Volume Fifty-seven

The Argus to-day begins its fiftyseventh volume. During the past month it has had a very gratifying increase of circulation and at the end of no month of the year has its circulation not been larger than at the beginning of that month. This is the steady growth, which counts. During the past year, the Argus has been changed from a weekly fo a semi-weekly. We think that the rhange has been appreciated by most of our readers. It certainly adds very greatly to the amount of editorial work required. But no pains or labor will be spared to put the Argus still farther ahead. We think we can, during the coming year, promise a more vigorous and systematic search after the news. More attention than ever will be paid tothe editorial columns. The Argus will always be found in the van fighting for the tariff reform which the American people so much need. It will devote considerable attention to the work of the first democratie legislature since 1854. It will keep its readers posted on the progress of the farmers' movements, which are now taking place. While other and interesting topics will be discussed at length. The Argus was started two years before Michigan became a state and when Ann Arbor was a village of 500. It has chronicled the growth of the city and state, it has kept progress with them. It has always been a sterling democratie paper. It remains such. Of all the papers ia the state, it is a remarkable fact, that the oldest are democratie. The Argus and the Detroit Free Press are the two oldest. They were both started in January, 1835. And, as pioneers, they may, perhaps, be sometimes indulged in reminiscent words. We thank our friends for their generous support of the past year, and we trust they will aid us in widening our circulation during the year to come. The state legislature organized Wednesday with Lieutenant-Gov. ernor Strong presiding over the senate and the election of Philip B. Wachtel, of Emraett, as speaker of the house. Both the speaker and the lieutenant-governor tirged economy and a short session. l'orty-five years ago, in beginning a new volume of the Argus, Cole & Gardiner, who were then editors, said: "We mean tosupport the principies of democracy as laid down by the immortal Jefferson and expounded and acted upon by those who have received the confidenc and who still retain the support of the democratie party. Henee the present administration of our state will receive our humble yet firm support." Por the first time in thirty-seven years, the Argus can again frepeat the last sentenee. Lieutennt Governor Strong, in his speech to the senate Wednesday, said: "It seems our stern and bounden duty to obey the mandate promulgated on the fourth day of Jast November, and answer by our words and actions in ho unmeaning terms or conduct the demand of the people for a rigid observance of economy in the appropriation of their hard earnings. I believe the people are willing that we should be reasonably liberal to our educational institutions, watchful and justtoour asylums, but conservative with our reformatories and prisons." The democratie opposition to the protective tarifï is no new thing. To show this more clearly, we quote the following excellent article, applicable to-day as when printed in the Democratie Free Press (now Detroit Kree Press) of January 27, 1844: The word "protection," as used by the advocates of high and prohibitory tarifïs, means securing to manufacturers of certain articles a monopoly of the home market by raising the price of like articles when imported from abroad, by exorbitant duties so high as to enable the manufacturers of those articles to obtain higher prices for their goods from the other classes of community than they could otherwise obtain. Unless those higher prices are obtained, the result intended by the passage of a " protective " tariff law is entirely defeated. This so-called "protection" is neither more nor less than legislating money out of the pockets of an oppressed or plundered many, into the purses of a favored and protected few. A single glance at the present comparative profits of capital invested in agriculture at the west, and in manufactures at the east, will be sufficient to show such to be the effect of the present tariff. An eastern " lord of the loom and spindle," on every five thousand dollars invested in manufactures, is deriving an income of a íi.ooo or $1,500 at the average rate of dividends on such stock for the last six or twelve months,and this too, without soiling his fingers or doing anything to even start the sweat on his brow; whilst the hardy and hard working western farmer, with a whole family actively engaged the year round, besides extra hired help at certain seasons in getting in or securing his crops, cannot now realize anything like the same amount from a farm worth much more than five thousand dollars. And if our western farmers should play up gentelemen like the eastern manufacturing capitalists, and hire all their work done, they could, at the present reduced prices of western produce and increased prices of eastern goods, hardly make ends meet. To "protect" one class, without correspondingly oppressing others, is beyond the ingenuity or power of any legislative legerdemain or contrivance, and, like other whig fallacies, issoon destined to be considered on all sides as an "obsolete idea."