The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-08-01
TIE rARIFR.


The daily Portland Nesos, of the
22d ult., has very sensible and we'll
written editorial upon the subject Of
the tariff and transportation, aud We
agree with the editor of that paper |
when he says that the present is
''most favorable time for the exami.
nation and appreciation of facts that
relate TO the tarifEn The editorial re-
ferreG to is devoted exclusively to one
article-that of railroad iron--the
rails and iron incidentally used in the
construction and operation of rail
roads in the United States. This
class of iron is subjected 10 duty of
sI4 per ton. One hundred tons Of
rails are necessary to lay one milo of
track, and within the three years last
past there were 1854 miles of rail-
road track laid in the United States.
Thus it will be seen that by reason OF
this tariff of Ella per ton on the iron
the Increased cost Of constructing
these roads for rails alone was about
$50, ,000, 900, to say nothing of all the
iron incidentally used in their con-
struelion, which it is estimated will
quadruple that amount. This win
make it s12s, ,000, 900 which Is drawn
from the people Of the United States
and put into the pockets of the iron
mongers for railroad iron alone. Let
US apply these figures to the railroads
in our own State We have now, say
$50 miles of railroad in operation in
Oregon. The increased cost of con-
struction, by reason of this tariff on
the rails, is $3.50, 600, and this sum
quadrupled by all the other incidents
I'VE mean iron for all other railroad
uses--and we have thesnug little sum
of s1.40o,000 TO come ont of tho
pockets of the Oregon railroad pat
rons to make up this excess Of cost of
construction over what il would have
been ander the free trade system.
| But We hare been speaking of rail.
road iron only, and that is bat drop
in the ocean compared TO all the other
iron used in the United States. Il
will be borne in mind that tbe duty
on railroad iron is a great deal less
than on other iron, which Is taxed
from $40 to $50 per ton. II will
readily be seen that this tax uponi iron
Is enormous, aud upon whom does
the burden fall? The agriculturist
and laborer pay the whole of il For
whose benefit? To enrich the lords
of the iron mountains; not that this
bonus is necessary TO keep the furna-
ces and forges in operation, because
they must and will be kept going to
supply our vast aud increasing de-
mand for iron, and that immutable
Law of trade-suppIy and demand
viii govern the price.
| But the IRON interest is not the only
moneyed monopoly the government is
fostering By excessive taxation, levied,
by way of import duties. upon the
agricultural and laboring classes Of
this country. Every fabric, from the
coarsest to the finest; worn upon our
bodies-trinmings and ornaments the
shoes, boots and stockings upon our
feet; the ware and cutlery upon our
tables, and much that IS placed there.
or for our consumption; all, every.
thing we have, as consumers, comes
to us at an enhanced cost of from 20
to 100 per cent. by reason Of this pro
lection. which government throws
around the moncyed interest of our
country at the expense of the con.
sumer. The people have been thus
burdened for the past twelve years,
and It is time to more seriously con-
slider this subject. We have but to
examine to appreciate the extent OF
the burdens we bear for the benefit of
capital. If we refuse to understand
it and to apply the remedy We de-
serve to suffer.