Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-27

of wonder that any negro in the south
should SO far forget his own interests as
to vote for the republican ticket and pro-
lection. and still if they vote for their in
terests, the cry goes up they are bull
dozed. All of our farmers are in the
same boat; they are robbed without get
ting back any compensation whatever,
and at the same time the laborer in the
protected industries get none of the
stealings. Mr. Deere seems to mention
with pride that last year we exported
in agricultural machinery of all
KINDS $2.0OO,0O0. aud of manu>
features of steel and iron $15, 000,0 600:
still he neglects to tell his readers that
last year in the single item of leather our
exports were ten millions of dollars,
simply because we had placed hides
on the free list. There is one
more point that seems to require
reply, and that is the inquiry
why we do not export more cotton goods
(only $15,0O0,0O0) while England ex-
ports. he says, $500, 600, 900. There are
several reasons for this. The cotton
manufacturer has to pay three cents a
bushel protection duty on coal to help
Pennsylvania coal barons. He has to
pay duty on starch used in sizing and on
all his chemicals used in prints. All of his
machinery costs him more by reason OF
protection, and lastly he has made such
enormous profits in the past that he had
rather hold on to the present state of
things. than risk change. The Mills
bill puts his supplies on the free list, but
he is afraid of having his tariff cut down
if he goes back on Pennsylvania, so he
thinks it safer not to extend his business
but to join in the general plumber of
| the country.
| 1t is not high wages that prevents our
cotton mills from supplying large part
of the trade of the world, for If our con-
sular reports and Jim Blaine can be re-
lied on. our operatives in cotton and
wooden mills produce more cloth for the
same money than any weavers in the
world. They compete now with China
and could compete anywhere if their sup
plies came II duty free. The census o.
| 1880 shows that in the eastern cotton mill
the labor was only 18 per cent of the cos
of production, and the profit ranged from
2S to 80 per cent annually. These wer'
the sworn reports made out by the mil
owners themselves. 1t was besides
common thing to have surplus funt
which every few years would amount +
80 per cent more in the way of profits
Is it strange that these corporations holt
| on IN snch GOOD THINGS and don't hottie
about foreign trade. They have tn
wealth of the west in their pockets-hun
dreds of millions of it in the shape O
farm mortgages, and the burning que:
ton now is, will the western farmer ca
| a halt? Mr.. Deere's recommendin
steamship subsidies merits this reply
Subsidies are waste of public money {
, long as the manufacturers for whose bel
r eft they are asked. don't seek foreig
7 trade. II they require from 25 to 65 pc
cent duties to give them the home mar
ket, how can they expect to sell in To
] open market of the world. But u
truth is that our manufacturers as NO
v supplied with the cheapest and best fu
= in the world, and given raw materials fir
t of duty can successfully compete in Al
d of our neighboTing markets for ifsatisfit
n with realizing profit, instead of selling
f paltry SIS ,000,000 of products of ste,
d iron. we should export over 800. 600. 00
1t B. D. BUFoRD