The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-25
r. saf.nassas Copper BsIi.

The peopIe Of Maine have reason 20 thank.
aeeven inst IL has given thaEn wisdom 20
elect five Representatives TO Congress whose
ideas are sufficiently enlarged not to vote for
a bill that has passed the House by large
majority, and is now pending in the Senate.
This is what IS known as "the copper bill, but
is really bill increasing the duty not only on
copper, but on iron, steel, lead, zinc, timber,
cotton, glass, sa 1t, rice and several other arti-
ces. The votes of Lynch, Perham, Peters
and Pike are recorded against this Chinese
statute, while il is presumed that Blaine was
absent from the fact that he Is not found to
have voted either way. The Senate will prob
abIy choke this bill, which not only By the I'M
position Of an additional tax on copper makes
one more stab at the already PROSTATE Ameri-
can shipping interest, but by smuggling in,
covertly and siyly, other additional customs
duties on articles of prime necessity 1t cheats
the Deople in the interest of few who are de-
voted 70 special branches Of industry. The
comments Of the New York Post on this bill,
Notwithstanding its absolute madness on free
trade, are SO just that we cannot forbear to
print few extracts:
e. q
err duties it is proposed 10 impose on most OF
the articles We have named are for the most
part nearly prohib;tory; and they are certain
to decrease the revenue. They are plainly, as
every one eau see, intended simply for "pro.
lection" as il is called; that Ia to saw, az a
special bounty to very few of the many iu-
dustries OF the country. 1t seems that In this
case the prOtectionists are afraid to let their
real object be known. They are evidently in
fear OF public opinion.
But see how partial is this measure If any
one is to be protected" all ought to be pro.
tected alike. But this bill proposes to give
special favors TO few, q very few, at the ex.
pense OF course of the many Take foi instance
the duty on copper. Copper is used in every
household in the land; it Is used in shipbuiid-
ing and in many Of the most important arts
and industries of the country In short, it
enters into the daily life of all our thirty & We
millions Of people, and these are TO be taxed.
for the benefit of-tow many persons does the
reader suppose? Aceorping to the United
States census there were employ ed in 1860, In
copper mining and copper smelting-the only
trades specially favored or protected" by this
bill. $3.50 men and AZ wsanen in all 5625 per-
sons. Bet say there are now employed 10000 IN
stead of 5000-to this 5000 over thirty millions
OF teople are to pay bounty. Is this equal-
"? Is this justice? But even this is not all.
Those peonle's wages will not be increased by
the higher duty. Probably the number of per
sons who VIII be benefited amounts to less
than five hundred, and these are men who hold
copper mining stock, The whole nation is to
pay tribute to these.
Take, as another example, only one item in
the proposed increased duty on steel, Steel
rails are row bough. aud laid On all our rail-
roads. 1t is Of the utmost Importance TO the
safety Of the travelling community-wbich
means nearly the whole populatior--that the Sc
rails should be quickly laid; but here comes IN
this bill, and proposes to increase the duty of
these steel rails between 30 ana 20 per cent,
TO beneht few already wealthy steel rail
manuiac urers. Il it right that the whole coun-
try shall be Injured or endangered TO enrich a
few capitalists?
Nor IS this all. The rapid extension of our
ra lroad system Is Of vital Importance to the
whole country. Destroy our railroads, and we
should be bankrupt; double their mileage and
we should increase tenfold our wealth, and an
hundred fold the comfort of every family in
the country. check their increase and Won
check the growth Of the country; you stop its
power OF increaae;. you put limit to the area
OF land which can be pro6tably cultivated; you
paralvZe enterprise, crowd people into the CEN.
tres Of population, decrease wages, and effect
very injuriously the independence Of the work
ing men.
We could well afford to admit rails free of
duty, ey+n If all other articles were to be GOV.
cred with high duties. The extension of our
raili DAD system is thought so important that
the government gives land by millions of acres,
10 help their construction, and ven endorses
the bonds of some railroads. Yet, this bill and
the present tariff unite TO largely increase the
cost of rails in this country to the positive in
jury of the revenue, and to the still greater in
jury Of the whole country; and for the great
profit OF perhaps two or three hundred persons
interested as capitalists in the production of
rails.
Such ia this so-called cooper bill" 1t Is q
Dill leyeiled at the prosperity and comfort of
the people; bill which seeks recklessIy to
paraiyze enterprise, to check our growth. to set
penalty on our progress, TO adj, to the dis
comforts of the millions for the benefit of the
lew greedy and unscrupulous monopolists and
spectators.