The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-10-06


What was the average tariff tax under
the law of 1922
cannot tell you.
Hand me that volume on The foreign
commerce Of the United States, by Mr..
Nimmo. Let us look down this column
on page 90. and we find 1t 20 DO 25 per
cent and fraction.
Yes, that's the figure.
You arc willing to stand " that sort of
tariff
OF course.
You don't regard it as free tradeS
No. sir.
You wouldn't want to see it any higher
that's tax enough, isn't it?
That's the tariff of AZ, and IL is high
enough for me-it's high enough for any
body.
You say that the Mills bill is free trader
Yes, most emphatically.
Why?
Because that is what it is called
Do you know what the average amount
of tariff tax it provides for?
No.
Only 40 per cent. and fraction; cut
Of 8 per cent. from what it is now.
What
Yes, sir, AZ per cent, or II per cent.
more than the tariff of A. which is so
satisfactory to you.
Well, | declare!
Haven't you been humbugged into the
belief that the Mills bill means free trader
1t looks that way.
What do you think about it now, with
these facts from your own library pre-
sented to you in an off hand way?
l have about come to the conclusion
that the Mills bill is pretty good thing,
and would have been better If 1t had cut
still deeper. Why, it's an outrage for
party papers and leaders to lie so out
rageously about matter which Is so plain
when one looks at it in sensible way.
I've good mind to cut loose from them.
Don't you think it would be good
thing for you and your neighbors gener-
ally to do?
believe it would, and I mean to think
it over seriously.
Mr.. Blossom, this is nice farm Of
yours; what are your 800 acres worth, at
O venture?
Iguess I'd find no trouble in selling it
for $50 000-it cost me over half that
without the present improvements.
How long has it been worth $50, 900?
Twenty five years at least.
Have you owned it that long?
Yes, for thirty years.
How much has it yielded you during the
last twenty five years?
couldn't tell you.
How much money have you in bank and
at interest now?
Perhaps SIS, 600 all told.
Do you owe any debts?
Some; my growing crops and the stock
l shall sell would pay my taxes and square
all my accounts, think
Then your $50. 900 farm has been pay
ing you $500 a Year,
Oh! more than that!
Tell me how?
I've kept my family during that time
and reared and educated my two children,
boy and girl. They are both married.
and gave them 5000 each to set up
housekeeping.
At venture, how much did it cost you
to rear your family and educate your chill
dren?
At guess will say $4,000.
And you gave them $4,000?
Yes.
Then you have made $25, 900 in twenty.
FIVE years out of your $80, 900 farm?
That appears to be about the size Of 1t.
You haven't grown rich farming for q
quarter Of century under high and
burdensome tariff tax?
Certainly not.
And yet you began twenty five years
ago with as much or more capital than
any Of the millionaires who have become
rich under the operation Of this vicious
tax system, misnamed protection.
which takes from the many to give to the
few Do you know how many-or rather
how few-men own or control half the
wealth of this country; who came into
ownership or control Of it under this same
vicious tax system?
have no idea.
| saw curious compilation the other
day, and here it is: Our total wealth of
all kinds is estimated at $45, O00 DOC, 900.
There are American citizens with pri-
vate fortunes averaging $50, 000, 900 each;
so with $40, 200, 900; 100 with $4,000, 900;
200 with 5000, 900; 500 with 81 ,000, 900,
and 1 200 with $500, 900. In other words,
1 1856 persons own $4,000, 0O0, 000 or more
than twice as much as all the actual
money in the country. A less number Of
men, not to exceed 1,000-railway mag
mates, princely bankers and heads of vast
protected corporations have absolute
control, equivalent almost to actual own
ership, of $25 1000, 100000 more. Less
than 5000 men controlling $2S 900, 000,-
900 of the $40, 200, 100000 Of wealth in
the country
May ask you question:
Proceed, Mr.. Blossom.
Are any of these millonaires farmers?
Meier one. Some of them are ranch
ers, but they only hold their ranches as
tributary provinces.
Just so. The farmer doesn't seem to
have got under the right wing of the pro-
lection bird. He seems to have come in
contact with it's beak and claws. I'm
getting interested in this thing. Come
over next Saturday and let's have another
talk on the subject.
All right, Mr. Blossom; with pleasure.
w. A. Taylor in Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Maine Fiasco.
Four wears MOO when tho Ram hlicaps