The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-01-12
Prom the st. Louis Missouran
The Odions Salt Tax---Ect,er Frosu Col,
Benton to Gov. Ecri, OF Illinois.

bHouiu bo W tuC w GSlUFH lhTUiPT, mat tue
wbig tariff, though bad enough in building up u
few Eastern manufactures at the expense Of other
and greater interests by its invidious enactments,
is in nothing SO oppressive as in its injurious
provisions with regard to the duty which it mpo-
ses upon imported salt--an article Of absolute ne
cessity, in tho first place. and in the second, of
leading interest in the chief business of the Wes-
tern farmers. Yes, strange as it may seem the
great article Of salt, one of the leading necessarcs
of life, and an article absolutely necessary to a
leading interest of the West, is tared higLer, in
proportion to value, than any other article impor-
ted into the coun,ry-higher even than lGxures
themselves! Yet, in the face Of all this injustice
III the face Of this most infamous provison-the
Western people are called upon by the wing pa
pcrs and wing speakers 10 rally around Harry
of the West" and his most glorious taui.l Yes.
while this odious tax is hanging Ike milestone
around the neck ola great Western interest, plum
dering the people the profits OF their labor. the
public ear is stunned with abuse Of Col. Benton,
who has been for twenty years battling against
the tax, and iov Western intercs;s-and we are a,
the same time conjured to como up to the support
of Mr.. Clay, who has devoted all Of his latte. life
TO the praiseworlhy worS of protecting the East.
and fastening the sal! tax and o.her chains upon
the industry and hopes Of the West! We will
leave TO the honest and the rejecting to choose
which banner they will follow. forourseyes, a.
citizens Of the West, we shalt ccavc to our own
princip!es--,o our own interest, and to our o,su
.t'ier1s-lea,ing our enemies and the enemies OF
Western sieres,s, to find their friends in another
hemisphere.
Annexed will be found an able letter from Col.
Benton to Gov. Cord, of ulineis, which throws
much light on this, to the Western man. deeply
Interesting subject. Let every farmer read IT.
Sr. Louis, November :, lS.3.
70 Ills Eccslency, GogsrnOr Ford.
SRI have the honor to receive the
copy of the resolutions on the repeal Of
the Salt tax, which were passed by the
General Assembly Of Illinois al their last.
session, and which were addressed to me
at Washington city by your Excelency.
in obedience to the requeo; G! the Gene
raj Assembly. They we're recc;yod by
me in due time sfier their passage, and N
sufficient time for action, the last session
of congress presenting no opportunity to
&C. upon any part of the tariff, and The en-
suing being the first occasion on which
the act Of 1912 can stand chance to be
revised.
The salt tax is tax fundamentally
wrong in itself, and contrary to any prln-
clple of taxation, or Of political economy.
because imposed on an article Of indispcn-
sable necessity to man and beast, and be-
cause II lnficts more injury upon the
country than i. brings benefit to the treas
ury. For these reasons it has been oppo-
sed by all nations, in all ages, and has
been frequently abolished in different
countries, sometimes permanently, some
times temporarily. In Great Britain, the
Country from which we borrowed the tax,
and the mode Of its imposition on the
weighed instead Of the measured busheI
:. it was totally abolished about twenty
gears ago, and the people of Great Br-
sam, tho so grievousy loaded with other
taxes, have at last their salt free from tax.
alton. The Uuited STATES, for 4 few
years under Jehtrson's administration,
had the same blessing, the salt duty be-
ing repealed upon his recommendation,
abou! the year 1907. TWAS reduced one
half during Gen. Jackson's adminis.ya-
ton, and was undergoing a further reduc-
ton under the act of 1919, when the cleo.
,uon OF 1910 took place, aud the federal
party came into power. This party i'm
nedlately increased the tax from six cents
30 ten cents on the weighed bushel of fil-
ty-six pounds; and at the rate il now
stands.
This tax, besides being Fundamentally
wrong in itself, enormously high, amour.
ting to Is per cent, on the value of Liver.
pool salt; To 1910 per cent on Turks Is
land; TO $50 per cent on French, Span
ish, and Portuguese salt; and to 800 per
cent on that which comes from Trieste
and the costs of the Adrialic. This rate
OF taxation is enormous, and unequal, and
out of all proportion to other taxes, even
those on the luxures of life, many of
which do not exceed 20 or 30 per cent,
But the tax, enormous rs i, is, is not IL
self the measure Of the additional price
which it makes the salt cost to the consu.
mer; on tie contrary, the tax at beast
doubles itself in adding to that cost; for
the salt dealer in the sea ports, (who usu-
ally becomes paymaster for the duties,
must have his profit or the duty as well
as on the prime cost of the article; and
besides, these dealers often become regra-
sers, and monopolize the article, aud have
their own price. The effect OF this tax.