The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-15
TARIFF OF THE FATHERS AND
OF WAR,

Editors Western RuTGL:-The gentle
man from Indiana makes a very slick
argument but on a false premise. I will
admit that the factories before the rev
olution and during Washington's time
were not as prosperous as they are
now, and why2 Because they were
obliged to do business on the same
basis and for the same profits that
other people did, at that time. No laws
had been passed which enabled them
to reach down into other peoples
pockets and fitch out their earnings.
AS to the claim that Washington, JEFF
ferson, etc. were prOteCtiOnlsts, l would
say that any body who advocated a
five per cent. tariff now would be
hOwled at as a free trader, besides
they knew that the government had to
have revenue and it was the universal
custom of the world at that time to
raise it by a tariff.
Mr.. Slick thinks it would be \ good
idea to keep out the pauper labor driven
to our shores by free trade England's
low wages. 1t Is q we'll known fact
that nine tenths of our e%migranCs come
from Germany, France, Italy, Russia
and other extremely high tariff cOun-
tries and that no one of these high
tariff cOun ries paws near as high
wages as free trade England. The gen
tleman's talk about the common day
Iaborer commanding the same respect
in this country as the millionaire Is IN
correct. I again say that the decade
from 1850 to 1860 showed a greater per
cent. of increase in wealth and manu-
facture than any other decade before
or since. I have mislald the STATISTICS
on This Question but as Mr.. Slick dis.
mites il I will hunt them up for his
benefit. With the usual candOr OF pro
tee 5ionists h. garbled that part of Mr..
Ruchanan's message which referred to
tho wildcat money of that time as a
Remuneration of low tariff. AS an Offset
tn the starving poor In New York the
civ Government of St Louis kept a
soIin house and lodgings in the old to-
haccO warehouse at 11Lh and Chestnut
streets for several years after the panic
of 1873 and yet | hardly think the gen
tIoman from Indiana will claim that
we did not have protection of a high
and lofty order at that time:
The truth is thai neither the panic of
1887 or 1878 was caused by the tariff,
and the people were SO well pleased
with the results of a low tariff that
Congress- reduced it still more in 1857
without a kick from anywhere, and
when Mr.. Morrill, introduced the high
tariff measure Of 1861 and 1852 he did
it as a war measure and giving Con
press to understand that it would be
Repealed as o as the necessity for
means to carry on the war should
cease. From Mr.. Sticks subsequent
argument l should think that he re-
garded war, pestilence and famine as
great blessings. l was alive from 1855
to 1861, and IN central Illinois, we felt
none of the ~deplorable results he speaks
of. l presume the reason the farmers
of Indiana can't get help is, that they
are so poor that they can't pay decent
wages.
Probably this lack of profit in farm
ing Is one OF, the reasons so many farm
ers' sons crowd into the cities and over
crowd the labor market there. In con
clusiOn l wish to say that I am in
favor Of absolute and unlimited free
trade, international, national. state.
county and municipal.
r. G. WORTH.