Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-18
THE ARGUS, THURSDAY. OCTOBER 1s. 1894.
MEDlLL's REVOLT.


Declares the Farmers should Rise Against
the Tariff.
The well-known position Of Hon.
Joseph Medill on the tariff question is
OF special interest just now, as the
Chicago Tribune, of which he is the
proprietor, while conceding every day
that times are rapidly improving, is
10th to admit that this improvement is
due to the democratic tariff legisla-
ton.
1t was in 1887 that Mr.. Medill first
revolted against the protection robbery
OF the republican party and in letter
to Hon. ID. w. Minshail, chairman of
the republican state committee Of In
diana, declared that the country had
run mad on protection, and that the
millions of farmers were being robbed
by few hundred protected" monopo-
lists A few extracts from that letter,
which Mr.. Medill has authorized to be
published, will be read with special
interest by Illinois farmers and prohi-
bitionists.
Abiding to the prohibition platform,
Mr.. Medill in that letter says:
THE prohibition party have studiously
avoided and ignored the tariff question and
their leaders avow themselves utterly indif-
ferent to IT, They refuse to take sides. saying
they care nothing about it one way or the other
l suspect they would like to see the tax re.
moved from whisky even il that nccessilated
an increase on the necessaries OF life, as they
believe cheap whisky would promote the de-
mand for coercive prohibition by increasing
drunkenness and the evils of intemperance"
Referring further on in his letter to
the fallacious degmas of protection, he
says:
where. then, is the remedy for the heavy
burden OF fifty per cent. tax on the neces-
saries Of life, both imported and domestic?
There is only one element or class able to re-
move It and that Samson is sleeping in the
lap OF Delilah and will not awaken. l. OF course
mean the farmers-the plundered, unprotected
twenty-five millions Of geese-iike farmers,
who permit themselves to be plucked of almost
every feather by q hundred thousand pro-
tocted monopOlists. So long as the simple
minded. bucolic class do not kick OF
the burdens laid upon them, congress will
not disturb the war tariff and manufacturers
corresponding bountieS While the plowmen
oct Ike Issacher's ass and crouch between the
two burdens, both will be kept on their backs
The lubricants live localized in the cities and
plot ana scheme for the promotion OF their
selfish interests and bring their united lobby
whereas the farmers live Isolated and scat.
tered and can't or don't combine in defense OF
their interests. hence they are unprotected.
unrepresented and unconscious Of what keeps
them poor. They are captivated by the specfous
cry OF protection to American industry
tho they get none OF 1t; and OF the value Of
the protected home market to them: as
though the protected monopolist ate any more
than other E,en. Not until the verdant. i'm
posed upon aSriculturists wake up to a realiza-
ton Of the confidence game being played upon
them, Will the vGr tariff be reduced or re-
formed. But when, will they get their
nyNan a In 70
1t is useless to look to either OF the
old parties or to the new one (prohibition)
the farmers they will not bulge an inch But
Samson (the farmers) is under the spell of
Delilah tthe manufacturers) and his locks are
shorn and he feels no strength to resist The
conclusion Of the whole matter is that until
the protected manufacturers themselves ask
congress to reduce the protection bountles, in
order to enable them to cheaper the processes
OF fabrication with view of finding foreign
markets for their surplus wares there will oe
no reduction of the high tariff and no relief
from the heavy burden 1t imposes on the fool
farmers and oppressed consumers But when
will that be! Yours truly, j. MEDILL
Personal After writing the foregoing let
ter concluded that you might make any use
Of 1t you please. J. MEpILL"
It will be seen that Mr.. Medill is en-
phatic in declaring that the farmers
are being robbed, and that until they
awaken no relief is possible. Since
that letter was written the farmers
hare awakened; the democratic party
has boldly espoused tariff reform and
made it the paramount issue; SO that
all republican farmers of Illinois, fol-
lowing Mr.. Medilrs advice, will vote
to throw off the yoke of high protec-
ton and monopoly, and place in power
the candidates of the only party that
Is pledged to relieve them from the
servitude of the protected trusts.