Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-24
A NORTHWESTERN VIEW.
HON. J. STERLING MORTON ON TIE
TARIFF SITUATION.

So Called Farmers Tariff"
Hon. ]. Sterling Morton, of Omaha,
was recently in New York, and while
there he was interviewed by member
of the Reform club upon the general sit
nation in the northwestern states in ref
erence TO the tariff question and to the
political agitation there among farmers.
'There is disposition said Mr.. Nor
ton, among the farmers of the north
west to remedy the ills from which they
are now suffering by resorting to class
legislation. This class legislation is the
logical result of the class legislation
which has prevailed SO long at Washing
ton. The farmers have been in more
or less drowsy condition, intellectually,
ever since the war, but they have gradu-
ally walked up, and have observed ths
congress has been arti6cially enhancing
incomes for certain classes of citizens
engaged in tariff protected industries.
They have found out at last that protec-
ton to American manufacturers means
the enhancement of incomes by guaran-
teeing to these manufacturers a monopo-
ly of the American markets against all
corners.
MIR. Carnegie is the typical pecuniarv
individuality which protection has pro
duced in this country. The average
farmer does not think that any man can
IN thirty short years by his own indus
try add 100000 to the common
wealth. He sees, however, that Mr..
Carnegie has amassed such an amount
in that time, and he concludes, logically
enough, that if Carnegie has not added
that sum to the common wealth, he must
have taken from it. He sees further
that he has taken it from the common
wealth under the cover of law by the
provisions of the protective tariff, and
that in fact the tariff was instituted for
the very purpose, under the guise of tax
alton, to take away from all of us for
the benefit of few of us.
1.-The farmer denounces this class leg
islation because it taxes his class to en-
rich another class. He sees that incomes
are thus artifcially made greater by leg
islation; but the farmer, not able to con-
troll national legislation, concludes that
state legislation can, by a point of
reasoning, be used TO reduce incomes.
Hence, logically, we have the anti-rail-
road rate fixing laws in the northwestern
states. The farmer says, If can re-
duce the income of the railroads bv
lessening the cost of transportation |
am indirectly enhancing my own 1t
seems to me fair and safe to say that all
legislation in the different states inimical
to corporate capital is legitimately trace
able to the protective tariff, which is to
all class legislation in the states the first
parent, as Adam is to mankind
do You find that the opinion still
prevails in the northwest that protection
benefits the laborer:''
THAT superstition is dead" said Mr..
Morton. Citizens of ordinary intelli-
gence who have reflected upon the dis
content Of labor and the strikes which
result from IL see that this discomfort
and these strikes are also directly trace
able to the protection system; for when
capital demanded protective tariff to
encourage certain branches of industry
it struck for higher profits. The capital
lists who demanded from congress the
statutes excluding foreign competition
were the first strikers in the United
States. And so the laborer, seeing that
the capitalist can strike for higher profits
through the law making power of the
government. naturally strikes for high
wages. This is done sometimes by the
old method Of quitting work, and again,
emulating capital, an appeal is made to
congress to make eight hours a day
Congress has just as much economic
power to make forty minutes an hour.
There never was a legislative body, ma
tional or state, wise enough to define a
days labor"
And what of the Mckinley tariff
law?'
That is threadbare subject, but
there Is one amusing feature in that law.
The Mckinley tariff differs from the
Morrill, tariff in that it permits nothing
for the use of the United States govern
ment to come in free. Mr. Mckinley
said in a speech in Grand Rapids, Mich,
In October. 1890, that as a just minded
man it occurred to him that a govern
ment which enacted law should be the
first compelled to obey it. Therefore he
had enforced the payment of duties
upon all dutlable goods brought in from
abroad for the use of the United States.
And Republican audience cheered this
massive manifestation of craftsmanship
| with great and sustained enthusiasm The
spectacle of our common Uncle Samuel
taking money out of one pocket and put
! ting 1t into another raised Republican
protective hilarity to the highest in
| tensity.
"The Mckinley statecraft which pro-
voked so much applause is only equaled
by the finance of the man who, having
leased very highly decorated and ex-
pensiye edifice for the purpose of keeping
a saloon therein, was told that the rent
was too high, and triumphantly replied
You don't know me. You don't under
stand my capacity. Din it, can drink
enough myself to pay the rent Prob
ably Mckinley would have the United
States government import enough for