The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-06-20

start dlSllllery ana the product was low,
herce capital would not engage in the bus
mess and that branch Of 'industry'' was
not able to exert an influence in the politics
Of the State or Nation, and few more
years of peace would have resulted in total
prohibition, so weak was the political in
1uence 1t was able to exert, and so poten!
was moral suason then against an unarmed
adversary. But when government laid a
tax on the product OF the still and brewery,
and its protecting and encouraging hand on
the business. capital went into it, and it has
become one of the most powerful irstru-
ments for political corruption known.
Heavy duties were laid on commerce and
internal tax on manufactures, and when the
war was ended The internal taxes we're re-
peal but the duties on foreign goods
which hal been placed very high to protect
our manufacturers on account of the drain
on their earnings by the internal tax, were
continued, and this was the first departure
made from the original Henry Clay Ameri-
can System, looking toward a prohibitory
syster, and ii was called the "protective
system" for the protection of American
labor. Early in the war, in 1925 the
National Bank system was devised by a
New York banker, which consisted in de-
posting government bonds with the Treas
urer as collateral security and borrowing
ninety per cent Of their face value from the
government at ole per cent interest per
annum. (The same men who borrow this
money tell us that the government has no
right 10 loan money! With the govern
lnent to pay interest on these collaterals,
and loan money at a nominal rate to the
banking monopoly, that species of untaxable
property bonds-soon became
SO profitable that they went above par, and
the banking monopoly commenced war on
the 450 million greenbacks which they had
used to effect the government loans, and
every means in their power was used by
the money monopoly to have the greenbacks
Withdrawn from circulation and their place
supplied hy interest bearing bonds, or left
vacant for the National Banks to supply at
their pleasure with currency. A hundred
million of the greenbacks were drawn in
and destroyed when a halt was called by the
friends of the sreenback, and the gold and
National bank ring have never been able to
succeed in destroying the national greenback
which is now worth as much as gold.
In order to still further appreciate the
government bonds and gold, in 1878, Lon
don and New York bankers concocted
scheme to demonetize silver, and by secret,
quiet management, succeeded in effecting
their purpose with some of our United States
Senators TO aid ia the plot. This cut off one
half of the money supply. bringing down
the price of property or advancing the price
of gold and all bonded and mortgage debts.
This sharp practice has cost American
productive industry at least thousand
millions directly and indirectly it is fair to
assume many times that amount.
This management created the hydra
monorolies of money, manufacturing, trans
portatiou, biography, liquor and their
lateral branches, which embraces stock job
bling in its many line Of gambling, stock
yards, trusts, syndicates, etc, etc. These
influences have manipulated the govern
ment under every administration, sealing
friends in both houses Of Congress by work.
ing through Safe legislatures and in Con-
gressional districts, and with money in the
hands Of powerful Hobbies at Washing ton
and the State capitals. The most of these
monopolies and branch moncpolies have
kept as far as possible in the back ground,
supplying abundance of money to party
workers, and directing public attention on a
wrong scent.
The tariff was put forward in the two last
presidential campaigns, because it can be
made the most ambiguous of political ques-
lions. From the American system, Of pro
lection to American industries of Henry
Clay and Webster, it has been pushed up
by trusts and manufacturing syndicates till
the protective policy now means the exclu.
sion or prohibition of all foreign goods and
total abolition Of commerce. A large del
egation of importers appeared before the
Senate Committee which had the Mckinley
bill in charge, few days ago to protest
against its becoming law. The reasons
they urged were that it placed duties 50
nigh that foreign goods would be prohibited
and commerce would be entirely destroyed.
The policy which eliminates in the destruc-
ton Of commerce between the United States
and foreign countries is farther from the
principles which underle protective"
tariff than free trade. In fact free trade is
the denoument of a protective tariff. The
first object of a protective tariff is to slim
ulate and encourage home manufacturing,
till the business can be established, with a
plant, skilled operatives and sufficient
capital to compete with foreign manufac-
lurers. With this step gained, competition
would multiply at home sufficient to lower
the price and a duty to bar out foreign
goods becoming less necessary could be