The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-02
CORN LESS THAN FOUR CENTS A BUsEEL'
The Mouopolistu take it Nearly All

IL any man in Congress was to propose
that toll-gates be erected on all railroads.
Mt intervals of twenty miles, and that each
passenger and each pound offreight should
nav n certain toll, without which further
TRANSFORMATION would be prohibited, the
proposition would meet with universal ex-
ecration. Yet the existing tariff law is
akin to it. Transportation Of breadstutfs
is performed by several agencies: ]. BY
the wagon to the nearest railroad station.
2. BY the railroad 10 the lake port. ).
BY lake and canal or rail to market Now
let us see how these agencies are taxed by
Congress. The wagon is taxed on the
wood on the iron bolts and screws, on the
paint, on the iron tires, on the canvas COW
or, an average Of so per cent. The shoes
and shoe nails Of the horses are taxed 10
per cent, the harness IS per cent. and the
whip Go per cent The man who drives
che team is taxed on his overcoat so per
cent. his undercoat and pantalOons 80 per
cent, his wool hat so per cent. his shirt %
per cent. and his underclothing So per
cent.
At the station the grain is placed on a
car composed of wood and iron, which is
painted, and has iron wheels and steel
springs. This car is taxed 80 per cent on
the wood, 10 per centon Theron and steel,
and 70 per cent on the paint. 1t is drawn
by locomotive made of iron, Steel and
brass, and which is taxed an average of 60
per cent. The car is drawn over rails,
which, if iron, pay 40 per cent, and if steel,
so per cent tax When the grain reaches
the lake port it is placed on vessel built
of wood and iron, both of which are taxed
as stated the wire ropes or standing rig
cling is taxed so per cent, the anchors and
chains GO per cent, the cables and cordag'
80 per cent, the paint 70 per cent the glass
65 per cent, the canvas sails 60 per cent
Every man on the vessel pays from 80 II
rs per cent tax on all the clothes he wears
The cooking utensils on board the vessel
rs well as the blankets, hammocks, and al
the furniture, are taxed from 80 to ion
per cent. When the grain is placed o.
the canal-boat at Buffalo, it is Transports
on vessel taxed in the same way, an
drawn BY horses whose shoes and harnes
are also taxed. When it reaches Me-
York it is transferred TO steamers or sa
vessels, where the like tax is kept up, )
that from the time the corn leaves the cri
until it reaches Liverpool it is required
pay the taxes which Congress has levie
on every article needed for the transports
ton, and ON every man who is in any WI
connected with its handling.
The sum thus collected from the col
20 pay the taxes on the iron, steel, pain
wood, canvass, horseshoes, harness, cor
age, and clothing, amounts TO ~ cents p
bushe from Central Illinois to New Y or
aEd 80 cents 10 Boston. That tax is pa
by the corn and wheat, but only Il Sun;
portion of that tax goes into the Treasur
The corn is sold in New York for, on {
outside, now, an average of 81 cents, al
after paying the tax Of AZ, the remain
10 cents is paid 10 the producer He
once purchases with it such articles as
needs. His thousand bushels of corn ha
produced him 800, and when he h
made his purchases he finds that t
money has been thus paid out For wo
en- and cotton goods, for boots and sho
for clothing, for tools, for stove, carp
glassware and crockery 10000; for
on the articles thus bought, $62.50. So
the end he finds that his years labor I'll
foots up:
1000 bushels Of corn at 81 centz.............$5 81
Less tax on transportation. ............ ~
SO
Tax o-$iOOGJ Of goods purchased, .......... 6
Expended for r--ohandise. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3
In point of fact, -aeeiyes but 81 ce
per bushel for the cOrn,-an 40 rest bei
taken to pay taxes levied to protect ST.
body elise. The aets of Congress levy
these taxes are repealable. They prod
no revenue for the Government and W
not intended 10 do so. They were enac
10 build up a very small privileged cl
by leyying bounties for their benefit u
the labor Of the country. We urge
T farmers to 60 straight ahead in their
on this iniquity. Those who are call
out to them tn hold their horses are of
I account anyhow They eau neither h
them in the railroad fight, nor hinder til
in the tariff fight.