, 1875-03-22
THE REBELLION AND THE PROTECTIVE
TAHIFP

Tho enormous ontlay for carrying on the
war to put down the Rebellion, and tho no.
cessity for a large increase of revenue, woro
tho occasion md protoxt for the enactment Of
the high tariff act which now presses down
with so henry weight Oh tho industry Of tho
nation. Tho protective tariff is thus admit
ted to be the fruit md offspring Of tic Ro-
bollion, and 1t might bo expected that tho
fruit would bo Of tho Ea1ne kind as the tree
on which it grew, md the child like tho
father by whom it was begot, This We find
greatly to the damage and cost Of the country
to DO only too true. And if VIC but look nj
tho ovil and injury which havo boon wrought
upon the country by both the thrift and tho
1aebellion, VIC shnll bo struck with tho mnr.
Velous likeness there ia in the ruin dono by
ono to that done by the other that they
differ mora In degree than in kind the tariff
being often tho worso and more fatal Of tho
two; and TINT they are Of tic samo breed OF
monsters, "twinnd at ono birtl.," both OF
tho sumo wicked begotting, and Of the aa,ne
malignant and deadly natnro.
It may be seen, first, that they arc both
great wastcrs of funds, and most emerge tio
creators Of dobt. Tint wo have a debt of
such enormous size il due in the start to tho
rebellion, but that 1t Ias swollen to sucl
vast proportions; that the country must stag
ger and bow down under tho load for 80 loup
timo; and that, when It pays it at last il
can only do 20 at vastly iucroascd cost, md,
indeed, bo compelled to pay it not once only,
and in full, but over and over again,-for
tllis NO have to thank tito tariff. The origi-
nal dobe IL to bo paid to those who furnished
tho means with which tho Rebellion
was crushed, and who have q lust
claim 10 their money; but this
additional s''m, which is moro than
doublo or treblo the amount Of tho former, is
to 60 to those who, go far from advancing a
dollar to tho country when iu need. took
advantage o. its soro distress to plumber tho
people. Tho thrill Is n device for paying OH
onr debt, and its lending features il, that,
'shoro ono dollar goes to tho creditor TO whom
1t Ia due, two or three dollars go to those to
whom 1t Is not due. Where protection puta
ono dollar into tho National Trcasury, 1t puts
two Or three dollara into the pockets OF the
protected classes. The amount needed to
discharge the dobt by this method must be
doubled, trebled, md oven quatlrupled. To
put down tho Rebellion and save tho Union
was found to be big job and to cost hugo
sum, but to hold mp protection, and by It's |
means sayo the nadonal credit, will DO found
to be bigger job, and its cost two or three
times rs much.
It would be incredible thet such scheme |
for increasing the taxation a,ld burdens Of the
people could 10 passed., md that men md
parties could DO so managed and manipulated
tlat thcro could bo no way found In which
tho country can pay ita dcbt and sayo ita
credit save by paying tho full amount Of
what 1t owes, over and over again, To q uriy-
ilcged class, If tho thing were not being DOM
right before our eyes. Tho peoplo, for oyery
single dollar thoy pay to q creditor to whom,
they owe II, arc paving two or three dollars
to some ono to whom tloy owe nothing. on1
nre told that this way of having debts il lila