The New York herald., 1871-03-22
Tho Duty ON Coal and Salt md u
Duty or the United states Senate.

universal use has caused them to be looked
upon as necessities. Not so with salt and
COAL They are real necessities. No one can
live long without them, and every man, woman
and child in the country is interested in obtain
ing them in the easiest manner and at the
least cost.
Public policy is against speculation or mono-
poly in connection with either of these arti-
cles. They ought to be prepared for market
with as little cost as Is fair to the labor en-
ployed, and transported and sold with as small
profit as is just to the capital used. To obtain
this result is legitimate work of legislation.
To stave off such legislation when the oppor-
tunty to make it effectual is offered is to CO.
operate with oppression and monopoly.
Labor and capital are so at swords points
in the coal regions and so involved with various
interests that they can be Strengthened out
only by that law to which all must eventually
submit-viz, the law of demand and supply.
Open the avenues to an unlimited supply
and demand will be furnished at the cost OF
production and transportation. Shut up the
avenues Of supply, tax and obstruct with
custom houses the production of the rest Of
the world, and you play into the hands of a few
thousand miners and few hundred capitalists
at the expense of thirty five millions Of people.
If the present duty on coal of one dollar and
twenty five cents in gold per ton is permitted
to remain, the coal consumers will have to pay
one dollar and fifty cents per ton Gin currency
more on fifteen millions of tons in one year
than they would if the duty were removed. If
the duty is not taken off this session it will be
two years before the necessary legislation in
and production out of the United States
will bring the trade to its true level.
In other words, the coal consumers
must pay forty-fve millions Of dollars
within the next two years to q few Thousand
miners and a few hundred capitalists in Penn
sylvania, Maryland and Virginia for an eces-
sity Of life, which millions they need not pay
if the United States Senate would respond to
the demand of the people of the United States
and remove the duty from coal.
1t is an insult to say there is no duty on
anthracite coal, and to take it off bituminous
would have no effect. No other country pro-
remove the duty from bituminous and it will
take the place Of anthracite whenever the lat
ter reaches an unreasonable price, Now,
Messrs. Republican Senators of the United
States, are you aware that your party is tot
tering and ready to full to pieces simply
because you are holding on with grim tenacity
to tyrannical protective system which is
used to enrich few at the expense Of many7
Will you give one day, or as much time as
may be necessary, to do an act Of justice and
craftsmanship, and take the duty from salt
and coal? You may then feel, and the
country will admit, that this Congress has
accomplished something. Or do you wish the
public to ponder over the meaning of the
word telegraphed one day last week to and
printed in Forney's Press, in Philadelphia,
that if the tariff men were not more liberal
they would find the duty off from coal and
many other articles in which Pennsylvania is
Interested?
Messrs. Conkling and Fenton, what answer
can you make to the voters Of New York
State when they ask why You did not aid
in routing this monopoly of salt and coal?
''Will you say the Pennsylvania and
Maryland Senators threatened to talk us 10
death if we persisted in bringing up the bill,
and to save our lives we concluded to let
it rest until more convenient season 2"
The voters of New York State will be very
likely to reply to you that they will vote with
a party which can supply, when the time
comes, Senators who can talk as well and sit
as long, if necessary, as Senators Cameron,
Scott and Vickers Are these the Senators to
whom the Representatives of the great State
of New York are to play second fiddle? We
tell Senators and political parties that the men
or the party who aid directly Cor indirectly
by doing nothing) in retaining the odious
duties on salt and coal, will never cease to
regret their personal and political blunder.
AFFAIRS IN JAMAICA.-By special tele.
gram from the HERALD correspondent at
Kingston we have later advices from Jamaica.