Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1843-07-11
From The indiana Statesman.
The Salt Monopoly, and the Tariff
Projecting "a.

Protecting 10.
BooSvuLr June ., 1913.
Mn BuKSs The favoriie argument of the high pro-
tariff party that their policy fosters and enc"ur
ages the young industry Of our own country struggling
for a livelihood.
An examination of the facts in regard 10 particular
braAch of this projected mdusiryone that particularly
concerns here in the West-msy show Is how some
oi these high tariff duties work IN practice aiiude 10
the salt manufacture
Senator Benton 10 whom ms worst enemies ooncede
the merit Of industry has been interchangeable ia dragging
TO light the abuses caused by home monopoly IN thai
article OF necessv In speech delivered M the United
Mr.. Miller, Member OF Congress from Missouri. gwen
both December 1889, aud establishing the following
facts.
Mr. Miller stated
sWhen in Western Virginia last and fall. was
informed by gentlemen Il the highest standing some OF
whom engaged in the making 81 salt at the henha"
work. that the company paid annually TO the owners OF
works that place (some thirty IN numter) from
serestV-fre eighty Thousand dars 10 LEI their rorS lay
id that the paid TO each individual owning these
suspended dead works, they were called, was about
800 per annum; aud that average sum OF about ssO
paid certain persons annually, VINO owned iAhes 10
the vicinity OF The kenhawa wokS h i, 70 each peFoh
owning such grounds which believed salt water
had coal adj ~ not 10 dig or tore
far a. understood that the salt works then in opera
ton Welded about flro on OF bushels per
making enquiry What II was likely the whole 81 TIE
Kenhawa works would IN i likely produce were they put
operation informed they would yield annually Jour
millions II bushels"
Here is a regular aud deliberate combination among n
few capitalists stint the quantity ct one Of the very
staple of c and thus To- increase the pee "i
salt to the up any point they saw M 10 RAISE
it, The SO 900 $50 600, besides all the profits Il the
speculation, paid b, the farmers aud traders OF the
Wesley every man who uses salt; and who - there
that does not,
But there are stronger facts vet Another witness.
after noticing the formation # the great company 81
Armstrong. Grant 4 Go, and the dead reHts they paid
adds
ain this way the number Of creating furnaces
dlccd from hundred and sg hund'd and seretg
- farfv the forfg frRgce Hafci - mike only
"a ci m ,to rs -is eosrl 10 a'ouf eighf 1aonfis
for cFch fHGe. This company dist ced tie county I'D
companies for each district, ard IN tins way they
raised the pre # SAT- hunred md tafy PER cent that
l.. am Missouri om - cent T. 81 - per bu.hel N Their
different districts where was to te sold The mran, hNh4
the price This company aided y seve-
raj banks in al! their operations.
Here was "A tax levied l., these monopoi~~ THAI
equal the ~ sah vsfd bg b'r' ~ ~
Uesf With H. in Indiana. the price 81" high
but the variations, A. every one knows have been :"
great.
As productive salt works arc scarce. there IA
cfrciuai check ihis monopoly crc' fron forreH I'M
portatops And to proven, his these salt rnonopois
have ever bcSieg.d Congress Tor salt and have sue
cccded under the plea of having domestic industry pf"
iected II the plea had been Ia have domestic "on"p"
lies pririIeged. then II wouid have been an honc>t
worded plea, however Tar from lu~i and equitable onr
And even these Startling fact, show but portion
the scandalous imposition thus practIscd Mr IL nio
adduces an absolutely overwhelming of evidence u
proof that these momoposis. after thus getting III
market themselves h. the aud 81 The iari have Amos
uniformly adueracd their salt by throwing in tal'on
for sometimes tar o cause the hiiiern ar mt'
be retained. during the process Of grain'ng
the salt This adds The weight ui the salt aycfns
of fin per crBf. And that loss Is the least evil II 90
ur- th quality OF tho salt promotes purcscncr Gauss
the loss OF Salted provisions. and rndaug"rs health IN
old worker in the kenav Ia salt work, viii confirm ihrs
, facts.
Now had foreign competition been permitted. all ia
ossall thee scandal"us prariIccs amounting as Bon
ton strongly expresses to 10 aud beast.
would have been wholly prevented IL - "A very los
csunac slv. that 10y the monopoly. the price h'
been increased the average Of wears al least ti
c,p's bus,rl That amounts annually 10 six iiuudr
Thousand Dollars OF imposed ht the these k"naw
Salt Works alone. And # We take INTO con>Iderdin
the loss aud unr by aducration, the lnS b !c wc,ei
small of barrels. Nc the actual prubah
upwards OZONE MILLION Dollars vcaI ; paid by ~
poorest by the richest; and gong Ia enrich -in
dozen twenty capitalists the expense Of hundc,
e thousands II not millions Of people
And every of tins tax would have been saved
us had foreign nations been permitted send Us The
salt 10 compete with and break upon the monopoly
4 these kenawha cnsroSscrs
Such a sample Of The practical effects OF the Sv~ir
of high protection upon Western industry Viii Il
people support Who. that does 40, doubt their
lircnce. viii doubt their answer
ROBERT DALE OWEN.