, 1874-04-11

AHe 1araff Legislation OF the Pa.
Twelve Years.
10 the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
SIR: Since the close Of the War, has mt n.
policy OF the Government tended to, and ,f.
fected the acquisition Of. the commercial .na
financial aggrandizement and supremacy Of ~.
Eastern and Middle States Of The Union oysr u.
Western and Southern States the capital and
manufacturing States over the Agricultural
States : Is it not this policy which has mr.
duced the most noticeable phenomena in nm
condition since the War, as compared with thu
condition of the country before the War7
The agriculture OF tho West anG South il r.
day producing the bulk OF tho exportablo wealth
OF the country. Their products not only snn-
ply the vast home demand, but also pay tia
larger part Of our Indebtedness. Eotwithsts,d-
ing this, it is the East which monopollzea III.
imports, which are mostly luxurias, gpends
money abroad in European travel, spends mo1e7
e1travagantly at home, ahd Jet has money to
lend, and, in times Of panic money to hosrd.
while the producers Of the Wes. have to contain
themselves with homcly subsistence and d.
producers ct the South are IN still mora d.
plorable condition.
Naturally this state of things could not 81.
means. It is the
RESULT or OUR FINANCIAL LEGISLATION.
Since the close OF the War our ybol.
ta1 system, both impsost and e1cae,
has been framed aud e1ecuted #ith
view to this end. The thrift has not been for
revenue-far fron it. The whole internal-r,y-
enue system is, in fact arranged, as far as tia
necessities OF the c6se will permit, as to fsr.r
sectional interests. Both together have been
designed and manipulated bya few knowing
ones, who have shaped and controlled the lesis.
laton CT Congress BY natural and artificial
powers, 80 as to enrich their constituents at the
expense Of the developers and earness Of ths
substantial wealth OF the nation. Since the sue
cess OF the last Presidential campaign there h.a
been an entire subsidence OF all Ear-talk. It il
logical, therefore, to conclude that the "c1uA
war is over" at last, and that its fruita ara al
secured and this question forces itself Is thl,
advantage of the East over the West and SoutL
this establishment of the political supremac:
Of capital and monopoly aristocracy over the
people, and the perfect mastery by 1t ovar al
LEGITIMATE FRUIT OF THE WAR?
After all. was not the War the elimination OF
3 long conflict, dating from the ratification Ct
the Constitution, between the interests Of differ
ent sections Of the country? As it Was upon .ha
tariff question that tbs South FIRST threatened 10
secede, was not final secession undertaken nain-
" to avoid submission to ta1id-pEotec1ion, which
tho South knew would be ruiuous to her? Aosa-
over. was not the determination to forre tbs
monopoly upon the South and the whole country
the real motive in the Eastern and Middle STATED
that reused them to and nerTed them
IN the War against Secession, sad
more at heart really than patriotism
which Was tie motive i'll tue West, or anmostJ
to slavery, which was the motive OF butafs1
fanatics ....
It is overwhelmingly apparent that this co.,
fict Of interests il still going on, and, judSls
from the antl-monopoly uprisings all over The
country it promises to be an irspressble oae
There are many among those most alive to the
injuries that oppress them and the dangers tas
threaten them, who are determined against
longer submission and, as it is chiefly through
q protective tariff that one small section Of the
country holds the mystery over all the others,
this conflict, in the nature Of things, can never
be settled to the satisfaction Of those oppreEsed
except .. .-.... .-.......
BY IT'S REPEAL Or BT IT'S SU111F1cATos.
One or the other is inevitable. We are drifting
dreadfullr near to repetition Of ths saddest sad
most direful chapter OF our HISTORY. "N3[ifca-
ton {" il fighting word.
War is tLo last resort of Kings. Rebellcn il
tue last resort OF peoples. May God grant Us
peace and the preservation OF the Union. Tnese
aeems to me to DO but one waJ to peaceabl7 &C.
complish repeal OF Protection" and that il
upon tho ground Of it's unconsa1ufio:aGll!y
Even cfter the demonstration Of it's damnable
injustice even after the nshon, to mtn, u
convinced Of 1.-THE vote on it, sectiopallY and
Individually, will be governed by saf-lnterest-
It will still be conflict Of interests the 1eaGs
OF which may continue the present condition Of
things; that Of 3 ma jonty lntilctlng upon
minority, not only an acknowledged
but tyrannous and destructive wrong.
Now, il there Haa anything that the tEa1ers
and ratifers Of the Constitution dreaded, a3d
endeavored to prevent by every means that com
prehensiEe forethought could suggest, it was n
imposition like this BY the General GoTezunsas
upon the
NATURAL n1oHr3 OF TIE GOVERNED.
r r1r 3n1,f4 al 1n faar
had Of the Government being welded IS
power for the oppression OF the people, OF n
norities, Of weaaor sections, OF oven Of 1E.
viduals. For this reason, they specifically lin
tied the powers Of the Government they 7e'a
over themselves and their pos:eris1
Hence, when they conferred upon Congress tt
power ito l.y andcollect duties, /" ETC.; "torsytt
debts. and provide for the common uefents I'D
general welfare OF the United Ststes," Art
Sec g. clause ~ they distinctly limited thetpu:-
pose OF these duties to that OF reyonue- It
not conceivable that they Intended To ALLOW the
Government function, by the exercise oi
which, being under the control Of any section
party. or fraction, that Government could deny
to the country st large, or any section o. Il .as
right OF freedom in t1ade-a power bT Talen !oe
Government could enrich the section controlling
it, to the lmpoyerishment Of those uos COZ
trolling it.
1t is not probable that they intended to con,
cede this power when they had but Just ifeeo
by long and determined stnes'e,
from Tyranny which, in the Declaration o. u
they had distinctly blamed .io1
cutting of their trade with hu parts ef she
world" =,
Tho Convention which ratified me
Constitution in New York, and tna.
by vote OF 30 to 27-a majority Of en-;
three,--reso1ved "That nothing IN tne esa
Constitution contained shall be coni1usa
authorize Congress to grant monopolee, eE
Is it reasonable to suppose that they oss.
dreamed that, under that Constitution, tong5eas ~
could usurp the right to grant moropollee y
the wholesale, IN order to drive the eafnsuSs ~
the many into the Golfers Of the feW9
It il not conceivable that the Consltuao.
does, or ever was intended, to empower Conofs -
to lay prohlbitory duties or import du::es ,s ~
tbs benefit OF Any section or Of any ioteses ia
Our whole tarin-systcm, from its coneePuoy.
exists unconstitutionally, and will tll 1ta oe"A'
and burial, never to be rcauzrected- Hn
UNCONSTITUTIONAL L.
It is an unconstitutional monster, whose 9aI -.
ence isimperiling the liberties and indepeto'u-dd
OF the people, the integrity OF tho Gnioi5 H. ~.
sullying the purity OF the Governmens. 1oo o'I1
that advocate it and profit by it luloW nos o.:
ltB iniquity but its unconstitutlona1ty. ..n' 49,
night or wrong, constitutional or uneons.t ~
tiona1, they fought for it, they intrigued 1o1 -
and they mean to hayo it, if political po"'''
corruption, or force can maintain it.
Thn TINA hpa rorne I hafiaVe when II u 0Es