Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-05

That is hard to tell He is a great zen.
ius you know, and it is put at from $780,
600, 900 to $50, 100000
he owns villa at Naples, does he not?
So understand.
And has splendid private YACHT
Yes.
And castle in Scotland and another in
Wales?
Yes.
And is building another castle on the
crest of the Alleghenies, which will rival
any royal palace in the world?
He Is. Quite number of us went up
one day lately to look at the foundations.
What is the extent of Mr.. Gets private
fortune7
He doesn't amount to much. He isn't
worth over S5,0O0,000.
And Mr.. Hold-what's he WORTH
Well | should say about $l0,000,000
Mr.. Snatch, believe, is the Co. of the
firm. What may he be worth?
| should say from 100000 to S.
! 100000.
And they all made their fortunes out of
their business inside of twenty years?
OF course, for they doubled their plant
right along for years, and are the greatest
firm of the kind in this or any other
country
| What did you have eighteen years ago?
| had wife and baby and house and
lot on Southside worth couple of thou
sand dollars and hundred or two in the
Dimes Savings bank.
And then you had your skill and your
muscle besides?
Certainly.
And these You regarded as 500, 900 CAPT
tai on which you were entitled to per
cent. per annum in the shape of wages?
| Yes
You have not been a spendthrift, have
your
have not
Excuse the question, but will you tell
me how much you are possessed of now2
| lhavemy wife, of course, and five chill
dren, and the house and lot, but there is a
mortgage on the latter for nearly $500.
Is that all? How does that come about?
Well. the firm cut our wages 10 per
cent. last winter and we went on strike,
but there were so many of us that it was
hopeless. Some of us tried to hold out,
and that is the way l came to mortgage
the home for a little ready money
Your skill and labor, at a fair estimate,
was equal to 100000 of capital at 8 per
cent, was it not?
Of course it was.
Now show me what return the tariff
has brought you, good artisan.
don't understand you.
Why. Grabs 100000 cash has grown
into millions, thanks to the tariff-but the
important thing is, what has been the in.
come on your SEQ, 900 worth of skill and
labor? Has tariff taxation multiplied it
by 800 300, or 100. or even by 10 i'll the
last twenty years.
Well, I'm just about as well off now as
was in 1870 except as to the mortgage
and the fact that | am not as capable OF
working as was then.
Your capital has been impaired al
around, and your income is invisible?
am afraid that such is the case.
1t has taken all your earnings to de
Gently feed clothe and educate your fam.
lily and pay the taxes?
Just about.
And on every dollars worth of the nee.
essaries of life you have been purchasing
all this time you have been paying an
average of Al per cent. of tariff tax This
enriches not the consumer, but the priv
legged class, who pocket the increased
profit. They tell me Mr.. Grab, of your
firm, has an income of 5000 day.
That is a fact, no doubt
That's nearly 81. 600, 900 net profit q
year. Of his employees how many of them
do not receive over 1856 year?
A good many thousand, but they are
not skilled laborers.
And yet Mr.. Grabs profits for year
are equal to the total earnings of 5000
of his employees. That is where protec
ton counts How much tariff did youI
employers pay on the laborers they i'm
ported to take your places when you vert
unwilling to stand reduction?
Nothing; there is no tariff on labor II
is admitted free
Exactly, and therein lies the advantage
of the protected manufacturers. What
ever they manufacture is protected by
tariff taxation. But labor is admitted
free. There is no tariff duty-no tax OF
it. The laboring man must face tn,
, | widest competition to sell his labor in tn
market, and then pay the tariff taxation
on all the necessaries he purchases. Ant
, | yet the tariff barons try TO make him be
lieve that he is being protected while h.
, is being taxed in the direction of the poor
house. Since we have free trade in labor
|, we ought to have lower taxes on life
; necessities. Don't you think SO?
Well, yes, l do.
You ought to understand your own ey
perience.-W. A Taylor in Cincinnati En-
, quirsr.