The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-03-23
THE PROTECTIVE TARIFF.

In the public excitement about the
currency question the exactions Of the
protective tariff system are more or less
overlooked, yet they continue to exist.
The New York World said the other
day:
Let US see what the exactions on laborer
are in New York IN 1876. On pair Of blan-
kets for which he pays IS the swindling tariff
law exacts. not for revenue but for the monop-
Olist, %, which is an exaction of two flfths in
stead Of one sixth.
On suit OF common tweed clothes, costing
in New York $l8, that he can buy in Canada
for Sl2. an exacti0n of one third.
On common alpaca dress for his wife, for
which he has to pay 40 cents yard, but which
costs in England pence, the exaction is Is
cents, or more than one third.
On spool of cotton the exaction is over one
halt
On muslin dress the exaction is one
third.
On a pair of socks or stockings, if of cotton.
it is over one third; if of woollen, it is three
fourth-.
On an iron pot, it is one half.
On 6ose of castor oil, it is more than dou.
ble-that is to say, the mother Of the sick ba-
by buying one dose has to pay for two And
this IS the exaction on nearly all medicines
that are used.
In short, there is not manufactured article
that the poorest or richest man uses in this
action Of one third, and OH many of them much
more.
|. 1t is reasonable to believe that the
farmer. using as he does, ploughs, har-
rows. reapers, mowers, threshers, wag
ons, &C.. &C.. al heavily taxed under
the tariff, is nulcted OF one third Of his
total income annually. not to support tie
government but to increase the profits of
some OF his fellow citizens who have no
more right to tax him than he has to tax
them.
In short. the fertility of our soil has
been for years past engaged in des-
perate struggle to meet the exactions of
the eastern-wing Of the Republican par
". When the virgin freshness of that
soil is exhausted the agricultural popu-
lation, ii no relief is afforded them, will
be steadily reduced to condition bor-
dering on panperisn. We gave last
week an estimate Of the present profits
OF raising our great staple. wheat, in the
northwest, as calculated BY Charles
Seymour, Esq, OF La Crosse. We quote
it again:
Actual cost Of powing one acre properly 90 90
Market value Of two bushels best seed
Wneat .... z 6U
Sowing and narrowing twice, by ap-
proved machinery ..... ...... n
Cost OF harvesting and stacking per
acre ...... 90
Threshing fifteen bushels (lahor, teams
and board io cents) ...... ... 50
Cleaning and hauling wheat six miles
70 market, 6 cents ..... .... 80
Interest, 10 per cent, on land and i'm
provslnents pro rata per acre,
worth 80 90 .... ... 90
Total cost Of wheat per acre =. -. ga 95
Say 81 10 per bushei.
Some Of these figures are greater than
they should be, but, after making all
reasonable deductions. enough remains
to show that the farmer of the northwest
has no such margin OF profits as would
justify him in giving one-third or even
one-tourth Of his income annually to
encourage some one else. He sells his
wheat at the Liverpool price at the
world price. Why then should a set
OF tradesmcn stand between him and
the world, cutting him of from a free
market, and compelling him to pay one
third more for all the manufactured arti.
cies he purchases? DO the Union and
the Constitution signify giving the sea-
board states monopoly Of the trade and
commerce Of the interior states? If 80,
it is some such union as unites the wolf
and the lamb.