The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-16
TOFFICIAL PAPER.1
Friday. December is, 1881.

The first of course of nine lectures by
/ public men on Protection and Free Trade,
under the auspices of the Brooklyn Reve-
| nue. Reform Club, was delivered last eve
ming by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher in
the First Baptist Church of Brooklyn. He
said that his duty was to discuss the sub
ject only so far as relates to the moral
aspects of the question. The protective
system at present in this country was con-
trary to good morals, and in the long run
would work mischief; it was directly con-
trary to the spirit of the Gospel; protect
i've tariff was organized immortality. The
American can buy whatever he likes in all
the markets of the world, but he cannot
bring the articles home. The Government
says you cannot bring tie articles home
unless you pay roundly for the privilege.
You must buy them at home. But / can't
buy them at home Then you must wait
until you cam And we are told" he con-
tinued, that this tariff is to protect our
home manufactures; but how about pro
tecting the liberty of the citizens. An
immigrant, if his clothes are dirty,
can bring them in free to New
York-but if his stockings are
have not been worn and he must pay
duty on them. Between all the States
there is free trade, and it works well;
everybody admits that; but the moment
fry f,b ax do EtYr0 xxp
are told we must not do it. 1t is a selfish
policy; it is separating this nation from
the rest of the world, and this is contrary
to good morals and contrary to liberty.
American commerce has been nigh de-
stroyed; shipbuilding is almost an extinct
trade. What are the people thinking off
What has commerce done that it is obliged
to walk in bondage to manufacturers no
longer flying like the eagle, but walking
like the barn yard fowl. The few ships
that are left are besieging Congress for
subsidies that they may live. There are
more sturdy beggars about than any that
come to your doors. Taxes are levied,
State and county and city, and the citizen
is to be done with tiff he can find sout.
All taxation should be direct The tariff
draws larger sums by indirection. There
are two kinds of tariff, the revenue tariff,
and this may be borne, or tolerated,
but when a tariff is proposed
that proposes not only to raise rev
enue, but to raise it in order to protect
some special industry, that is wrong and
1t is one of the most vicious
agglomerations of denominations that can
be imagined. Our tariff exclude many ar
ticles which our people want, and 49, 900,
600 of our citizens are oppressed, that
500, 600 laboring men may be protected.
Protection at first is spur to enterprise,
but in the end it destroys it and leaves it
in the position of rich mems sons that
that is weak may use a crutch, but the
weak manufacturers that have had the
crutch of protection for these last twenty
years are now clamoring for three legs,
two natural and one wooden. The whole
theory is false; industries thrive best with
put protection; it may take them longer,
put the growth is more healthful. The
snergy and intelligence of the people are
III that are necessary for success, and they
iced no protection. 1t is said that the
protective tariff fayors, the laboring man.
4 this was true we should have no right
0 increase the wages of the American la
'orer at the expense of the foreign laborer;
nut it is not true; the very reverse of this
, trne. 1t is not the protective tariff
hat raises the price of labor, but It is
ae social and political surroundings