The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-16
Continued from First Page.)


Continued from First Page)
the harbor at Baltimore or Philadelphia
and deliver it at London and the cargo
may be sold at reasonable price, no tariff
being charged or exacted by the British
government. How is it with his cargo
that he gets in London to return7 When
he reaches bis home he find his cargo is
taxed, if 1t be wooden goods all the way
from 40 to over 100 per cent.
The great difference of the tariff be-
tween the two nations works greatly to
our disadvantage. The American ship
must return home empty or else bring q
load of improbable merchandise. The
Englishman living in London can load his
ship with the goods and wares of his
country, deliver them in Canada and dis
pose of his cargo free of tariff, drop his
ship down to Boston or New York and
there take on cargo of grain or pork and
return home carrying an untaxed cargo
each way. To my mind it is wouder
we have no merchant marine. notwith-
standing we have more natural advantages
for ship building and ship owning than
any nation on the face of the earth We
have more educated mechanics, more ma
terial necessary for ship building. We
havethe timber, iron, copper and coal, and
can feed our mechanics cheaper and better
than any country under the sun.
Why not go upon the high seas and
compete with all the nations of the earth
for this carrying trader Why NOT have
hundreds of thousands of our people
engaged in this industry II is because
our men of capital have invested in man
ufactories, and instead of depending on
their energies. skill, and science in their
business. they have hired Hobbies. and
from year to year hang around the halls
of congress TO get legislation so that they
can enrich themselves at the expense of
their customers, and they cannot help
themselves, and all this they ask in the
name of labor-a cheat and deception.
Look at thelpersons operating coal mines
IN Pennsylvania importing foreign labor
to operate their mine in order to force
down the labor of their own citizens.
Look at the glass manufacturers In
Ohio importing foreign labor in order to
! break down the wages of their own citi-
zens. Look at the nail manufacturers in
the United States combined as one body,
and when it is necessary in order not TO
have surplus that will affect the market
one institution is ordered to stop opera.
ton, and the employees are discharged or
suspended without pay, while the owner
receives bis regular profits as though his
mill was running They point how anx-
ious they are TO protect labor; everything
is done in the name of labor; yet the
| money or bounty pretended to be given
to labor must first pass through the hands
of the persons who control these institu-
| tions, and of the magnificent boanties
bestowed to labor they pay to the labor
ers just that portion that the monopolists
don't want. Ii we are to keep up this high
rate of taxation for the benefit of labor,
let US change the laws SO that the money
will go direct TO the laborer. Let us not
have any humbuggery about it,no middle
men, no guardians without security to
handle the bounty for the laborer; he is
competent to handle il for himself if it is
his, give it to him, not to a trustee
Let us see how this tariff is adjusted
Is there laborer or his employer in the
state of Illinois who derives any benefit
from the present TARIFF We have manu-
factnrers of agricultural implements who
use iron and steel in their business, all of
which Is made dearer by the operation OF
the tariff The clothes upon the backs of
every mechanic, laborer, and their fami-
lies are made dearer by the operation of
the tariff. If he is manufacturer of
wagons the pine lumber necessary for the
wagon is taxed from two to three dol.
lars per Thousand. The article, whether
| it be plow or a wagon, is increased in
price by the operation of the tariff This
increase of price-does it benefit the
mechanic or laboreT whose labor pro-
duced the articleS Not one cent.
The increased cost in producing the
| article is placed upon the article when il
Is placed upon the market. The con
sumner has it to pay in the end. and the
article being unavoidably high the con-
| sumner economies all he can, often re
framing from purchasing when it is nee
| essary for him to do so, on account of the
cost, greatly to the disadvantage of the
manufacturer, mechanic laborer and pur-
chaser, whose interests are identical, fol
| when the manufacturer who purchase,
these farm utensils f1ourishes the mann
facturer reaps portion of the benefit in
increased sales, at fair prices, and in
return the mechanic reaps his share of the
benefit by the increased demand for his
labor. Then whatever prospers agricul
ture in our country rebounds to the bene.
fit of both manufacturer. mechanic anG
/ laborer
| When the farmer is prosperous. theI
the merchant, mechanic, laborer, anC
professional man are prosperous, aud
whatever depresses agriculture injure!
every person, let his avocation be what i
may We are one people IN interest; thu
law should be made for the benefit of all
it should have its foundation in justice; i
ought not to be made for the benefit o
one class to the injury of another; thu
learnings of one class ought not to b.
taken for the benefit of another withou
lust compensation. The laws ought no
to be so adjusted that any one clas
would have to bear all the burdens of thu
I government, but each person should pa.
lax to support the government in accord
ancc with his ability to pay; no selisf
, motive should influence our action; ever,
citizen ought to feel that he is to enjo,
equal rights under the law.
| This bill is not bound to pass in 1t
present shape; you can amend it to you
satisfaction; but there is no sincerity il
complaining of this bill and at the sam
time neglecting to offer better one.
Let US see how the present tariff affect
the people of my state, who are largel
1 engaged in farming Do the farmers o
Illinois get any benefit from over taxa
E ton, or what you style protectionS D
: the laborers on the farm. who today ar
working for less wages than any othe
class, get any benefit from this system
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