The Ottawa free trader. [volume], February 25, 1888, Image 4

About The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
The Free Trader
'OK
1888.
Be Free Trafler Is a Tariff Reformer.
It bellevw Hi hevl-t bunli-m of the Amerli mi pro
uvUve njuem fall upon Die Ktrnier.
1. kii-..,i,. firmer recclvtw nothing In return;
but, on the contrary, tint he U hampered hy It In h
rfforti to extend li Is rxuun irmui.
1. ,n.,... 11,. 1 1 hi' nn.Kvtive tariff In an Injury ti the
IIWlli1vi"- 1
working man; that 1m wag would t higher without
It, hU employment teadler. unci mi f"
MiceMartia of life, very mnch lew.
It will advocate tariff reform (not Irf trial') and I w
MxecMuppuned to free whlnky and Iouimto.
It will teach demorratic doctrine" nud nuppurl demo
cratic men and meiuurii.
It bellevea In and will aapport hone.t government fur
the benefit of the whole people, ami not a flaw.
It la opiKjaed to unjuat combination! of all aorta.
It wUI atrlve to iwrpetuate, the control which the Dem
ocratic party now ha ot the national government, m
fcelog the bt the people hae had for many yearn.
in the conflict of the year T11 k Kiikk Tiahrii will be
found In the fight ai umial.
It will be v good a paper aa can he inide,
It will be a paper for I Salle county votera and tax
payer, devoted to their Intercut, and giving them re.
liable luformatlou only.
I'ltKMIl'MS.
To all new luu-crlbera, and to all old ow who pay
pall arrearage and one year In advance, the Fc
TaI)I will glv, aa premium, a copy lor one year of
that excellent Farm 1'aper, the Fakm, Ktw k ash
Horn, a aplendld farmer' paper.
I-KKMIUMH rot NW HtllM K1IIXHN.
Any one lending u one NEW ub-rlner will he Riv
en their choice of any out of the following premium! :
Our Family Hiyilclan.
Ilupp'a Calculator.
iMiU' Manual of Fancy Work.
Jenny June' Needle Work.
Jenny Jone'a KnlttlnR and Embroidery.
Janny June' Letter and Monogram.
Ladle' World-one year.
Ladles' Home Journal one year,
For ttro NEW ulicrlber any one of the following :
Chicago Weekly Journal, Time, Inter Ocean, Trlb
ane or Now.
American Agricultural, American Ilec Journal
American l'otiltry World, Toledo Wade.
New York Tribune Herald, Hun or World, with pre
mium book.
Prairie Farmer, Conner Journal.
For Am NEW ubi:rlbeni for one year:
Voutha Companion one year, llarpvr'a Young People
one year, or Wiwtern Itural one year.
The Century or Harper' Weekly or Harper'! Ilivar
will be ent free foi aeven new ubr.rllM-r.
Harper' Monthly for tlx new lulwcrtbur.
Se.rihner't for five new auterihera.
The Forum or I'opulur Science Monthly for nine new
autocrine.
Bt. Nlehola for live new aulme.rluerH.
Wide Awake for four new lubucrlher.
"If you don't ice what you want, Hk for It." Will
Py nommlwloni In caxli If you want It.
"Nkw autiiM-rlbem" mean pcrauni not now taking our
paper not renewal!.
Current Events.
On Saturday night Inst a terrible cy
clone swept over the city of Mount Vernon,
in Southern Illinois, at about 5 o'clock, anil
destroyed a greater part of the town. The
ruins then took tire and burned furiously,
the little tire department being unable to
cope against the 11 allies. The Ions of live.-i
is estimated at 2(h), some of those wounded
hy the wreck being burned during the lire
in the ruins. The probable pecuniary loss
Is about 1,000,000, and the public build
ings damaged were the county and Su
premo Court Houses, the former being
totally demolished, and the latter being
unroofed. There is much suffering in the
city, but aid U flowing in from all parts of
the county.
The Democratic National Committee in
a meeting at Washington on Thursday last
changed the date ot the national nominat
ing convention from July .1 to June .r, and
named 8t. Louis as the place of holding
the convention.
The fisheries treaty was sent to the
senate this week with a message recoin
mending Its ratification. It was generally
conceded to be favorable to American
interests; but considerable opposition has
arisen to 11, and it Is now announced Unit
it will probably lie rejected.
An "omnibus" bill for the admission of
Dakota, Montana, Wai-hlngtoii Territoiy
and New Mexico as Slates will probably
he presented in the J Inline next week, by
Mr. Springer. It treats the new States
very liberally in the gills of lauds for
.-'chool and chniitahle purposes, and turns
liver to tliem all the It. S. penitentiaries
and animus now exiting. The republi
cans will nieseiit a minority bill.
The Secretary of war has replied to a
demaol for Information touching rebel
flags. It will be consoling to know that
They are all safe in their custody ol the war
department and that none have been
oaned, given away or disposed of by the
Ipresent administration, though prior to
18(57 21 were given up by Mr. Stanton, then
Secretary.
Mr. Culberson of Texas, has Introduced
h constitutional amendment prohibiting
iwlygamy in the U. S. or territory subject
lo Its jurisdiction.
On Tuesday last the President and Mrs.
Cleveland, Co). Lament and a few others
left Washington by a special train for
Jacksonville, Florida, to visit the subtrop.
leal exposition. Arriving at the latter city
on Wednesday, an enthusiastic reception
was given them Thursday was spent In
St. Augustine, where there was another
reception.
Washington's birthday, which is happily
becoming more and more a national holi
day and a day of the teachlrg of politics,
was celebrated In Chicago by a I'mon
League Club oration ly Mr. Cliatincey M.
)jw, anil a banquet by the club In the
evening, Mr. Depew's speech was In the
main a defense of the tarlli" system, from
m rich man's standpoint, but It contained
nothing to encourage the poor. In the
venlng oue of the speakers was Andrew
Carnegie, the Pittsburg millionaire steel
rail maker, whose text was "American
Citizenship:" but he to fur forgot his text
and bis breeding as to devote his time to a
reply to lion. Ben IJutterworth's speech, at
the name table, In favor of . a reciprocal
treaty with Canada. Air. Carnegie doesn't
believe in reciprocity or anything that will
interfere with his profits as a protected rail
maker. Of course not. Mr. Scott, of the
Pennsylvania road, remarked In a speech
inlSHd, that this "subject of the Queen."
luring "dull times," drew out of hU rall
mlll in profits of f 5,000 a day for dayi,
and Mr. Carnegie does not own the entire
plant, either. Keclproclty with Canada, or
any other country, might reduce his annual
profits-to only a million, and that would be
disastrous. Wiien our readers peruse the
speeches on the tariff at the Union League
t 'lub In tbelr great dailies, they might then
read Bill Nye's statement of a jxior far
mer's views on the same topic, which we
print elsewhere to-day.
The Chicago police have come to the
conclusion that one W. 15. Tascott was the
man who nurdered Snell in Chicago re
cently. Cut Tascott has yet to be captured,
unless a young inau answering hi$ descrlp
tli n, arrested at Le'-iat on, Mo., shall prove
to be he.
Judiie Harlan has handed down an opin
ion adverse to the rights of the Illinois
Central 11. H. Co. 'a rights in the submerged
lands east of the "Ike Front" Chicago;
these are the property of the city, the rail
road, however, holding where It now occu
pies. , , ,
A 8. P. K H train was stopped and the
express car robbed in Arlz ina on Wednes
day evening by two masked men. The
amount taken is said to be large.
The sugar trust is credited with pocket
ing a Det extra profit of $7,200,000 by
Increase of prices during the few weeks
since the "trust" was organized.
The back bone of the Heading strike
appears to have been broken, the company
having been forced to make concessions,
among them a reduction of price ot sup
plies. The men have been ordered hack
to the mines; alamt one half of which
were in operation yesterday, and all are
expected to be so on Monday,
W, W. Corcoran, the Washington mil
lionaire and philanthropist,! again serious
ly ill.
The Territorial Supreme court of Dako
ta has In a recent opinion aflirmed the le
gality of the local option law of the terri
tory. The crow n prince of Get many does not
appear to he as well since the operation
performed upon his throat as was expected,
and does not rest well.
The opening of parliament has not
Renslbly encouraged the ministerialists of
Great Britain. It Is true the government
majority is (JO and can be inci eased to 100
if necessary ; nevertheless they Hre as a
party not in fine working condition; for it
Is felt that the uncertalns will in an em
ergency swing over to the Gladstone side
of the house. The proceedings have thus
far been uninteresting and unimportant;
except that the dynamiter excitement, etc.,
have caused the revision of of the rules
touching the admission of spectators, and
the public will be practically barred out,
or admitted only under close police sup
ervlslon.
On Saturday Inst John Hooper, M. P.,
editor of the Cork Herald, was released
from Tullainore prison after two months'
Incarceration for taking part in League
meetings. During his imprisonment he
was punished for refusing to associate
with common criminals! On the same
day Mr. Graham, M. P., was also released.
He attended the I ratal uar square meeting.
REPUBLICAN DI8H0NE8TY.
There was never anything more thor
oughly dishonest in the politics of this
country than the present boisterous and
persistent uttempt of the Hepublican press
and party leaders to make the voters be
lieve tiiat the issue presented by the Presi
dent's message and endorsed by the Dem
ocratic party Is that of free trade nrniiM
protection. There Is not one word In the
message that can be honestly construed as
even distantly favoring what the Republi
cans mean by the terms "free trade," nor a
word that can be honestly construed as op
posing the principle of protection. The
President himself forestalled such a per
version of his meaning by distinctly dis
claiming all thought or intention of favor
ing what is popularly known as Uie doc
trine of "free trade" as opposed to protec
tion, and in advance stigmatised any such
effort as a dishonest 'bandying of words."
What the President did say was, that there
was then in the treasury, in spite of a
largo resort during the preceding summer
to the doubtful expedient of buying gov
ernment bonds In the open market at a
high premium, a surplus of ifS.I.OOO.OOO ;
that the government was collecting 1W,-
000,000 a year In excess of its needs; and
he submitted the question, shall this sur
plus be spent or shall it be stopped? He
portrayed the Inevitable demoralization
and corruption that must attend theextrav.
agant expenditure of such a vast sum, and
showed that wisdom dictated thut'the sur
plus should lie stopped. P.iH how? It
could be done by repealing tlie tobacco and
whisky tax. Mut these taxes were in the
interest of good morals and oppressed no
body. There were, however, m:iny glaring
and oppressing abuses In our present tariff
system, and he believed that, without
affecting adversely a single meritorious in
dustry of the country, but vastly to the ben
eflt of nust of them, many of these abuses
could be eliminated, and especially the
free list enlarged for raw materials, the
useless tax on which was so burdensome
to so many of our great manufacturing In
dustries; and he gave as a single Instance
the tax on wool, by which the great woolen
Industry of this country was brought to the
verge of ruin.
This is the question and this the issue
presented by the President's message and
taken up by the Democratic party. Why
do not the Republicans meet it instead of
shouting "tree trader" The Republicans
know that these abuses in our tariff exist ;
John Sherman admits it; their last Presi
dent and their last two secretaries of the
treasury admitted them and urged their
elimination without effect; their owu
Tariff Commission recommended the same
thing, and two of their national conven
tions promised It.
The honest men in their own party,
when approached individually on the sub
ject, as freely admit that our present tariff
greatly needs reform, and exactly in the
direction Indicated in the President's mes
sage. Thus, among hundreds of others
that might lie Instanced the lion. Henry
W. Leman, of Chicago, a representative
Republican, In an interview with an at
tacheof the Chicago Journal, a few days
ago, when asked his views oti the tariff
question, said :
I favor maintaining a tariff for protec
tion, hut only where it Is necessary to ena
hie home industries to thrive. I think,
perhaps, some industries need no longer
the present protection, and I favor the re
duction of the same wherever it can be
done without crippling the existing home
Industries; and this reduction should be
made on articles of necessity first. 1 be
lieve the protective policy has resulted In
great good to the country at large In the
past, but It should not be extended beyond
the limits of reason, nor should it exist at
all whenever the industries of the country
can sustain themselves without it.
This we pronounce to be sound Demo
crutlc doctrine and an exact statement of
the issue presented by the President's
message. Why, then, do the Republicans
dodge the Issue and raise the senseless
howl of "free trade!1" Their o urse can
bear no other construction than that of a
confession of weakness.
John Jarrett ought to be good authority
on the subject of labor. He Is a republi
can and a protectionist in the best of
standing, and what he may say on tke sub
ject Is certainly not the result of any demo
cratic tendencies on his part, though in
this particular case very unrepubllcan, as
appears from his statement that his expe-
rlence among the coal miners In England
induces him to say that "they are really
better cared for than are the coal miners in
the United States."
AT LAST.
To the people at large will come a feel
ing of Intense gratification that at last the
alleged boodler cases are, on Monday next,
to come to a hearing In open court, and the
merltsof the indictments to be determined
by law. For more than a year Messrs.
Raymond, Rartels and Milligan'have rested
under Indictments for having defraudeJ the
county of sums of money, and throughout
all this time there has been kept up
through the columns of the "cellar organ,"
evidently for some purpose, an indecent
assault, no only on the indicted themselves,
but upon all those who were friendly with
them or who Insisted thut the men should
be allowed the privilege of a judicial trial
before being counted with common crim
inals and sneak thieves.
Because the Fkek Tkadkh has hereto
fore declared that justice and fair dealing
requires that these men have an unpreju
diced and impartial trial, and be adjudged
according to the law and the evidence to
be developed on their trials In the courts,
it has been denounced by the "Investiga
tors' as opposed to the enforcement of
criminal law in these cases. Because it
lias insisted that they be not tried and con
demned upon the irresponsible statements
made upon the streets and colored by the
prejudlceof avowed personal enemies of
the Indicted, who might or might not be of
the members of the Investigating commit
tee, it has been termed by euch irresponsi
bles the especial organ of boodlerisin and
the friend of criminals. For preferring,
for the credit of the people of LaSalle
county, that the boasts of the criminality of
theso men, made by the prosecution, should
not bo realized on their trial, the Fkkk
Tkadkh has been continually misrepre
sented and villitied.
The Fiuck Tkaoki. has in the past criti
cized the conduct of the prosecution of
these cases, and the manner of carrying on
t'.iis Investigation, as well as the accuracy
of its findings. And why should it not?
Here was an investigation ordered, for pur
poses of fairness, tiy the board of supervis
ors, carried on by some of the members of
the commltte, with the secret, if not openly
avowed hope of finding defalcation on the
part of Messrs. Alilligan, Raymond and
Bartels. There was no impartiality in its
desires or in its conduct, and no apparent
show of fairness. The members of if, lu
stead of keeping the results of their search
If any, to themselves,, and reporting the
same to the county board or to the public
prosecutor, persisted In furnishing the
same in advance to the Ottawa Journtl,to
ho published for the sole purpose of creat
ing, as was announced by one of them, a
public sentiment favorable to the Investi
gators and agidnst the ex-ofticials under
vestigation. In an eagerness to fasten the
stamp of suspicion upon these men the
grand jury room was resorted to, and In
ilictnieut upon indictment teturned against
them. Did it thereupon become necessary,
in order to bolster up the case charged,
that, from the time of the rendition of these
indictments until this present time these
men should have been at work ransacking
records and resorting to the columns of an
unscrupulous press and vilifying all who
have not joined In their denunciation r
In tins whfrl of denunciation the court
even lias not escaped. For a week past the
Journal lias teemed with slanderous denun
ciation of Judge Blanchard, because he
saw lit to place for trial on Monday next
the case of ex Sheriff Milligan, Indicted
for withholding public money, rather than
the case of Bartels, w hose case it was prior
thereto tacitly understood should go over
until next term. This paper, and the
men it Is acting for, casts out the insinua
tion, if not the open charge, that Judge
Blanchard forgot hi public duty when he
set the case as he did a charge wholly
uncalled for and one that will receive but
little consideration from the people of the
county who know Judge Blanchard. No
matter what people may think of Judge
Blanchard as a jurist, no one ever doubted
his absolute integrity of character.
But why this attack and why this furore
over the setting of a case for trial which
the prosecution should have been prepared
to try the day after the grand jury ad
journed six months since? Presumably If
the prosecution had any evidence It was
presented to the grand jury or the Indict
ment would not have been returned ; but
if he has not, his committee has been at
work ever since that session in October,
and the prosecutor ought not now to make
complaint because the Court Insists that
they must go to trial and prove the charges
made after an lvestlgatlon that has been
going on over eighteen months by a large
committee, assisted at least a portion of
thelime by their abie attorneys.
If to day there are in this county a good
many "doubting Thomases" as to the
strength of the case of the prosecution it
is not strange, for the action of the com
mittee and of the prosecution has given
cause for such doubt, and the doubt will
grow stronget just in proportion as the
tactics pursued In the past are persisted in
in the future.
Let Mr. Milligan be tried on Monday
as determined by the Court. He is entitled
to a "speedy trial," the law says, but he
has not had it. Now that the time is at
hand, the people will be glad that the
courts are to determine the truth of the
charges alleged, and tliit the sidewalk,
beating-stove, corner grccery and newspa
per trials are aliout to be brought to a close.
This prolonged and peculiar system ef
adjudicating cases has made the people
very weary indeed.
A MATTER 01' i-ROFITS
The original protectionist went to con
gress to ask for protection btcaute vajet
nnd Interest were high in America , now
be goes because he says he wants to keep
wages high ; and goes buck to his work
men and tells them at election time that
must vote for protectionists for congress or
their wages will be lowered by a reduction
of the tariff. They said that If Hancock
were elected wages would be reduced.
He was not elected; the tariff was not
reduced, but irarjen tmr. Whatever may
have leen the cause of the reduction of
wages it is clear the tariff was powerless to
kcfji than up; and all the dire consequenc
es predicted in case of Hancock's election
came notwithstanding his defeat.
But dees the tariff make high wages?
Of course, we can't pretend to argue this
question with the astute editor of the Re
publican. In the hands of a man who
gives as a reason why "cloth hands get, in
Mass., 1 1.20 per day, and In South Carolina
only 85c," that it is "because the Southern
Chivalry, abetted by Northern Democracy,
have persistently degraded labor," argu
ment is absurd.
But the Republican laughs at the idea of
big profits by the rail mill men. In Oct
1880, Hon. W. L. Scott, in a speech at Erie,
said he had purchased, 18 mos, before,
18,000 tons oUsteel rails at f 2.1.50 per ton,
and the makers were well satisfied with the
price. Afterward the steel rail trust was
formed; in October 1880 the price was
$:J3.00. The price has since been $-H)
was such at cne time last year, and aver
aged ?:!0 in 1887 an advance at the lowest
calculation ot $8 a ton in addition to a
fair profit;" for wages have not been at
any time more than 10 percent higher than
In 1885. On a production of 2,050,000 tons
in 1887 this would give $10,400,000 over
and above "normal profits." As rails are
now worth $;51.50, the difference between
that figure and fliU and $ 10, will give some
idea of the profits of the steel mills, pro
tected for the "benefit of labor." After
saying that he knew of his own knowledge
thut Mr. Carnegie drew out of his rail mill
profits of 11,500,000 In one year of 000
days, Mr. Scott said;
Less than a year ago I was talking with
a friend of mine on this question of steel
rails. lie probably purchases more steel
rails than any mnn in the I'nited Slates. 1
said to him : "These mills are putting up
raijs pretty fast. Don't you think they
ought to stop?" "Yes," said he, "I think
they ought to." Said he: "Vou know
how the iron industries have been for the
la-t few years apparently hardly alive.
But do you know oue thing V" aud then,
calling a certain Iron and steel company in
Pennsylvania by name, he said: "That
company represents u capital of $10,900,
000. You know how ttie Iron and steel
Industries have been depressed, and yet I
know that the principal bone of contention
In the Board of Directors of that company
tor some time lias been whether or not
they should make an extra dividend of
$10,000,000 "
At the time of that conversation the
price of rails was below $:10. The average
for the year 18H5 was only $28.50.
Now, of course Mr. Scott as well as his
friend must be mistaken as usual.
And during the advance in 1880-7 from
$25.50 to $3!) and $10 did or did not the
mills take all the benefit ? Mr. Jarrett
said "they took nil the benrjit" of the advance
In 1878. Did they not also in 1880-7? Well
mitht the Philadelphia Time, a protec
tionist journal, say a month ago: "Of
these trusts or combines which are now
hanging like mill stones around the neck
of protection the Steel Rail Trust is the
most defiant of common fairness, and most
false to the protection that created it and
gave millions of profits to its investors."
TARIFF PR0TLCTI0N AND LABOR.
Of all the questions of public policy or
political economy that have arisen to agi
tate the public sentiment of commerce,
there can be none of greater interest and
moment to the people of this country than
that of tariff taxation, In conjunction w ith
the theories of protection to American in
dustries; and, I think, also, that President
Cleveland is not alone in his misgivings
and alarms for the future of his country if
the present tariff policy is adhered to for
any extended time. v ere it not for the
forebodings of coming evils from a per
sistance In our reckless financial affairs, I
could not resist a feeling of amusement at
the very grotesqueness of some of the ar-
cuments offered In support of the theories
of a protective tariff, but in a single com
munication on the subject I shall confine
my remarks to but one of the many phases
hlch the tariff question assumes, and that
1 the relation that a protective tariff, under
our present laws, bears to Amricnn labor.
And 1 wish to be understood, when 1
speak of American labor, to mean the
labcr of Americans, native born, and those
who become Americans by a full and com
plete compliance w ith the American laws
naturalization ; for when any other class
f people enter the field of labor in the
nlted States, It is foreign labor, and has
entered Into competition with aad sup
planted Aineriiin labor.
I presume all the-readers of the Free
TiiAOEii who have perused to any extent
e theories In support of a protective
tariff, must have seen that the dominant
sentiment pervading their essays is a seem-
Inc solicitude for the welfare of the Amer
ican laborer; and the burden of Jhelr plea
is that they must continue for all time a
system of taxation, necessitated once by
the transient exigencies of a rebellion of
more than a quarter of a century ago, to
escape the calamities of a competition
with the pauper labor of the old world and
that of Europe In particular. And right
here I wish to ask every honest frleDd of
the American laborer If the laboring classes
of every nation on the face of the earth,
with but one exception, are not at liberty
to enter the territory of the United States
by an unobstructed highway, limited in
breadth only by our ten thousand miles of
sea coast and frontiers, to enter Into com
petition wltb American labor r Nor Is this
all ; for In the last twenty years of our high
tariff on foreign products, hundred of
thousands of laborers In Europe have been
hired by the agents of corporations, com
panies and Individuals engaged in enter
prises requiring labor In this country, who
paid the expenses of their transportation
hither to take the place of American labor,
withholding a per cent, of their wages till
their fare is repaid. And such are still the
conditions under which a large per cent, of
the emigrants are passing our ports of
entry In defiance of a law of our country
against foreign contract labor. This being
tke disadvantage forced upon American
labor, I will here draw the text of a bill
and call it "A Law for the Protection of
American Labor," and Invite a comparison
of it with our present existing tariff laws,
which haye been framed with special re
gard to the protection 0? American Indus
tries :
"Be It enacted by the People of the United
States, In Congress assembled :
"Article 1. No company, corporation,
trust, syndicate, (or Individual.) incorpora
ted by any of the United States, individu
ally or collectively, existing or dwelling
within the territory or jurisdiction of the
United States, shall exact any service or
labor of any person or persons of foreign
birth and unnaturalized, in pursuance or
fulfillment of any contract, agreement, or
bargain entered Into by such company, cor
poration, trust, syndicate or individual, as
employer, as party or parties of the first
part, and person or persons of foreign birth
and unnaturalized, as employe, as party or
parties of the second part, without first
going before a justice of the peace, notary
public or officer bavin jurisdiction, and
tiling such contract for record, and paying
to a revenue commissioner, whose office
shall be In connection with the office of
record, a sum equal to fifty per cent, of the
salary or wages for the time such contract,
agreemeut or bargain is to extend.
"Sec. 2. N) contract by any company,
corporation, trust, syndicate or individual
shall be exempted from the obligations
specified in Article 1 of this act, by the
fact that the party or parties of the second
part having fulfilled one contract, but for
each and every contract shall comply with
the requirements named.
"Sec. :. No application for naturaliza
tion of any foreiguer shall be tiled in any
court until such person shall have resided
two years in the district where he makes
application, and said application shall have
the support of two reputable citizeus who,
under oath, declare that they know the ap
pllant to be ot good moral character.
"Article !. All contracts entered Into as
specified in Article 1 of this act, save that
when the employe, having filed his inten
tions for naturalization and furnished evi
dence of good moral character, the party
or p uties of the first part shall pay the
sum'equal to twenty-five per cent, of the
salary as wages for the time such contract
or bargain is to extend.
"Article 4. No person ot foreign birth
shall receive and enter into the privileges
of citizenship until he has been a resident
in the I'nited States for the time of seven
years and served a probation, with a good
record of moral conduct for five years after
filing application for naturalization."
Now, 1 ask any friend of fair trade if
such a law on our national statutes would
be any more objectionable as discriminat
ing against incorporated capital invested in
the manufacturing and mining Industries
of this country than our present tariff laws
are in their operations against American
labor as 1 have defined it. B. M.
Freedom, III., Feb. 20.
There Is a conundrum in connection
with the state tax which no one as yet Has
been able to solve. We have noticed fre
quent allusions to it, but as yet have seen
no solution. It was very confidently stated
by Senator Cullom, during his incumbency
as governor, that the revenue from the Illi
nois Central railroad would be ample to
meet all expenses of the state government
after the debt was paid. Well, the debt
has been paid, and yet the rate per cent, of
state taxes Is larger now, when the state Is
out of debt, than It was In 1872, when
there was a debt of over $2,000,000. In
other words, we are compelled to now pay
fifty-three cents state tax on f 100, while In
1872 we only paid twenty-nine cents. Para
doxical as it may seem, the taxpayers had
a less tax burden In 1872, when the state
owed $2,000,000, than they have now, when
the state does n't owe a cent.
Mr. Elmer Baldwin in a recent tariff ar-
tide says:
Approximating free trade In 1800 with
corn at 12l cts. per bushel ought to be
an educating lesson.
Where was corn 12' 6 cts. a bushael ? Not
at Chicago, where In 1800 the lowest and
highest prices for the year were 21) cts. and
55 cts. These prices were 20 cts. and 45 cts.
in 1861 ; 22 cts. and 41 cts. In 1SG2. In 1S85
the highest price was only 49 cts. and in
1NG only 45 cts. Mr. B. must find some
other cause for low prices of grain than a
low tariff.
The Washington correspondent of the
Tribune says Col. Plumb will net be a can
didate next fall for congress. No? Well,
who's going to charge the bloated bond
holder's If he goes out?
A SI HK HI I O .
The I. V. Si N. Itoatt will come her whei
the Flower Illoom In tlie Spring.
There Is no longer any doubt In the
minds of those who have made it their
business to keep posted, that the I. V. & N.
road will be built from La Salle to this
city, as soon as the line Is finished to
Streator.
While the road desires to conceal Its
real Intentions, it has gone too far In the
matter to make concealment a further
possibility, and the good news will thus
be the starter of our spring boom. Blee,
the right of way man, has been work
ing In the vicinity of Utica for a month or
more, and from the most reliable sources
comes the Intelligence that he has suc
ceeded in securing the right of way to and
through Utica, except through the land of
a Scotchman a couple of a hundred rods
east of the village, and the only reason
consent has not been obtained In this case
Is because he lives in Scotland, and baa an
elevated idea of the value of La Salle Co.
farming land. The road will lie built on
the south side of the Illinois and Michigan
caaol, and about forty rods from Its banks,
excepting where it is forced to gc nearer
at Buffalo Rock. It will be ballasted with
limestone and gravel, and be single track
affair, with a good assortment of side
tracks at Ullcu.
Upon reaching this city, it will come up
Washington street, turn the corner via the
lot recently purchased ly the (J., on the
southwest corner of Washington and Wal
nut, and join what is now the main track a
few dozen rods south. The new sidetrack,
which runs along the western side ofUTe
newly acquired territory, recently owned
by Schaefer, McCaffrey, et al., will soon be
re-ballasted and made the main track,
which will give the trains a greater head
way for the south side hill.
The exact location of the new depot has
not yet been definitely established, but is
sure to be on Jackson street, or on the
block between Jefferson and Jackson. It
will be of brick and tile, and occupy a
floor space four or five times the size of
the present structure.
If the surplus in the United States
treasury be not squandered, It will not be
for want of schemes. Public buildings
schemes call for the appropriation of $25,
000,000, and not all the returns are In yet,
for this amount only covers bills originating
in the eenate. A tabulated statement would
show the following summary:
Total
Buildings. Cost.
Eastern States 11 $ 1,521,000
Middle Statas 2:! 3,315,000
Western States 70 1 1,18:1,000
Southern States 48 7,000,000
Territories 5 1,180,000
Total 149 $24,004,000
Does any one doubt that a large surplus
in the treasury is demoralizing to legisla
tors, or that tlie Fiftieth Congress is more
anxious to spend money than It is to reduce
taxes.
The Republican says: "The object of a
protective tariff is protection against for
eign labor, be It the labor of free trade
England or protection Germany." This
matter of protection's protecting labor is
quite well stated by a Peoria pappr uealer
in this way:
Does protection protect labar? Is it
labor, or the product ot labor? It cannot
lie labor, for there Is no hlnderance to the
importation of foreign labor. It may come
In, as it has come iu, like a flood. Then,
If not labor, what ? The product of labor?
But the product 'of labor is not ow ned by
the labor that produces it. In that case it
must be the property of tlie capitalist. I nus
it is not labor that is protected, but the
product of labor, which belongs to men of
means and not to labor. To the lmporta
tlim of like nronertv everv obstruction is
placed. If the product of foreign labor is
shut out, as an equivalent foreign labor
SlIOUKl no aiso.
I . 1 ! 1. . . la
v,1ir nurA( tn ilti fwtnntrtr TL-lllf'll Itnfl T1FA.
tended that protection affects the wages of
inner wi uvcuiuco mo ar wiciuiu5 af
i 1 .1 it.. 1 . nun
ply and demand. Republican.
01 m r coiii rria rortr inur u. 11 u m i-h n
lr ln,l nV nlAH a IAnl1 a Ml frn Wfl fTO in I III
state and a low wage In another, shows t
lit a n-l4T .... w a xaa nnthlnir fit f!n Wlf
.... rr a. il
V 11U t v J " "
nr ar Tn aumR'Mir IH ifu iuuiii uulu
to be the same in both cases.
Vote of Tltanktte
Whereas, Messrs J. E. Scott, F, L. Fiske,
I. N. Beem, I). Hapcmab. E. Y. Griggs, It. II
r...la n A.mta l I A 1 1 If A IDI AHflni' . II
iu nui ao vi vunttf vv wv..
no uiiiiv au t cjJVittHg
amona the pupils of the city schools, and
Whereas, Prof. Thorpe and his teachers
UOBiruus Ul otvw.-
the advantage of so worthy an objet, heart
ilv co-operated in the enterprise, ana
ttt . Mnmatn 1 a ii 1 ah nnn trin 1 iriin
V V nbBai a
willing: to lend their aid in turtberance
V U U VfJ - r - . a
a drama thus inare&sinir th
interest of the entertainment, therefore be
Ln,'f 1 h ar tna mania at me i&uicb
... .. I ,L. I.J u
hereby extended to each of the above men
tioned, and all other friends who promote
the success of the entertainment.
Mrs. E. F. Bull, President.
A hdi S. Joses, Secretary.
Kate Castleton, in "Crazy Patch," drew
goou nouse on iiuraujr oiBumg. -
tvi w a 3 iuc utai. . ' "
herefor year.
!
The opera hocee has been occupied
-r-
week by the Model CoraeJy Lo. mej gi
. r:. akA-j tttalAiv tirifWl Of JM
15 cents.