Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-01
The Mckinley bill, annrovers .dm,,

neeueuT NO, except oy the monopolists
of the east. They wished IL SO that com
petition should be shut out and more
wealth added to their already large stores.
Why not tax as only for enough to carry
on the government, and let that be espec :
tally upon luxuriesf The speaker showed
that American manufacturers would
charge just as much for the different
kinds of home made goods as it would
cost 10 purchase the foreign
article, thus reaping splendid benefit
themselves. but that no one else
should receive any profit whatever.
When the consumer wanted TO buy an
article he must 60 into market in which
there is no competition and pay Just the
price demanded OF him. When be sells
his produce he must go into market in
which the whole world stands up to CON-
pete against him Half the people in the
United States are farmers and the cities
and all men depend upon the farm. Be.
tween so and 40 per cent. of all the farm
product is sold abroad and Liverpool
makes the market. The farm must accept
| Just what amount that market fixes. If
he brought his wheat to Liverpool and
sold it there at the price fixed, and which
he has no voice in making. he will no,
be allowed TO buy what he wants over
there. but must come back to America
and buy for his needs in protected
market that will not permit anv competi.
ton. No matter what the price is here,
be must pay it. Now. how can he re-
ceive any benefit from such a system? Is
it not downright robbery to him2 And
yet the farmer who is republican will
be told by the bosses to vote for that
| system and he does it. The Mckinley
bill informs him that it puts duty of %
cents bushel on wheat. In what way
can that benefit him? He has wheat and
| beef and cheese and produce generally TO
| sell and must find a market for it. The
Mckinley bill puts a duty of 90 load on
straw. Think of i'll Two dollars load
on straw. to prevent the European people
from shipping their straw to this country.
And yet the farmer cannot see or won't
see the absurdity of all this. and keeps on
supporting such a scheme of robbery.
The bosses rob him first and then laugh
at him. 1t is the same with wool. II
that article were admitted free We
could get cheaper and better clothes.
| give more employment to men at better
| wages, and not be compelled to wear the
shoddy that is made from imported Eu-
| ropesn rags that must take the place of
the wool that is denied US. Look at the
plows and other implements that are
made here in Moline. They are shipped
| to all parts of the civilized world, be-
cause the skill and rapidity of the Amer
lean workmen. coupled with the abund.
ance of material and the use of mschinS
cry, enable the manufacturer to do so.
The speaker showed how the msnufsc.
turer always took advantage of the in
increase 10 the tariff and put il into his
pocket, leaving the workman to look out
for himself Under this new tariff he
could afford TO pay Lis workmen more
but will he do it? No, certainly he will
not. The wOrkmen may strike, but
when they do so the manufacturer goes
over to Italy and Hungary and other
places across the Atlantic. and he loads
up vessel with foreigners, brings them
over here, and puts them in the places
of the men who recently struck. What
can they do? There is no tariff on the
new workmen coming into this country.
They eau compete with the American
wnrkmen, or foreign workmen. who
came to this country. and in short time
became equally efficient With the Others
| The workman must not only buy every
thing he wants in a highly protected
market. where no competition is allowed
and sell in q market where he is obliged
to compete with the whole world. but he
absolutely has no protection against tn,
hordes of men who may come into thi
country and com pete with him in the mar
keto labor Labor is commodity. /
doesn't matter now TO argue thst
shouldn't be so. but il is. and if the man Wit
owns it must sell il in the dearest market
tits not the same in al parts of the coun
try. In some states it is higher than il
others, as it is also in some cities, but tb
tariff is the same in all. Wages are high
er in this country because the condition
are dlfferent-more land. greater oppor
tunities and because the laborer produce
more. In ore steel mill in this country
employing Is. 900 men. there is just q
much work turned out in year. and @
as good q quality, as is turned out in Ems
land in similar mill with $4,000 mel
Now. how is the workman protected
Everything is against him. II the man
nfaciurer would divide with him ii migt
be all right. but he won't. These peopl
are taxing themselves enormously 4
make home market-of which there is
good deal of nonsense talked now-a-day
but what benefit do they gets II the
should all tax themselves to huild roll
ing mill. would they share in the prof
OF that mill? Assuredly not. Are wags
not much higher in free trade Englsn
than they are in protected Germany {
France or Mexicos Why does our GO
eminent tax raw material. and Il
tools. and the hours. and the food al
everything else of the workingmsn. ar
then tell him it is doing him q benef
The only thing he has to sell is his labo
Trade is an exchange service. Cou
We have the necessary freedom in traC
; we could drive out England, and u
world. in fact We would not be her
med in on al sides by q Chinese wall, b
our sesselsof trade would whiien eve
/ Aaf h.