Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-25
ABOUT MR.. GEST.
lie Has Steadily Voted to Increase
Taxation for Eastern Interests.
fhe Policy of the Party, aud Why He
Has Never RaIsed Hts Voice in Oh
position TO the scheme for Robbiuy
. the People.

"on ~ the Scnemc Tor Robin z
. the People.
The Union says that Mr.. Gest voted
10 reduce taxes that his own countrymen
nave TO pay and give American products
better chance in the home market by
making foreigners pay an increased
charge In order to get their competing
articles In, or else compelling them to
stay out. He believes in the policy that
makes our own laborers and mechanics
prosperous and strong" Irrespective of
the statement here expressed, Mr.. Gest
voted to increase the taxes to the farmer
and consumer. and increase them largely
What kind of mad-house logic is il to
say that he voted to reduce taxes? He
voted TO increase the taxes on sugar that
the poor man is obliged to use; he voted
To increase the taxes on tin plate which
nearly everybody uses; he voted to in
crease the taxes on iron and steel, which
enter so largely into every day consump-
ton; he voted for tax on binding Irvine
so that the farmer, who is already
ground down by taxation, would be Oh
liged TO pay still more for the gathering
OF his grain. He. in fact. voted for
everything thai injured the farmer and
nearly everybody else. Why did he do
so? The party bosses in Washington
told him to do so, and he had neither the
manliness nor the courage to refuse.
They cared nothing for the people. They
had made promise to the eastern man>
ufacturers that these duties should be
imposed. because these same manufsc
turers advanced money to the bosses to
carry on elections, by buying votes in the
past. 1t was understood between them
that they We're to have their money back
by increasing the taxes. And these rich
manufacturers of the east remained in
Washington during the discussion of the
tarih-in committee and out of it-and
saw to it that the republican bosses were
Kept to their promises in making the peo-
pie pay more taxes. Aud these lobby
lists are there still, hanging about the
doors of committee rooms and button,
holing each member whenever they can
do so, and giving him to understand that
unless he fries the fat out
OF the people by increasing the taxes that
the bosses need not come again to them
when they want money for campaign
purposes There are some men with a
spark OF honesty about them who at first
refused 20 be led into such scheme for
the purpose of robbing the people, but
there was the alternstive-you either get
US this money by increasing the taxes or
you need no. apply to us for the means
to purchase elections. And so the peo-
pie were sold out that the rich mahufscs
turer might be benefited The men
whom the people sent to congress to look
after their interests forget the people
who sent them there, or rather let the
manufacturers grind them into dust. 1t
was sham less bargain. 1t was down
right robbei y. II was a scandaous piece
of work fro N beginning to end. And
yet our representative went with the
crowd. BE sold out the people who sent
him to congress so that he might not
offend the bosses who were pulling the
strings in Washington. He knew the
farmers were being robbed and he never
even made an attempt to save them.
Some few men, republicans, had the
courage to denounce the whole business
As the most uDblusbing scoundreism, but
still when it came to vote they were
driven into line and sanctioned the rob-
berry. But Mr.. Gest never even raised his
voice against it
And this is what the Union calls giving
American products better chance in the
home market. What American products
want is q better chance in some other
market. But this is too plain to require
any argument.
But the Union talks about the policy
that makes our lahOrers and mechanics
prosperous and strong. Whenever
an eastern manufacturer wants a
large number of employees he turns
his attention to the poorly paid people of
Europe. and when he knows even that
Americans are out of work and their
families starving his heart is not softened.
He has mills or factories to run or
mines to work and his only object is to
get the labor in the cheapest way. He
does not think of American labor. He
would employ the dregs of Europe and
Asia to perform the work. not caring
whether or not American workmen
were starving on the next street. That's
the way he generally elevates American
labor. To illustrate this more fully,
only the other day an Ottumwa. Iowa,
paper related the story of a prominent
business man of Red Oak, that state,
who had always been a republican, and
who was a strong believer in the oft>told
stories Of high taxes making men richer,
and the principles of protection keeping
up the wages of the workingmen This
gentleman went to the East lately and on
his return he said:
81 have just returned from trip east,
and there | saw what / never before
believed was true. ] saw ignorant for
eign laborers. hired for song and desig>
mated by tag and number, working in
the iron mills and coal mines of Pennsyl-
mania while the farmers of Iowa ale