The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-01
FREE TRADE.
Address to The People in Conference
At St. LOuis Oct 8, 1888.


the greatest burden born by them is the
u.snst and unequal system of taxation
caiiea 10 protective tariff. That this
system OF SO ~alled protection has long
since passed the oounaa of aiding Ameri
can manufacture, and nov presents the
absurdity of attempting, by taAaiion. to
make all manner of industry more pro
ductive, and to build up country. already
the richest in the world in the cheapness
and fertility of its lands, in the abundance
of its natural resources, in the energy and
ingenuity of its people, and in the wealth
of its manufactures; and it embodies the
injustice of leyying tribute upon tie
necessities upon the whole people as a
bounty to certain masters of capital and
labor.
We believe that the system is radically
wrong; that the United States govern
ment has no constitutional or other right
to impose taxes on the people, except
with the intent and result of getting s2ffi-
cient money into the public treasury to
provide, by direct appropriation and pay
ment fer the payment of public debt, and
for common defense and general welfare;
that tax OF these purposes is the ena
with whichs free people should be bur
dened; and that this system of taxation,
which, in the name of Protection to
American Industry" is continually drain
ing enormous sums from the pockets of
the people, not only into the national
treasury, there to lie idle or to be wasted
in extravaganza and speculation. but also
into the Golfers of few specific indust-
ries to add to their profits or make good
their losses, is a fragrant abuse of taxing
power, and is menace to the purity of
government or to the liberties of the peo-
pie.
We believe that the only protection
which an american freeman needs is per
feet security for life, liberty and prosper
ity; and that among his dearest liberties
is the enjoyment of the entire products of
his labor, and the right to exchange them
according to his own judgment-to sell
when he can do so to the best advantage.
and TO buy where he can buy the cheap
est OF this privilege the great mass of
people are deprived because of the at
tempt of the government to redistribute
the rewards of labor by this so-called
protective tariff. which by compelling
them to buy in restricted market,
forces them TO pay inflated prices for most
of the necessities of life, while ut the
same time the products of our agriculture
are sold in the open markets of the world,
and our laborers are competing with the
! free immigration of foreign and so-called
''pauper" labor
4 We believe that the protective tariff is
ruinous to the very Industries which it
pretends to protect 1t increases the
cost of production and thus keeps us
from competing in the foreign market; by
its bounties it induces abnormal and un
natural Investments. and thus causes over
production, resulting in fluctuatng in the
markets, stagnatiou in business, and such
disastrous failures and sacrifices as these
industries are now experiencing; 1t pre-
vents competition, and thus binders the
full development; it 10 a restraint upon
commerce, and forces trade INTO unnatural
channels, thus depriving us of stability in
commercial affairs, and teaching our
manufacturers TO look to congress rather
than to their own enterprise and abilities
for success in business; and, coupled with
the navigation laws it has nearly destroy
ed our merchant marine, thus depriying
us of one of our greatest industries, and
making US dependent upon other nations
to carry our products to the markets oil
the world
/ We believe that the only commercial
policy which in its nature is unchangea-
BILE, and which, therefore, assures stability
in all kinds of business, is such CONNER
cial freedom between nations as has prov
ed so beneficial between the states OF the
| American Union. That free trade vii
give US permanent and increasing trade
with the whole world; that it will buili
up our merchant marine; that it will
relieve the present depressed condition oi
our manufacturing industries, and assure
stability to all kinds of business; that il
will give cheap material to the manufac-
turer, cheap implements and transporta
ton to the farmer, and cheaper food
clothing and shelter to all classes.
We demand that this protective system
as such shall be abandoned; that th,
reduction of existing duties shall begin q
once. and shall be steadily continued til
every vestige of protection is removed
from the tariff.
We reassert the declaration of the De
troit conference: THAT we do notcoun
sci the immediate formation of a new
party" but we hold ourselves in readiHes
for independent political action, in cas-
it becomes necessary; and we protes
against the further postponement of ac
ton in this matter TO suit the purpose o
political parties
We call upon all who think with us tt
join in organizing and making visibl
public sentiment, and we urge them Il
make the matter practical by questionin!
candidates for congress. and by votin,
for those who win best serve the cause 0
reve nue. reform.