The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-09-23

! uc" vi Caaatlon Wnlcn mas never OeCn
paralleled. While the war hung in
doubtful balance, the people made
every sacrifice for the country, and,
since the war, they have, with re-
marka ble patience, waited for the
reduction of taxes to the point need :
ed for the support of the government.
On the eve Of the last Presidential
election, driven by the facts and ar
guments of Commissioner Wells. con-
gress repealed, or reduced internal
taxation to the amount Of $175,-
600, 900, and this without any con-
siderable reduction of revenue. But
congress still maintains taxes, direct
and indirect, to the amount of not
less than 100000, Of this
enormous tax less than onc-half is
received by the government.
(Note this fact, and the sentence
following, and if you admire their
ugly truths, you will of course vote
for republicans for congress, for they
are responsible for this iniquitous
legislation. Ed. Plain Dealer. }
The remainder is distributed to
private individuals and classes who
control legislation.
The republican party cannot es-
cape responsibility for the continu-
anoe of this policy by presenting d.
VIded front, some voting for and 9TH
ers against the policy. Among the
people there are but two opinions,
the one which demands a change and
the other which favors the excessive
taxation. The Republican party
cannot be made to adopt this hig gh tax
policy, because if that be done, it
will straightway sink into hopeless
minority. What then must be done,
at the coming election for m embers of
congress ? The present House of
Representatives has declared, by de-
liberate votes, that the taxes levied
on the tariff law shall not be reduced,
except in cases where they are levied
for purely revenue purposes, and
when their reduction will deplete the
public treasury. The record of each
member of congress is made up on
this subject, and the question, which
is now become serious one, is, How
shall those republicans who want a
reform in the revenue laws vote when
candidates for office who have out
ragged every principle Of justice and
political economy to the oppression of
the people, shall be presented for re-
election? We feel all the more free
to discuss this question since all the
republican members from Illinois
have voted, uniformly, in favor of
reduction Of protective duties.
A case Of a different kind is pre-
sented by the New York Evening
Post. Syracuse, New York, is the
center of the great salt monopoly,
Previous to 1859, the state allowed
any person to erect salt works, and,
under this law, any citizen who erect
ed works, no matter how primitive,
was furnished by the state with all
the brine he needed. In 1859 a ring
was formed, and the Legislature was
induced to repeal the anti onopo-
ly statutes," which declared it a
misdemeanor for individuals to COM
tine. or conspire, for the purpose of
restricting, regulating, or in any
manner interfering with the free man.
ufacture Of salt on the states reser-
vation, or fixing, raising or regulat-
ing the price; also obtained the re-
peal Of the law encouraging manufac-
turers to sink wells, and supply them
selves with brine, by abating two
fifths of the duty, and, also, obtain
cd law enacting, in effect, that
thereafter all the brine the state
could furnish should be given exclu-
siuely to the salt works then in cx-
istence. The monopolists then leas.
ed all the salt works on the reserya-
tion.
Having thus successfully manipu-
lated the state legislature, they
turned their attention to congress,
and obtained from that body tax
Of over loo per cent on all foreign
salts. thus surrounding their monop-
oily by protection from competition,
at home or abroad. There are 3l6
fine salt works on the reservation ca
pable Of producing 1000, 900 BUSH
els per year, but their avera &C annu-
al product for ten years has been
$1,000, 900 bushels. They thus have
not only monopolizcd the manufac-
ture, but restricted tho production,
and, in two years were able, on q
capital of $lGo, 900 to declare divi-
dends of S942,000 besides greatly
increasing tho value of their works.
10 retain this monopoly, these con-
spirators found it advisable to send a
representative to congress in the per-
son of Mr.. Dennis Mccarthy, one of
their stockholders. In order to keep
the tax on salt, he has voted. day in
and day out, for every other tax up
on the people demanded by any 9TH
er monopoly. Mccarthy is repub-
lican. The republican organization
Of that district has been, aud probe
bly, will be, used again to nominate
him for congress.
(McCarthy is renominated in the
Syracuse district, and so is nearly
every other republican that voted
this unjust system upon the people
which shows that republican sympa-
thies are with the mtlioaaires, not