Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-10-29
OlYIPlA, SATURDAY IoISINC, OCT. %, 1870


The Tariff Extortion.
1t is astonishing how few, comparatively,
Of the electors understand or care to en-
quire into so simple thing as the working
Of the protective system, whereby the great
mass Of producers are laid under onerou'
contributions to the few. We see all around
Us respectable citizens who will take tho
risk Of fines, forfeitures aud imprison
mcut, in violating the revenue laws b.
smuggling goods from Victoria, while a
the same time they will support by thci
votes . system which precludes them from
buying their goods here at the same price
they are sold at in Victoria, which is from
fifty to one hundred per cent. less there
than here. If the revenue laws are just,
the person who attempts to violate them is
a thief; if not just, the man who attempts
to sustain and perpetuatc them is not an
honest or honorable citizen. These are
palpable truths which no sophistry can
cvadc. But is the protective tariff system
right, equitable aud just? Is it right to
tax the many for the benefit Of the few un.
der republican system Of government
Is that government Of equal rights and
equal laws which compels every laboriug
man to contribute one.fourth or one.fifth Of
his labor to the benefit Of others; which
deprives the citizen Of the right to sell the
products Of his labor where it will bring
the most and buy his supplies where he
can buy the cheapest! This system is dis
guised under the sophistical term Of "pro-
lection to industry" For every laboring
man protected by it more than twenty are
taxed to an amount equal in the aggre-
gate to the payment Of the wages Of Eve
men for every one employed. Thus the
manufacturers accumulate colossal fortunes
and their employees fare no better than the
hbores engaged in other employments.
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue
states that the value Of the leading indus
tries of the United States are as follows
Agriculture. 90, 2S2, $50, 900; cotton man
ufacture, $4,000, 600; iron production,
lis, $50, 900; leather manufactures, 1926,
100000; railway service, $500, 600, 900
fisheries, 100000 900; making total Of
s4,22s, 100000. The products protected,
$4s4,ll0,o00; products not protected,
s3,73s, $4,000. Nearly ninc-tonths ofthe
productive industry of the country is with.
out protection by the tariff, and not less
than niueteen.twentieths of the producers
are 10 the same unprotected condition, and
yet all are taxed for the benefit Of the mi.
nority. The tariff duties upon the protect.
ed articles average Fifty per cent, which
will aggregate s242,110,o00 annually, not
enc quarter of which goes to the Govern
nent. But this will not cover one-half
Of the cost to the producer. It is a uni
form rule that special tax upon any arti-
Gle enhances the selling price Of that arti-
eIs more than double the amount of the
tax. Take che article of whisky, for ex-
ample, it can be manufactured at profit
for twenty five cents gallon; the internal
revenue tax Of fifty cents increased the
price from two and half to FIVE dollars q
gallon. The same rude, to less augment
ation, holds good on an manufactured arti-
cIes. The man who tells you he pays no
tax because he has no property, may at
the same time Be robbed Of one-third of
his labor by this protective tariff system,
and continue to be deluded BY the pretext
that It "protects home indmtry." Is
there another people on the face Of the
globe who could be thus gullcd! The fn-
ternal revenue tax is based upon the same
system; oil upon products and nothing
upon property; the industry Of the eoun-
try laid under contribution 70 accumulated
wealth ). the many taxed for the benefit Of
the few.
CkROVIED0EMENrS.- are indebt-