The Placer herald., 1867-04-20
HOW CALIFORNIA Is ROBBED.


1t has usually been supposed that The
easiest mode to reach the understandings Of
men is through the pocket nerve. The most
obtuse can generally see when il 10 to their
pecuniary interest to do so. Party feeling
is strong tie, but the Iowa Of the almighty
dollar is stronger. 1t frequently happens,
however, that prejudice, bigotry and fanati.
cism blind the eyes Of the most prudent and
calculating. An astonishing illustration Of
this is the tenacity with which the toiling
millions Of the land adhere to the Radical
party. It shows how terribly their minds
have been poisoned against their Southern
brothers. We can understand how, during
the excitement ola ruthless civil war, when
passion runs wild, and all the generous i'm.
pulses and Christian humanities are thrust
in the background, that the uutbiokiog
masses might become obivious TO their true
interests. Bur after the smoke Of battle has
cleared off and the land basks again 10 the
beni6cent smiles Of peace, it 10 difficult
to understand how they can be induced TO
support party, whose policy is directly 10
conflict with their material welfare.
Look for moment at the working OF the
present inquitous tariff. 1t processes to b
an act TO raise revenue 10 support the gov.
ernment, but 10 reality it is law to tax The
toiling millions of the land to swell the divi'
dends OF a few Eastern manufacturers. Now
suppose it was proposed TO levy direct tax,
say of six hundred millions Of dollars annu.
ally, to pay these manufacturing capitalists to
enable them to compete With European man
ufacturers-is it supposed for moment that
the people would stand it! There would be
such combined and spontaneous uprising
all over the land, that the Rump Jacobins
would gladly fee to prison walls 10 save
themselves. And yet il such Law we're ac'
tually passed, it would be nothing more OF
less than what the present tariff does, under
the plausible yet deceitful name Of protec'
ton. The people are actually paying for
the privilege Of buying inferior articles Of
home production, more than six hundred
millions Of dollars annually as bouuties to
the manufacturers. For every yard Of cotton
and wooden goods they consume, they pay
double what it would cost without the tariff.
In many instances they are required to pay
two and three prices upon articles OF necss
sary consumption.
On California this Infamous system Of tag
ing the many to support few capitalists
falls peculiarly bard. It's nothing more or
less than the filching from US Of more than
one third Of our gold and other products
that we send abroad. The present tariff
with the late increase on The number Of Or.
.icles, averages about sixty per cent on oil
our imports For convenience Of calculation
we will call i. fifty per cent. When, there
fore, we buy abroad $4,000 worth Of goods.
we have to pay for them $4,000. This Of
course deducts just one third from the value
Of our gold. But it not only operates thus
on imported foreign articles, but also on
those of home make. The price Of these, Of
course, supposing the quality TO be the same.
must be quite as high as the foreign article
with the tariff, or otherwise the other could
not be sold at ALL for men will buy where
they can buy the cheapest. We are sending
forward now large quantities Of wheat and
think we ere doing we'll. All Of this pays
for imported goods, foreign and domestic
Thus suppose it nets us in New York ~ 90
a bushel, in gold. We receive pay for It in
goods that are enhanced in value one third
because of protection alone, to- say nothing
Of the inflated rag'currency. In other words
we pay toll on our wheat, BY getting third
less than it's value, just &C 2.S cents per
bushel. Our gold is discounted at q similar
rate. And this drain upon us-this system
Of unrighteous robbery-has been going on
for years, and yet the greedy protectiouists
still cry for more and the people sustain
them. .. ..
Mr.. Ferris, 10 bis carefully prepared and
able work on the finances of the United
States. which we noticed sometime since.
gives some striking illustrations Of the work.
ings of this ruinous system. "The people OF
this State," be says, ''suffsr under the burden
Of their taxes, but large amount OF them
are out OF sight. They pay them in ways
which they do not comprehend. At present
the mines Of California are yielding about
$4s, 100000 q year. The custom house
takes one third from the value OF gold for
foreign use. In subsequent paper pro
pose 10 demonstrate that quite ~ large %
amount is taken from its value BY Federal
legislation, for domestic usee a. money.
Hence we are justified in deducting fully
one third the value Of all the gold yield Of
the mines for and on account OF such legis-
ation. Such being the case let Us see what
California pays and loses for the good Of The
Union:
Annual yield Of gold $4s, 900, 900; loss
stratcd str ' one nett third. $40, ,oooo 900
Customs collected in San Francisco
for the fiscal year just closed.... 7,l34,66A
Internal revenue, $6,732,387 curren-
'', cy. w. equal to. ................... 5,l54s25
Grand total. s2s, ,2ss $50
"Such is the annual tribute California pays
for the support of the Union at large, and il
is equal 70 eighty dollars for every one 10
The State. This, however. is only the Ma