The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-16

short time that sheep raising, like other
industries, in order to make it profitable,
requires skill. perseverance, and close at
tention. Instead of adopting skill and
energy like the farmer that raises horses,
cattle, hogs, and grain TO sell in the mar
kets of the world without any protection
only such as the laws of supply and de
mand afford him, he appeals to Congress
to make'good his mistake in his attempted
speculation. Finding Congress not very
ready listener to his wants, he then
appeals to the ring of protectionists to
allow him to become one of protection s
most exalted members. And after receiv :
ing his first lesson he returns and says:
Il ask protection in the name OF labor
We wool growers in Ohio must have pro
lection against the pauper laborers of
England You farmers who raise cattle,
swine, and grain, and send it broadcast
into the world to find market without
any protection, after contributing your
mite to save us, can do the best you can
for yourselves; the small pittance we exact
off of you is very small to make our bad
speculation good.
For this we propose to deliver our votes
to protect other monopolies, and they are
to give us protection, all to be an addi-
tional burden upon the other unprotected
industries of the United States, and to
bear most heavily upon the very class in
whose name we received the donation,
because at last the increased price, if any,
is paid by the consumer. The laborer who
clothes his family and himself pays it all
at last with interest, and those who wear
the cheaper grade of clothing pay more
than those who wear the better grade.
Examining the schedules you will see that
the tax on the coarse grades of wooden
goods are much higher in proportion than
the finer grades.
am in favor of tariff for revenue;
that far we have a right to Co. and no
farther would be opposed to disturbing
the present tariff if it was not so apparent
that the revenues were so greatly in ex-
cess of the necessities of the government.
Such is the fact, and we must meet it. Let
us do our duty. Certainly we ought not
to be afraid to do our duty, and in the
discharge of our duty patriotism ought to
be greater than avarice. Selfshness ought
not to overbalance our judgment. but in
the adjustment of the tariff after deter
mining the amount of money necessary to
be raised it ought to be so adjusted as to
give the greatest possible protection to
labor and to encourage the investment of
capital in manufactures and other indus
tries.
A tariff beyond the requirements of the
government in many instances acts as 8
prohibition to commerce, in fact, destroys
commerce, breaks down the industries oil
the country, and instead of protecting
labor it impoverishes and robs it. Take
for instance, the present protective tariff
| made for the necessities of war, but con-
tinued nineteen years in peace and what has
been the effect upon our commerce, upor
our shipping into. rests? The stars and
stripes have ceased to be a common thing
upon the high seas, our merchant marine
has been compelled to give way to the
ships of foreign nations; our sailors and
seamen have been driven into the mines
and shops, thereby destroying one of the
greatest industries in the world, instead
of having hundreds of thousands of our
people happily employed IN the shipping
business, who would have been proud to
protect the American commerce and make
it respected among the nations of the
earth.
We have taken different course; we
have killed the goose to get the golden
egg, Our carrying trade upon the seas
has been transferred to foreigners. Year
by year has our commerce been whitening,
until it is a thing of the past. Here is a
table:
Among the details furnished by the re"
port from the bureau of statistics upon
the commerce and navigation of the
United States for 1888 are those relating
to the ship building of the country.
The comparison made by this showing
with that of other years is presented il
the following table. 1t gives the total
number and tonnage of vessels of all
classes, both sail and steam, built in the
United States in the wears stated: