Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-06-15
A TARIFF TREATISE
''Gath" Intersperses Some Politics al
History with Tariff Talk.

Gath Intersperses Some Political
History with Tariff Talk.
Horace Greeley was nominated for
president of the independent republi-
cans in 1872. When this regular con-
vention met its president was the Hon,
Morton McMichael Of Pennsylvania
His son was the other day nominated
for congressman at large on the indie
pendent ticket in Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Greeley's letter of acceptance in
1872 will bear reading by the son of
Morton McMicheal today. Greeley
said: "There shall be real and not
merely a simulated reform in the
Civil Service of the Republic. In vain
do the drill-sergeant of decay flourish
menacingly their truncheons and an
grily insist that the files shall be closed
and Strengthened. In vain do the whip
pers-in of parties, once vital because
rooted in the vital ends of the
hour, protest against straying and bolt
ing, denounce men noWise their inferi-
ors as traitors and renegades, and
threaten them with infamy and ruin.
| am confident that the American
people have already made your cause
their own, fully resolved that their
brave hearts and strong arms shall bear
it on 10 triumph"
| Nevertheless tariff interest, more than
any other, came up to see the support
of the abuses of that time, showered
its II oney upon the campaign, broke
Greeley's heart and gave us Grant and
four years more of that kind of govern
ment, the sequel of which is Arthur
If the tariff interest had the ordinary
reason, prudence and conscience to
which all other interests are subjected,
it would hail an opportunity to revise
the tariff, an1 both Houses of Congress
have Just insisted that this shall be
done, and have given the President the
appointment of the Revising Commits
sion; but the President, by all accounts,
has committed his denomination two
years hence to Don Cameron, and Don
says: What care for tariff revision
or for tariff at all if the manufacturing
interest abandons my personal control?
warn you to keep me and my will
and followers in power, or will investi-
gate you as you are investigating me-"
l hold in my hand minute of the
proceedings of the Greeley Convention
of 1872, and am looking over the list
of candidates for President and Vice
President before the convention.
Charles Francis Adams, yesterday in
Court prosecuting bunko men to whom
he had given his check; Lyman Trum-
bull, late Democratic candidate for
Governor of Illinois; David Davis, a
load on both parties; Greeley dead
Gratz Brown, retired and reformed;
Salmon P. Chase, dead, For Vice
President, Brown aforesaid; Trumbull
aforesaid; Julian, now democrat;
Walker, presumably Ex-Governor of
Virginia, now Democrat in New York
State; Upton, dead or obscure; Jacob
Cox, retired; Cassius M. Clay, Democrat
Scovel, probably New Jersey scooter;
Palmer, moderate Democrat, it is mel
ancholy to think over these names and
how the defeat of that ticket in 1872
has emboldened diciplined audacity ev-
er since to spit upon independent action
and defy independent or boiling move
ments like that in Pennsylvania.
The President Of the United States
went through the campaign of 1872
with Conkling as his leader in New
York against the Greeley, and he prob.
ably looks on the Pennsylvania move.
ment as sure to be trampled out. No
doubt the tariff question will be pushed
right into the faces of the Pennsylvania
reform ers but it unfortunately hap
pens that this year the mills are pretty
still and solemn, whereas in 1872 they
were being rushed to their fullest ener-
: gy to supply iron to the railroads under
the land grant system ofjobbery which
was the twin brother of the tariff system
of iobbery. With idle mills in Penn
sylvania and great laboring strikes over
the surface of that State, the indepen-
dent movement there may well take
into consideration the abuses of the
ariff, which are just as vicious as any
class of evils IN the country. No men
go SO often and so numerously to
Congress for special Legislation
as tariff men. None muster so
uniformly under the banners of reg
ularitv. Democratic manufacturers
have for years secretly supported the
Republican ticket, even while making
subscriptions at times on the other
side. The huge purses which the
Republican party have raised at every
election since 1864 have come largely
out of the pockets of the benefited
manufacturers until crime of electing
Americans by purse has become
chronic in the land, and President
Arthur received his nomination because
of his expertness in raising the money.
All these abuses centralize themselves.
The tariff has even been the next abuse
in this country to slavery.
"And certain rich man came to
Jesus and said Master, what shall I do
that may inherit eternal life?' and he
answered, Sell whatsoever thou hast
and give to the poor, and come take
up the cross and follow me- and he was
sad at that saying and went away griev-
ed, for he had great possessions"
1t would be hard to find q better par
allel to this rich man than the grooming
tariff intrest in Pennsylvania, distressed
at heart, conscious of its sins and will
ing to be in good company and Iespec-
table, hut the stern answer comes to it
from the lips of its tariff Senator: "Part
with your ill-gotten goods; give to the
poor what you have taken in taxes,
become equal to the people, and then
you can stand among reformers with
some consistency" If the tariff is
pushed hard against the Pennsylvanians
it remains to be seen whether they can
poll as many votes as were given to
Wolf when he ran alone without any
tariff menace.
Breeds of Cows.