The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-10-13
StprTs on the Tariff

liant advocates OF his day, who from 1868
up to the time of his death, In this city,
Sept. IL, 1885, correspondent with every
President except Cleveland, stood, 1t is well
known, In the very front rank among the
leaders Of the Republican party.
Mr.. Storrs addressed an agricultural
convention at Springfield, ILL.,, In 1870 An
enormous surplus was In the Treasury and
the people were demanding relief from
high tariff, which had been rendered
necessary for time by the war of the re-
bellion. Mr. Storrs riddled protectionist
fallacies most mercilessly on this memora,
BILE occasion Subjoined are extracts from
his address:
The fundamental principle of American
politics Is "the greatest good to the great
est number" As member Of the Repub
lican party I, at the organization of that
party, believed that the institution OF slav.
cry was q special interest. | was willing
to say of 1t; "If 1t can stand up and sustain
itself against the sharp and eager competi
ton of free labor, let IL stand. If 1t cannot,
let 1t fall' am opposed to protecting it,
for the protection of that interest Is war
upon all other interests. | deny that the
imposition Of heavy tariffs upon particular
articles Of manufacture Is protection Ii Is
a burden instead of protection; burden
upon those who use or consume such arti.
cles bounty to the person manufacturing
them, that bounty being paid by the CON
sumner; and II the consumers are more
numerous than the manufacturers, the fun
damental idea of our politics is at once VIC
lated, government then being administered,
not for the greatest good of the greatest
number, but for the greatest good to the
least number, and the least good TO the
greatest number Moreover, 1t is not the
policy of our government to confer special
privileges upon any special class of men
Our theory Is that Of individual develop
ment, of leaving each man the architect of
his own fortunes. All that our govern
ment, or, indeed, any government, should
do is to see to II that In the race each man
starts before the law even with his neigh
Dor.
Further on he said:
Not only does the socalled protection
system offend In the particulars which l
have named, but II Is also direct violation
of the liberty of the citizen to sell where
he pleases and to buy where he can buy
cheapest. Every man should be permitted
to sell his labor where he can get the high.
est price for II. The question Is not, after
all how many dollars does the labOring
man receive for days work, but how
much of wnat he must consume will his
days labor purchase? If days labor at
So per day will purchase for the laboring
man his hat, or his boots, or the blanket
which he needs, he Is receiving better pay
than when he gets $5 per day, but his
boots, or his hat, or his blanket costs him
So The laborer should be permitted TO
take his labor or Its products to the market,
where, In exchange for those commodities
which he needs, he can get the most of
such commodities. But to compel the
farmer to exchange one days labor for one
yard of cloth manufactured In New Eng
land, when he might exchange the same
amount OF labor for two yards of cloth man.
ufactured in Old England is merely q sys-
tenn of legalized plumber of the farmer, In
stead of protection TO American industry.
Again he said:
Before the tariff a large and profitable
trade was carried on with South American
ports, where our calico and sheetings and
other products of our labor we're exchanged
for their woods. This trade gave employ
ment to the ship builders and ship owners,
and TO the sailor. 1t opened a market for
our own products, and gave thereby en-
plOyment to our own labor. Our own
wares were sold at profitable prices. We
were supplied with cheap and fine woods
Every one was benefited. But the protect
i've tariff laid Its hands upon wool, and all
these interests persisted, as II they had been
blighted with mildew. On the shores of
the Mediterranean the Almighty has seen
fit to confer warmer suns and more genial
heats than shine upon the salt marshes of
Syracuse or Saginaw. Congress has sought
to correct this order of Providence, and to
protect the Onondaga and the Saginaw
salt, manufactured by mechanical heats
and appliances, against that perfected by
the cheaper agencies of solar heats. We
bring In our vessels no mere salt from the
shores and islands of the Mediterranean
We get poorer salt, and at higher price,
than formerly; but be assured, Providence
will win.
Concluding, he said:
Finally, what Is tariff? tbs a tar. II
Is nothing less and nothing but tax. II Is
q tax which we do not pay to the governs
ment, but to the manufacturer for his pri
vate enrichment; for where protection be-
gins revenue ceases. The consumer is I'M
poverished, the government Is not aided
shall this system be continued? The
question we must answer. We may dodge
1t and evade II for time; but the millions
of men who protected the nation In the
hour of its sore peril, and with their lives
demand that this question be answered.
am for myself prepared to answer It. My