Year: 1866

Il IS decidedly gratifying in looking
over the proceedings of Congress TO OBJ
serve that the Western members are
alive to sense of their duty in regard
10 the protection of their home interests
as we'll as those of the Eastern manutac
lures and now, by our steady increase of
population we have not only the talent
bat the numerical strength in Congress,
that can command the respect and ut
tention OF representatives from other
sections of the country, while heretofore
we have been compelled to accept what
they in their generosity might see ut to
yield. We can now. as western peo-
pie. feel that our great interests must be
respe ted rs we have the strength in the
legislative halls to say TO those who have
heretofore turned a deaf ear to our en-
treaties. tor we could do more than en-
treat, that the time has come when we
are to be heard. and unless our interests
can be provided for as well as the inter
ests of New England. and the interests
of the Western agriculturist as we'll as
the Eastern manufacturer protected from
competition from the British Provinces
we will have compensation nv reduc,
tion of the duties on other articles.


Ga the 18th inst, the House of Rep
resentatives having under consideration
the bill to regulate trade with Canada.
We find in the Congressional Globe the
following remarks from Hon. B. c.
Cook:


| suppose that. according to the rules
that have been advanced heretofore by
the gentleman from New York Mr.
Brooks. he must believe that ii he gives
us 4 reasonable protection on orr beef,
he will get beef in New Y ork both cheap
er AMI fatter than he has ever got it be.
tore. That | understand to be the logi-
cal deiaction from the argument which
he used to present; | do not know
whether he presents it now.


day or two ago the gentleman from
Maryland. Mr. + Thomas. appealed
successfully TO tins House to have the
tariff raised upon coal. The reasons
urged bv the gentleman were these
first. that the coal OF Maryland, having
large land transportation could not
compete successfully with the coal of
New Brunswick on the seahord. which
Is the aoin, o! competition He also in
sisted that free trade in coal had been
disastrous to HE miners of Maryland
and the coal interest OF Nafvland And
the House adopted his reasoning by





the same principle, rs the coal of Mary
land could not compete with the coal of
New Brunswick until it got to the sea
board the point Of competition, no more
can western agricultural products con
pete with the prodacts of Canada until
we come To 6aifalo and inasnuch rs
New brunswick coal at the point ot com
petstioa costs less than Marylan,i ccal
80 he agricultural products of Canada
At tie point of competition cost less
than the products of Illinois and Iowa
These things are so Strike off this pro
lection, and the agricultural interests OF
Illinois are precisely where the coal in
terests of Maryland would be without
protection.


Now there should he some little pro-
lection TO the agricultural interests of
the West to enable our aoricultnrists to
compete successfully with the agricul
turlsts OF Canada at the point of compe-
tition. and that is Buffalo. | call the
attention Of tae committee TO this fact,
taat in raising the tariff son the different
articles mentioned in this bill. we have
raised the tariff upon fish. upon dried
fish and makerel. the only fish from New
Eng land useti to any extent in Illinois
and Iowa You have raised the tariff on
coal, which enters into the value of eve
ry article of machinery which we use,
of every farming implement we use, for
their price is graduated to some extent
by the price OF coal You have raised
the price OF these things upon us in the
West by the alterations made in this tar
if since it has been reported to this
House. l believe, and | am willing to
say it here, that the system of the inter
nal revenue and of the tariff have been
SO arranged in this House as to operate
most injuriously upon the agricultural
interests of the West, and if western men
think as | do about this matter. will
contrive to have a fair show in this mat
ter i'll time to come. II we are called
upon TO protect Eastern interests. and TO
adjust our tariffs for protection, we must
have them adjusted in such a manner
that we of the West and our interests
shall receive equal protection.