2Os,769 sl,oo9,s55,l l5
Wages. .............. T5,5a,S4S S's'Sss'Soo
rails. ......'.... Ass ,4z,2l2 I.Osl, 6O5.O92
Value Of products. 4,2S2, Ss5,42 l'Sco'ool.o'o
While the population increased only
% per cent in the ten years above
named, the capital invested in manu-
features more than doubled. The value
of the goods advanced from consider
ably less than two billion dollars to
nearly four and quarter billion In ten
years. tax on agricultural labor which
few have studied as it deserves. Farm
ers and all other classes have been COM
PEELED by high import duties to pur-
chase goods of gigantic monopolies at
their prices or 60 without. Hence the
corporations could easily water their
stock and nominally double their cap
ital invested in iron, STEEL. cotton and
wooden manufactures, and then put up
the price of their products to pay full
dividends on this fictitious capital.
Thus, while corn went down from fifty
to twenty-five cents a bushel, iron,
steel, nails, and many other articles of
large consumption went up 100 per cent.
Agricultural produce had no protection
on many staples, and very little of any
value even on wool. Protection helps
spectators far more than producers.
Universal industry Is best promoted by
universal free trade, with no monOpO-
lies. Manufacturing and mining pros
perity built on this sound basis, viii
last for ages; for 1t rests not On an IN
Just tax imposed on agriculture, or any
other interest, but ON equal rights,
equal burdens, and with legislative
bounties to no class whatever. Every
man who has money in a factory, or is
an artizan therein, should see that any
special legislation in his favor will Of
fend citizens who In any way
pay a premium for work that
others would do cheaper. Who
is SO dull as not to see that it is
monstrous outrage to compel all farm
ers who need salt for their stock, cur
ing meat, and other purposes, to pay
twice as much for brine that comes up
out of the earth, in the United States,
as Liverpool or Turks Island salt would
cost? This Infamous picking of the
pockets of millions to enrich few salt
manufacturers, puts no money In the
national Treasury. The whole end, aim
and object of the law is to use the
forms Of law to rob the many and make
millionaires of the few. He is a bad
man who approves of any such legisla-
ton. Legal injustice, and injustice In
courts of law are fast demoralizing
our system of government,
and threaten to ruin it.
The essence and crime of robbery are
always the same, whether perpetrated
by Congress, manufacturers or high
way robbers. Wrongis wrong, no mat
ter with what instruments it is done.
The wrong acts of Congress are many
and Infamous. We believe in develop
ing our manufacturing and mining re-
sources, as well as IN diversifying our
agricultural industry, but not by leg
islative robbery, extravaganza and cor
ruptiOn. No business, no revenue
or industry should be supported, or in
any way dependent on wrong-doing
A protective tariff creates this wrong
state of things, having grownup gradu-
all > for the last fifty years, or since the
election of John @. Adams in 1924
when Mr.. Clay became his Secretary of
State. Then liberal pension was paid
to revolutionary soldiers and others, the
war debt of of 1915 was being paid off,
the National road through Ohio, Indi-
ana and Illinois was under construc-
ton, as well as harbors on the lakes
and seaboard; and the whole sum col
lected by impost duties and the
sale of public lands was only twelve
and a half million dollars a ar.ye
At that time 10 our history as a self
governing people, the manufacture of |
scoundrels was not the principal bust
ness Of the Federal Government; nor
was the protection Of landgrabbers,
carpet-bag thieves and public default
ers, the every day task of the party in |
power. All disturbing dishonesty must |
be put down before any branch of pro-
ductive labor can have stable founda-
ton; and especially that of manufac-
turers in competition with foreign, and |
perhaps cheaper labor. Without any
bounty from the people by act of Con-
gress, manufacturing capital has every
chance to make money that any farmer
has, and why tax the latter
to enrich the former? How can
intelligent men be satisfied after
they see, feel and know that great in
justice is done them? When the leg
islative wrong was comparatively small
and not felt nor seen by the masses,
the error was easily tolerated by par
ties who knew better, and advocated
by thousands as sound public policy,
who now fully appreciate their mis-
take. Our whole system Of taxation
needs careful revision, both National
and State. Precedents established in