The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-17
A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW OF
 THE TARIFFS WORKINGS
By II. H. LEINAD

and iron rails and steam locomotives car ried to ocean ports the fruits of industry and as MT. Blain well said, happiness and prosperity were the twin blessings of our country"
 The war between the states came on, the expenses of government increased; government was forced to borrow money, taxation was increased, so that the inter- est on the debt incurred could be paid, the currency known as greenbacks depre- ciated until they were worth only 40 cents on the dollar. Internal revenue taxes were slaid-then an income tax. It seemed as if everything except air and sunlight were taxed. Products of the farm, mine and factory sold at ,phenominaly high prices. Bleached muslin that sold before the war at sixpence per yard, sold for s1 per yard, and calico that had been priced at 5 cents per yard sold readily at 504cents per yard in the north; taxes, town and county, city, state and national, were increased in order to meet increased ex- penditures and also by reason of depre ciated currency.
 The war tariff was continued after peace was declared-the payment of the National debt was the pretext-manufac- turing had grown to be immensely profit able, it amounted to 8 craze. Farming that had hitherto been profitable was a losing business. Railroads went into the hands of receivers, thousands of miles of raQroadse were operated under the di- rection of the U. S. courts. Railroad stocks and farming lands depreciated un- til lands that had sold in 1865 for S1OO per acre. sold for S25 per acre, and it's fertility, it's productiveness was as great as when it sold for the highest price named. These lands that I personally saw sold were within 50 miles of New York city and were less than five miles from three lines of railroads. At that time the western coun- try (west of the Mississippi riyer) was being developed and the eastern farmer suffered; still tariff rates were kept as high as in war times. Then the south and west put their lands in pawn.
 Trusts and monopolies that were pro- tected by high tariffs were formed. Trust companies multiplied and even farm mort gages in the west went into trusts. Cattle, wheat and other food products were abundant, prices declined, the Granger movement began to assert itself; farmers formed other organizations and railroads became the scapegoats of the protected manufacturers. Farm lands changed own CTS at reduced values. railroads were re- organized; the old, stockholders suffered great losses; merchants went into. bank ruptcy-but protected industries still flourished.
 During these years when the producing
 
 when bankruptcy courts were crowded, when railroads were in receivers hands, it was then that our iron kings and oil lords fourished. Protection to the work ingmen was the party slogan, but they shivered with cold, their dinner pals were empty, and yet the protected manufst- turer, whose cause was not pleaded was the real beneficiary Who can deny this, when the head captains in the oil and iron industry have given away over $2000OO, eco each in order to avoid being annoyed with the wealth that was wrung from willing workers? Captain Kidd buried his booty for succeeding generations and our mod ern freebooters follow his illustrous exam ple-they endow for future generations
 Let us learn wisdom from the past Tariff taxes should be for revenue; the masses need protection; the classes have always been able to protect themselves as teaches all history. Let tariff taxation be graduated downward gradually. Sud- den and severe changes in the body polite are as injurious as to the individual. Wes the people, are to blame for our condition. for the laws that have oppressed labor and built up the business baron; we did it with our own ballots. Let the blame fall where it belongs; we have endured, suffered. been chastened, now let us in the future vote so that the producer will get his rightful share,f so that the kings, lords and barons of protection will not in the future have to give hundreds of mil lions to a conscience fund. I say let us in the future so vote that our wives and little ones can have as under the Walker tariff, prosperity.