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How Farmers Are Plundered By The Tariff

How Farmers Are Plundered By The Tariff image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
March
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. M. B. Lloyd', ot'Orior, Ilenry county, Illinois, addressed his tellow íarniers in a very sensible; way, not by any tneans deendiug or extonuut ng rairoad injusuei?, b'it showing that tho farmers ara responsiblo i'or inuoh oí' their own oppression. Ho tlius closes a letter in tho Cambridge Ch rot, iele : " Thus yon pasa a proteotive taviff law, pretending it is for the bunetit of tho ]jroducer, an(í to avoid tho necessity ot' trausportation. The'u under it, and by eít'ect, you make him pay a greater cose ot transportation than he would without it, thus receiving hi3 price for bis produets, and paylng íil'ty par cent., moni tor the inanulactures vhieh he mubt ti' neoessity buy, bleeding hita at both tmds, and at the sanie time humbugging him so oompletely and entirely that he tbinkí it is all for his benefit, and ho vtantd inore protective tariíí'. Thus we see that, though mauufacturing in tho West ia what we wibh - what' we desire - protective tariíí' is not thu thing to bríng it. And, in iuet, it can. only como by years oí' growth. Tho time will undoubteuly come -when íliis vast western country will consume its üivn agriuulturul products, but it may bo a hundred or two hundrcd jtars heneo. Withdraw, tlien, tboso so-calïed protective duties, and give ■western producers (and others) a chance to live previoua to the expiration of thosc years." Mr. Lloyd is on the right track, and is in singular contrast with those deinagognoa who are urging farmers to acts of violenco, whilo protesting in the legislature and clsewhere against the repeal of exaetions that are consuming i'ar more of the subitáneo oí the people than the excess ot' l'roight charges over a just and reasonable rate. The complaint is, that corn ia seiHng for only twenty cents a bushei, and that railroads demand fortysix cents for carrying it to New York Xow let us sec how the farmers are plundered at the other end : On every overcoat costing 2ö he paya tax S 9.00 Ou every snit oí clothes 30 15.00 : shirts eosting 1?, 4.00 On socks and uuderwear G 2.00 On two kets 10 6.00 On shawl for for wif e 10 6.00 On woraen's shoes 4 1.50 Nhoes for rest ot famüy 100 30.00 S 197 S 71.50 Out of every 197 he expends for thfr necessary clothing of his family $71.50 is lor tax, not to the government, but to the woolen and cotton monopolies, pensioned by law. ïhis tax is equal to threö hundred and seveu bushels of corn, and is that much of the annual products of the farmer's labor taken froni hiin and given over to certain monopolists, without consideration of any kiud. If thia tax were paid into the Trersary thero might be sorne excuse for it, but it is taken in the form of cash, and paid to the monopolist that he may bo " encouraged " to repeat the operation. The same farmers pay an average tax of fifty per cent., on every impleinent of iron that he uses; on his hoisoshoes, on his wagon-tires and his ploughs; on every screw, bolt, nail or red ot' iron ; he pays the same tax on the tin and copp.r ware; on his cook-stoves and pipe; on his glaas and crockery ware ; on his cutlery ; on his carpet, and on his bedding. He pays tax on his salt, luraber, vinegar and mustard; on nearly all that he eats, drinks and vvears, except what he raisss himself; and about iiffcy cents out of every dollar he expends is paid over as a special bounty to monopolists who have obtained from Congress the special privilege of takiug other people's property and earnings without consideration. Here is a practical grievance that can be remedied at tho ballot-box by the farmers. And yet how many of the men who aro traveling the State, urging farmers to violence against railroads, have a word against this form of legislativa plunder? Some ot'thetn are getting theif eyes open, but the great mass are still daaf and l)lind to tbe chief cause of their

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus