The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-05-11
HE ECIS AND INTEILiGENCER.
FRANK e. GORRELL. Editor.
FIFTY .YE4RS 400.

find consolation in the fact that each
succeeding day brings it that much
nearer to a close. When the bill is
finally passed we will probably have an
average tariff of about forty per cent,
which, though high is much better
than the Mckinley monstrosity OF
more than sixty per cent. When
this is finished it will be much bet
ter for Congress to leave the tariff
alone for while as a whole, but to
lop off and prune down such items as
may seem practicable from time to
time. This pruning process however,
should never be lost sight of but con-
stantly kept up until we have all aver
age tariff of not more than twenty-five
per cent.
Experience has proved this to be
best for by far our greatest national
progress was made in the days of low
tariff. 1t is true some of our citizens
have alnassed great fortunes, but are
we, collectively, much better off than
we were fifty years ago. Let us look
back and see.
Fifty years ago it was said that there
was but one millionaire in the United
States-the late John Jacob Astor.
Now they can be counted by hundreds
and there are also persons who can
count their millions by the hundred.
Fifty years ago the word tramp was
entirely unknown, as applied to per-
son, but now it is as we'll known and
as familiar as the word dog. At that
time there were no beggers except a
few who were crippled or physically
unable to do any kind of labor. Now
we see, daily, stalwart men walking the
roads and begging from house to house
for the sustenance of life. Fifty years
ago the word strike was only employ
ed when something had received
blow, but now almost every daily pa
per tells US of thousands of men on
a strike, generally on account of their
employers refusing to give them suffi-
cient wages to exc out a miserable ex-
istence Fifty years ago the country
was dotted over with small manufac-
tories, where nearly all the necessary
articles of daily use could be made,
but now all that remains of these mills
is here and there a crumbling wall or
a rotting wheel vast mills, with &C
cumulated capital, having taken their
places.
Fifty years ago we had a 'moderate
tariff, founded on Democratic princi-
Piles and the country was prosperous,
but the Wing party of that day, led by
the magnificent Henry Clay, contend
ed for more protection and the party
and their leader went down under the
issue and yet the rates asked for by
the high tariff men at that time were
much below those embodied in the
much abused Wilson bill, now before
the United States Senate. But to re-
turn to the subject of the country's
wealth. 1t has increased, during the
half century, but probably not out of
proportion to the rapid increase in
population; but where has this in
crease been produced Has the mil
ionaire or the capitalist produced it,
or has it not been produced by the
toiling millions of the land! Where
is the wealth of the farmer who has
risen day after day at five o'clock and
toiled under the broiling sun until twi-
light has fallen, to return to his hum
BILE abode, too tired perhaps, to sleep
His farm is mortgaged for all that it
would bring. Where is the wealth of
the miner, the mechanic, the day
laborer and we might add all the toll
ing millions of the land? We cannot
say unless it be in their half-clad and
poorly fed children. The country is
undoubtedly richer, but perhaps not
as rich as might be supposed. We
might illustrate this by describing a
snow storm. We will assume that it
commences showing early in the morn
ing and continues to snow, though
not rapidly, all day. At nightfall it
ceases and, although several inches
have fallen, it is not considered mach
OF a snow and it is not at all in the
way. During the night, however, the
winds from the North come down in
furious gales and drive the snow into
piles in many places, maybe overtop-
ping the fences along the highways
and blocking all communication across
the country. When daylight comes
and the people look abroad they ex-
claim whats wonderful snow storm!''
and yet if these people could view
the country around they would see
thousands of acres which had been de-
nuded of. their covering and were
freezing in the northern blasts.
Is it not so with the wealth of the
country? Has it not been accumulat-
ed by the blasts of avarice into the
laps of the few while the homes of the
toilers, if homes they have, lie cold
and bare, swept by the chilling blasts
ofpoverty. Now this cannot be right,
it is contrary to all the best instincts
of humanity, justice and the laws of
Creation. Who or what is to be blam- |
ed for it !? The Republicans say the |
prospect of free trade. But we have |
never had, and probably never will |
have, free trade.
But they say we are threatened |
with the Wilson bill and that, if en-
acted by a Democratic Congress,
would be free trade. Well, it may be |
SO, but it is pretty hard to construe
forty per cent. tariff as free trade. The |
accumulation of enormous wealth in |
the hands of few, the poverty of the |
masses and the unprecedented hard |
times have all come to us under the |
regime of the highest tariff the coun-
try has ever had and it seems to us
that we should hold that regime re-
sponsible for our present ills, and re-
form the evils it has brought as thor
oughly and as rapidly as possible.
The leaders of the Commonweal |
army are not finding life in Washing
ton a bed of roses. On Tuesday last |
the jury in the police court brought |
in verdict finding Coxey, Browne |
and Jones guilty of carrying banner
in the capitol grounds contrary to
Io,,y anI Tnvau ord Rroxyna .,,;I&,,