The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-06

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copy of the report of the committee or
permanent organization, created by the
National Tariff Convention held at Chica
go, November. 1881; also the address issu.
ed oy this League. to which we invite your
especial attention, and urge you to read
both of those documents with care. The
necessity of the work to be done in the in
terest of home industry is apparent. The
convention having conferred the execution
of that work upon the Western Industrial
League of America, and the latter having
accepted of the mission ON condition that
| it be placed on sound financial basis, IL
remains only for us to call upon the inter
ested parties to provide means to carry
forward the work.
The Board of Managers of the League
have advised Chicago manufacturers to as
sess themselves a given sum- proportioned
to their interests and capital invested, and
that they are now doing in amounts from
small sums up to $1,000, each. In our
next quarterly report we hope to shew
that they are not behind other portions of
the country in their efforts TO educate the
people in the truths of protection.
We trust you will feel it to be a priv
lege to join in this patriotic work, and
will send US a liberal contribution to help
the cause along Remittances should be
made by drafts or postoffice orders to John
f. Seaman, Secretary. 1852 Washington
street. Room So, and payable to f. w.
Palmer, Treasurer.
The prosperity which the country is now
enjoying is too great boon to the labor
ing masses to permit it to be sacrificed
without vigorous efforts to prevent it.
Let no one forget that the west is to be
the battlefield between the eontending
hosts of Protection and Free Trade in the
coming Congressional elections next fall,
when this grave question, fraught with
such momentous consequences, is to be
decided. Every dollar is needed and will
be carefully used. A quarterly report
showing the amount received, work done
and money spent will be forwarded to each
subscriber.
Very truly yours,
A. w. KINGsLAND,
A. A. CARPENTER,
+. w. PALMER,
j. Ell. Brown,
Finance Committee.
The above circular letter has been sent
to all the manufacturers of the western
section asking money to aid in the robbery
of protection. 1t is a unique document
and worth reading. Money is the thing
wanted, and as ever before, money is the
thing with which they hope to conquer. It
will be noted that Chicago manufacturers
have subscribed amounts "proportioned to
their interests, and yet the sentence below
styles it patriotic work, and further on
would work for protection because 1t is "a
boon to the laboring class" The first
statement is undoubtedly the true one and
the matter of self interest is the moving
cause of all this movement.
1t seems like a gigantic joke, however,
for the protectionists to appeal to the man
ufacturers in this section for aid in this
matter. As has been often shown before
protection is detriment and not help to
our manufacturers-with the possible ex-
eeption of the glass works-and instead of
being boon to the laboring classes is a
draw back. Let any employee of the iron
works of Rock Island or Moline figure how
much his wages are increased by protect
i've tariff that forces his employer to pay
twice as much for his iron and gives him
no better prices for his plows. Let him
also figure how much he would be hurt by
| free trade policy that would allow the
owner to buy his iron at half what he pays
'or it now, and he could yet sell his ma
hines at the same price. Let him further
AXE into consideration the fact that with a
arif for revenue only he could live at
lbout half the price he now does. With
III these things In view, the Western In
iustrial League must not be surprised that
10Th the masters and men in this locality |
ire free traders, and not grumble if the
subscription to the fund from here is not
arge.