Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-02


war taxes were being lessened. and for
internal revenue the only things now
taxed were whisky and tobacco. But the
speaker was there to make an effort and
little thing like that was not to disturb
him. Mountains he could have swept
aside by mere wave of the hand.
The democrats are Directing to the
tariff, he said, when the fact is the con-
sumner does not have to pay it. The for
eigner who sent his goods to this country
shouldered all the burden and conse-
quently the higher the tax the more the
foreigner had to pay and the happier the
American consumer became. This dec
laration everybody must have expected
That left out would have been like leav
ing the character of Hamlet out of the
play. 1t was the principal mission of Mr.
Oglesby. The people must have some>
thing TO think about and if they have not
studied it here is something for them to
con over-thst although the money comes
out of their pockets and makes them
poorer that in the eyes OF the republican
party they are just so much richer 1t is
is beautiful theory and when dwelling
upon it the orator OF the day grew fierce
and plausible by turns, as if some one
would have the temerity to dispute it. In
fact, Mr.. Oglesby strained himself in get
ting this idea before the people. He grew
impetuous and almost shrieked out the
words, but he was brief-very brief. 1t
wouldn't bear analysis.
The democrats favor revenue tariff,
they say, and would put only tax of 20
or % per cent on things in use, but that
is not enough. We can I afford that; we
must have more. Foreign countries at
that rate would swamp our people with
out. The taxes on iron ore and metals
were dwell upon and the young men were
tod to study up this business and they
would get 81 so day instead of 10
cents day as in Europe, where they
wonld have to live on black bread and
green cucumbers and things. The idea
of having things cheaper was booted at
but, after all, European goods were
not cheaper and they never were cheap
er, he said. MIR. Oglesby must have
thought to himself this was inconsistent
but he was not there to reconcile differences
of statements and 80 he plunged inward
Protection, protection, became the bur
den of the story. Columns of figures
were kept dancing before the eyes of bis
audience and these were wrought in
where it was thought they would do the
most good and ever and anon rose the
shrieking cry of protection-higher taxes
and more of them-taxes on anything
and everything taxes, taxes, to make
the people rich. Half the people in this
country are farmers and the other half eat
up all farmers raise. We have the rich
est country in the world in mines and
minerals and gold and silver and other
natural products and all is accounted for
because of protection. At the rate in
which the eloquent orator was galloping
on 1t was not thought safe to stop and
explain how free trade would steal all
these things from the bowels of the earth.
Then Mr.. Oglesby explained to doubt
ing audience that he himself was only a
man-only Humankind that he had q
family and he knew what was what when
it comes to have them taken care of.
1t was absurd he thought to
call the tariff tax when our
people can't raise or manufacture a
certain thing. that article is let in free.
When we can't raise enough of any par
ticular thing, that thing we let in from
other countries upon the payment of a
small duty. And when anything Is made
here that some thing dutiable enters into
its composition, the amount of that duty
is refunded to the manufacturer when the
article is sold abroad. Under such a
scheme as this. the consumer and not the
eastern manufacturer was supposed to get
the benefit! But anyway the speaker
commended that we didn't care anything
for foreign trade. 1t was the home mar
ket we were after. He said that last year
the farmers raised 100000, 900 bushels of
wheat and sent 80 900, 900 of the guam,
tity abroad. This year there will be
800, 000.0 600 bushels and we will have
nothing to export.
The great domain of public lands being
all gone was referred to, the democratic
party being led on the tariff by southern
members was spoken of, and somewhat
lengthy speech was closed with a politi-
cal benediction.