The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-17
SELECTED no PROTECT.
From tbe Chicago Times.


| It is well understood that the tariff COM
mission will not reduce the tariff. 1t was
| not created for that purpose. 1t is the
offspring of the protection party under
| which the tariff iniquity has grown up,
and it will be obedient to that party's be-
hests. But it is evident to anyone who
has followed the reports of its session thus
far that it will result in considerable benefit
to the cause of free trade. Though it was
devised for the sole purpose of defeating
| tariff reforms III the last congress, and
postponing the question of protection un
| til it could have no effect upon the next
| presidential election, the revelations daily
made before it regarding the working of
the high tariff system furnish free traders
| with much new capital and open the eyes
of the public to the significance of the
system which they are taxed SO heavily to
support. Knowing that every member
is friendly to a high tariff, that the com
mission was appointed to devise WAYS and
means to perpetuate the present policy of
protection. the protected manufacturers
who appear before it express themselves
with great frankness. Their open
admissions throw some very strong
side lights upon the whole
business and reveal deformities in the sys-
tenn which they would take pains TO con
ceal if there We're any free-traders on the
commission. The other day a cultivator of
jute was found who was quite willing to
admit the manufactured article free of
duty if he could be protected by o heavy
tax on the raw material, the particular
form of jute in which he is interested He
is followed by the unselfish patriot who is
willing to admit the raw material free if
the manufactured article which comes into
competition with his business is excluded
by an enormous tariff. A manufacturer of
morocco made some very pathetic appeals
for higher tariff, which was absolutely
necessary to save himself and family from
impending starvation. In the examination
which ensued he made few admissions,
however, which were sufficient to convince
the strongest tariff man on the commission
that the business of this patriot is a mo
nopoly of the baldest description. From
his statements the conclusion was inevita-
bic that the country could well afford to
pay him what he now makes in his bust
ness if he would close up his establish
ment entirely and permit the importation
of morocco free of duty The Quinine
manufacturers were also obliged to make
certain admissions which show that their
demand for a restoration of the duty on
that drug is utterly unjustifiable They
were, moreover, met with the testimony of
well-known druggist in New York,
which exhibited the enormous profits of
their business and proved that the free ad-
mission of quinine had not curtailed its
manufacture in this country or diminished
the profits below point as yet excessive |
A day or two ago a manufacturer of bicy- |
Giles appeared who stated that he would be |
able to carry on his business with great sat
isfaction if the duty on steel was abolished |
He wanted no protection, wonderful as it |
may seem; he merely wanted to be relieved |
of its effects. Instances innumerable have |
come before the commission demonstrating |
the rottenness, the selfishness, and injustice |
of the whole protection system. They will, |
however, doubtless be carefully excluded |
from the commissions report. But neither |
the commission nor the party it serves can |
prevent the facts from reaching the people |
whom this infamous system robs. The |
appointment of tariff commission NAV
have been fatal misstep for the tariff |
thieves who created it.