The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-09-23
THE AMERICAN TARIFF.
Ex-Judno Altgeld. OF Chicago, on
tho Len6ing Issue.


rally at Joliet on september III. In the
evening there was a grand parade Of
democratic marching clubs, after
which the throngs 81 people present
assembled before the courthouse and
listened 10 an eloquent address by ex
Judge j. T. Altgcld. ~ Chicago. the
democratic candidate for guhcrnatorial
honors In speaking on the tariff he
said:
~ln every country Of the old world whore the
<ocaled paupcr labor exists. where the lahorer
mas been reduced 10 the condition of slave
without even master 70 give him decent
,r,fial when he dies. they have high pro-
u~fise tariff and have had for centuries. and
the conditions which the tariff mas created IN
This country that J.. tho concentration of
wealth into few hands, the building up o. a
fcw az the cxpcnSe ~ the rlany grew Up there
while they had high protective tarir' England
had high protective tariff about forty years
nrc, ana had one for centuries. and i was dur
ins the time tina, England had a high protective
tariff that the unequal conditions that still ex-
ist there that Is. The concentration Of great
wealth IN few hands and the impoScrishmcnt
of the manNgrcw up
~Whfe wages are stun low In England they
have doubled since she wiped ont her tariff
fact since the abolition Of the tariff In England
her population has doubled. WAGES have coub-
Led. her trade with foreign nations has in
<rtINtI I've lN.l ttr m.ltfittA4fL- anu COM
mCrciai Affairs have increased more than nye
fold and the moral political and intellectual
condition Of her people has greatly improved
In fact. he greatness OF Great Britain can al
most be said 10 have begun with the abolition
81 her tariff Her Industries at once became
diversified. the energies Of her people bounded
out along almost every line OF human endsavor.
and even those protected interests. which had
had kind OF dollhouse existence and had al
ways been looking % the government for help.
just some young men who are excessively
assisted by kind father. and who consequent
ly never become ~elfreliant but arc always IN
distress and always calling for more help.
these interests thrown out on their own re-
sources and compelled % study the conditions
which are necessary 70 success soon had
natural growth acquired strength and o
prosperity which they never could have done
n-s.r tariff.
"If isa further n)ticcahle fact IN all other
xouAt fies of the Norld where they have high
protective tariff u i the rich. the privileged
classcS who are intcress ted In maintaining II. In
mono 81 them does i, help the lahorer. because
The laborcrs wages have long been AZ the star
walton point: long been 20 the lowest point pos
sihle without compelling him TO 20 70 the poor
house
IN this country We have had tariff legislation
Tor about a century II H. no, pece~Sary here 70
name The different tariff acts and The rates they
impose During The first half century what was
thin called high tarin altcrnatcd with rev
enue tariff wish. however. 10 call attention
20 the fact that what WIS during the first sixty
years OF our career considered u high tariff, and
sunhcicnt 10 prottct American industries was
not equal 10 onc-thrd Of the present tariff.
In other words. those who have been adyocat-
Ing the principle ~ protection have found
themselves Obliged TO raise the tariff every
time that they had il in their power. They nov
have . tariff that j. nearly four times what X
Was deemed necessary when they started. thai
Is. nearly double what II was even during the
war 81 the rebellion. when they enacted what
was considered an excessively high tarln IN
order 10 raise revenue for the governments
tariff which they then declared 10 be- simply d
war tarn and which should b. reduced when
The war was over. hut which, instead 81 r.
dncing, they have constantly increased Under
the act OF 1888 they very greatly increased the
war tax. and under the Mckinley act they again
Increased the tariff duties Of 1883 by an average
Of nearly ~ per cent. 50 that to-day we have
m average tarir rate ~ over % per cent, OF
about four times what they deemed neccsSar,
when they started In TO protect infant indus
trisT and build up manufacturing interests Q
century ago II this Is any criterion then II thu
republican party again reyscs the tarin Il will
nearly double II. for every successive increase
since the war has been very large.
I'm contradistinction TO this let me cali at
tcntion for = moment 10 the last -o-called rcye
nnc, or tree trade tariff, enacted in 1914 and In
force for upward Of ten years 70 near the out
break Of the war II was known the Walker
tariff. because framed In accordance with thu
views 81 Robert J. Walker, who was q member
Of The cabinet This tar,r abolished the higf
duties which then existed and imposed onll
moderate duties 70 secure revenue for the treas
Ury II vas enacted in 1876. and no,withstsnd
ing that the wings won victory In lsi3and hat
pusSsssion OF the government they did not dis
turb H. And Ii commenting upon this fact Mr.
Blaine in his Twenty Years IN Congress- says
THE tarir Of 1916 was yielding abundant rev
mi fhx4 NJ TRY pl1 N Z
hour ishing condition al the time the admins
tration OF Gen. Taylor organized None
became very abundant. large enterprises wer'
undertaken. speculation was prevalent, and 10
considerable period the prosperity 81 tn
country was general and apparently genuine
The principles embodied ID the tariff ~ i-i
seemed for the time to be- entirely yindcatcs
and approved that resistance 20 Il ceased no
only among the people but among the protector
economists and even among the manufacturer
70 large extent 50 general the acqui
essence that In i~55 protective tariff was no
suggested or even limited BY any Of the thre
parties which presented presidential cand
datrs' Certainly this cannot be said 10 be m
Judgment of biased man Ana II IL fact tina
during this period not only did the manufacfu'
erS who had formerly been protected prosper
bus there was general prosperity Throughout
che country. All industries thrived. agricultur
prospcrcd. the business u the country pros
prci. and II was during this comparatiyel
>fft-
mcscc then on earth Mr. Blaine tells us tina
our tonnage exceeded that Of any other natl
on the globe. There was not sea In the worl
upon which n ship could hoat but what u IA
upon II American ships laden with America
products and flying the American flag. u VI
during this period that our industries becan
diversified as they never had before, and IN
Our country developed 80 a. 70 enable II 70 ~
cessfully cope with the great civil war IN
avowcd object and principle OF the tariff IN IN
~mmtry for thirty-nye years has been 20 ke'
ont foreign competition on what was sfyl
paupcr made goods and 70 enable the mannfa
surcr 10 pay higher wages 70 his men "a ~
thc advocates or the tariff have been enabled
keep In power almost solely through the cry
projection Of American labor.
.ThiS had beautiful sound. and we ~
presently see that II has turned out 70 %
cruel deception. by means Of which both !
labcrer and the farmer have been robbed
their substance. The first effect Of the tarin
% enable the manufactures 10 sell his goods
higher prices than he ccrld have y there
more competition in fact, u this we're mol
object and effect there would be no use " ~
ING Il But a il not only the theoretical bu'
A found 10 be the practical c1cct o. ~ ~
49,. s,&., Err .rNi men who nrHt