The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-10-14

such as coarse woolens, cottons, blankets
tent cloths, bagging and thousand other
articles of which war is an Unsuitable con-
sumner and reckless destroyer. The tariff
enacted under such pressure had no Inn
1t excep. that of New England and Penn
sylvania greed, which are VIGOROUSLY lin.
ltless. The effect of such bounties was
speedily to fiji the country with the arti-
Giles desired at prices and profits to the
manufacturers that gave US a brood OF
millionalres who are to this day remem-
Der, with derison and disgust as tie
"shoddy aristocracy,"
There is not decent, intelligent repub.
llcan IN the country but admits that tariff
enacted under such circumstances and
with such results needs extensive over.
hauling and reformation. What, for in
stance, can be more nonsensical and IRA
tional than to retain the heavy duty on
soda ash, which enters so largely and en-
pensyely into the manufacture OF glass in
this country? The duty was put on the ar
tlcle during the war IN the tear that Its I'M.
portatIon might be stopped by the rebel
privateers and with the hope that 1t might
stimulate the manufacture of the article
here, so that the extensive glass industry
of this country might not come TO stand
still. The result was the erection of two
or three insignificant establishments IN this
country for the manufacture of the article,
and now to maintain these tax amount
ing to 10 or 10 per cent. upon the entire
glass product of the country is levied to
enable dozen nabobs TO keep up their
insignificant factories of soda ash The
bottle works at Ottawa are now idle be-
cause the foolish tax enables Belglans 10
undersell them in the Milwaukee, Sheboy.
gan, and other markets. So in the matter
of chalk, which enters largely INTO the
manufacture of numerous articles in this
country. Up to the time of the civil war
vessels from England and other European
ports were in the habit of bringing over
large quantities of this mineral as ballast
and giving 1t away to consumers for moth
ing. Then a Jerseyman happened to find
chalk hill on his farm and that he mi ght
make fortune cut of il had duty of two
or three dollars a ton put upon chalk, and
now the manufacturers of this country, and
the consumers OF their wares, must pay a
million year 10 enrich this Jersey chalk
monopolist A like insane duty on iron,
hemp, cordage and other articles that enter
INTO ship building has driven 100000
workmen out of our ship yards and killed
ship.buildlng IN this country, and compels
US to pay SlO0,0OO,0O0 a year to foreign
ship owners 10 carry our own products Il
foreign ports, Yet as no iron, hemp or
cordage is used on account of that duty IN
ship-building in this country, the removal
of the duty in the form of q drawback on
these articles to be used only IN ship. build
ing, would not affect our iron manufac.
turers or hemp ralsers to the amount ofone
Ceut. CtlII, tuc ION IL insanity iC'oiuNu,
simply because John Roach wants con-
gress to vote HIM several millions year
as bounty on ship building.
And SO we could 60 on and enumerate
hundred monstrosities Of the present tariff.
The revenues of the government are now
S150000 900 year above its needs. The
democratic party insists that the eXtrava-
gance, profigacy and corruption newt
ably incident to an excessive revenue shall
be guarded against by looping off these
monstrosities of the present tariff. That Is
all. Congressman Hewitt, himself heavy
iron manufacturer and at the head Of what
is called the free trade" party IN congress,
demonstrated in a powerful speech in the
last congress, which to this day remains
unanswered, that the topping off of these
monstrosltles, so tar from injurlng any
legitimate manufacturing interest IN this
county, would immensely benefit all of
them. But the Legitimate monopolists
own the lobby and the lobby controls con
gress.
Mr.. Duncan, like Mr.. Hewitt, and every
other honest democrat IN and out of con.
gress, tavors tariff reform and the cutting
off of these monstrosltIes; but that either
he, or any other democrat favors any
change Of the tariff that shall in the slight
est decree cripple any legitimate, homes,
manufacturing interest of this country, is
foul and impudent falsehood, uttered
only in the sheerest political desperation.