The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-06-16
Absolute Free Trade.

To the Editor Oi the lnjvlligCnCcr:
We are now, from experience and
observation, converted to The policy of
free trade. We src that Engiand has
such policy, except some duties she
collects upon about six different artI-
clcs: Cocoa, sugar, coffee, soap,
spirits and playing cards; yet she has
sevcnty-two ships under her own iiag
out of every one hundred in commerce
upon the ocean, and the hi"h tariff
nations have the remainder, twenty
eight. English commerce is in full
vigor and complete sway oI every sta
and in every nook and corner. She
has nine lines of steamers ply Ipg her
trade between the mouth OF he Rio de
la Plata and her home ports, and
carry ing food products To her people,
and such things rs her colonia! people
Of South America nay need for their
home support. Othcr statements
of Ike kind might be made.
Tariff, collected for pure protection
of manufactures. or for revenue only,
we can now scc is grown 10 he perfectly
corrupting and peInicious. Either Is
now used for corrupt purposes by pol
ilicians, and the people, the toiling
millions, are ground down and made
to suffer the most fearful hardships
Bryce is now accused of squandering
$21 200, 900 OF the peoples hard-carnrd
money. This, too, is under the much
boasted Mckinley tariff law. This is
but an instance among other stuper-
nlt t,Ar Il
bounties. We have brought into cx-
istence, by tariff laws, all manner Of
| inducements TO fraud and robbery.
Said a school teacher, u few days ago,
tn the writer: He blamed Cleveland
for not so outlining the tariff, at the
beginning ofthe present administration,
as TO have given the manufacturers
such encouragement as would have
held up the country. This man is
beyond a doubt a republican, under
the auspices of democrat. lie has
been considered democrat, but such
men are mixture of both parties. lie
don't understand civil government,
although teacher. Congress, (and
Cleveland only by advice,) regulates
the tariff. We now come TO the last
of our article. Take for illustration
Mr.. A., with moderate farm in good
condition, and n house full of children,
from eight to ten. Under our pro-
tective system, he, in buying for these,
will pay perhaps a tax Of $40 or $50,
but MIR. b., who is worth five times rs
much rs A., and has no family to sup
fay A
because B. buys no protected imports,
but pays only according to what he is
worth, as every man should be per-
mitted to do.
Several years ago the cost of rnnnir 9
the government was fifteen cents on
the one hundred dollars, and the
assessed valuation of all the property
in the United States was S37 900, ,000,-
600. Any one, from these figures, can
make any variety of calculations upon
the various amounts of property in
| their knowledge, and show that direct
taxation is far better than to rely upon
tariff system at all for expense. We
wish to get rid of all congressional
corruption, robbery and stealing. Men
/ ~ "' htNC Si'it
number who will do any criminal act
for money when in power. The want
of confidence that there will be 4
| tariff for protection, is not the grounds
of the hard times ut all. Barring &
Co., London bankers, broke IN 1890
for S75, 900, 900, and this caused tn,
banks IN many parts of Europe to
break. The United States at the time
was in debt TO Europe 81, 0,000,0 ,00O
in bonds. These were sent over here
for collection, and the money was
carried out of the country, and thi.
helped to tighten all money matters
here. The high tariff scare would moi
have produced such a state of affairs
unless this tariff pros periiy has for Tho
last thirty years been nothing hut m
inflated bladder :. j. w.