The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-06
"FoEs or The FARMERS. !"
Something Everybody Should
Read
PROF. PERRYS ADDRESS AT THE
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR.
An Admirable Discussion of
Pertinent Topics.
Such as Taxes, Tariffs, Finance, Etc
INFORMATION FROM AN IMPARTIAL
AND COMPETENT TEACHER.
Who Has Studied These Subjects for Many
Years,
Continued. J
THE THING TARIFF.


This origin of the name throws consld-
cradle light on the nature of the thing.
The modern tariff is a more complicated
piece of machinery than the ancient Moor
ish one, but that ancient one gave the |
pitch to the tune that has been sung by
all tariffs even since ln one respect that
tariff was more respectable than almost
any other one ever laid. it was perfectly
simple and above board There was no
hypocrisy about it, The Moors wanted
money, they were 10 position to extort
it, and they took it without compuncton,
apology, or pretenses of any kind. They
did not pretend that they we're protect
ing" their victims while compelling them
to pay tribute. 1t was indeed downright
robbery, but it was done on the square.
performance and in this point of view
contrasts strongly, as we shall see shortly
with some modern tariffs, which pretend
to benefit the people, while they really i'm
poveIish them. They are enacted in the
name of patriotism and righteousness, but
when one looks narrowly into them he sees
that they have remained true at bottom
to the spirit of their origin. The thing
Tariff corresponds pretty well to the name
Tariff.
THE NATUR ONT
My old grandfather, whose boyhood fell
in the time of the Revolutionary War, and
who, consequently, never went to school
but six weeks in his life, was a long headed
man, nevertheless and. sending three of
his sons to college of whom my father was
one. the old farmer used sometimes to puz-
2le them in their vacations with problems
which he had thought out at his leisure :
and when he had brought them to dead
stand STILL used to draw up his chair, chalk
in hand, to the immense hearth stone Of
the Worcester farmhouse, and say, "BOy's
let's look into the aatur ont! = That is an
excellent rule in all training of the young,
and in all discussions of any topic whatev.
er; but it is particularly in order in all
discussions on the Tariff, because it is a
subject easily confused and the only way
to walk through it safely is to be sure of
the ground at every step, to look into the
nat,lre of the Tariff, to see what the mo
tires are that lead men to get tariff u-
ties put on, and to know what the coRse
quences Of such duties are. first to the
goods on which they are laid, and second
to the domestic products of the country in
which they are laid. 1t is only because it
has been my business for many years to do
these very things in connection with sue
cessive classes Of young men, that | ven.
ture to offer myself as guide to others.
and especially to the farmers of the United
States, in freely raising and fully answer
ing the questions that belong to tariff
What L myself may personally believe is
matter of very little consequence to any
body; but the grounds on which | believe
II are OF the utmost consequence to every
body; aud accordingly | now propose
carefully and candidly to exhibit these
grounds
TARIFFS TAKE But NEVER GIVE
AT first sight tariff seems to be moth.
ing but series of taxes on certain foreign
goods. One may read Tariif-A from
beginning to end, or begin in the middle
and read both ways aud he will find moth
ing but demands repeated over and over
again. Thou shalt pay p is the only word
that tariff utters or can utter. Twill quote
from the tariff now in force in this country
from copy just received from the secre
tary OF the treasury, as codified and re
enacted in June last, promising that the
demands quoted are taken at random un
der the different schedules, and promising
also that there are by actual count just $50
different rates Of duty specified to be as
sessed upon different things aud classes of
things. For example;
spooi-thread-six cents per dozen, and s. per
States and slate -pencils-S5 per centum.
Abulns dyes-5O cents per pound, and IS per cent
"oolen shawls-sO cents per pound, and IS per
Bantihg-so cents per square yard. and IS Der
Rgsdymade clothing 80 cents per pound, and 20
Weddings for shoes-.o cents NOR ,,cr,rd go,
haHn .i- avs per dozen and 30 per cen,um.
nan pins lirOul-JG per teutum
Drugsets aud bOckings-25 cents ner sop.re vs,.
and Is per centum. ~ 9f'~'e 'S'u'
!nest, ami ali the rest, are demands A
tarlH gives nothing. 1t takes At lis
Dest estate, when most simple and honest
Nhen there are no protective features in
IT, and no combination Of specific and al.
rdlorem duties on the same article. which
Is device Of protection" as in some Of
the samples above given. q Tariff is BODY
oi tdhss' which the people have to pay. 1t
Is neeuiui to note this distinctly at the out
set because there are some people who
seem 70 think tariff has sort of crea-
tive power. that it is good, that il has some
thing to confer. Not so. From the very
nature of it, it pours nothing "a hnt only
takes something out. Its sign is m;;n,,s and
not plus. Ii comes to take something f-a,,,
the people, and not TO give anything 10 the
people. - '''e
TARIFF-TAXES.
Ihe United States has been accustomed
frOn the r 81