The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-11-11
THE TAHrYY ON COAL.

THE TA1ITI ON COAL.
Dus u tie measures introduced at
the lste sessioo Of the Forty fourth
Congrss ~ss the removal 81 the exist
ing tariff Of seventy Ave cent. per ton
on coal. This free trade move. though
very s,os in theory, xss adopted TO
sake political capital With the masses
whose interest IN the coal trade doss not
extend beyond the supply necessary to
b purchased for their years fuel. OF
for running the machinery Of their f.c-
tories. But We only need to look at the
matter from . national standpoint TO be
convinced Of its impoIicy. The saving
10 consumers would bs rather in antici-
HtLn than reality. The increased
eaia would " on the side Of the
foreign oollisra, whose cheap la
Dor would give them VOC great = pre-
pond0rancs over the American minss 10
10 overcome. The damage that il
would infiot upon the coal interest Of
the Middle states and the Pacific coast
would be by % much . national calalo-
ity. The effect would be not merely 10
diminish the profits Of tho coal oompa-
nies. but also the gnins of tho hardwork-
ing miners themselves and all dependent
10 business upon them. La truth. there
10 change needed in the tariff, but
Il u IL M opposite kind to the
one proposed. The present tariff is
not high enough to affect the result for
which it was designed I. should 1t
lssst In equal 70 the differences in the
rstss Of wages between Puget Sound
and England. II there 10 any cd.
vantage To the poor and working peo-
Ile In the maintenance of . democratic
fora Of government. they pay the cost
of that government. and 1t is only
right that il should protect their iu.
tsresss Hainpered by higher wages to
WORKING men aud by the high taxa
tion Of . republic. it is not
Just to American citizens that the
home markets should be pron,iscu.
ously thrown open on terms Of
equality 10 countries where labor il de-
graded aud that pay tribute to foreign
sovereignty or to none ~ all The pro-
tecsive tariff 10 the only expedien, that
= new government has for defending
ltself against the overbcaranee Of for
eign concentration Of capital aud com-
issrcisl prestige. Tho tariff Is the
"nly fence by which it can protect its
fields from The inroads of tho full
grown herds Of foreign neighbors un-
al IL own stocks grow strong enough
to hold their own. That fence ought
70 he high enough to protect in reality.
Son Francisco. because the vessels
that carry out her grain need return
csrsoes. buys large portion Of her coal
supplies from England and Australia.
II doing % she cuts of . large profi,a-
his trade with domestic ports without
any corresponding Offset Washington
and Oregon mining districts take their
psovisions and costlier merchandise in
esehaugs. and being near nsighbors ara
tributary il every poss,bie way
to her prosperity Ths British countries
must have the grain anyway. and if the
tAr,d oa coal amounted to prohibition.
the seturn chips would have to bring ia.
stead such fabrics and manufactured ar
,'elcs ~ cannot be produced to sdvsn.
,age % this ce&st. and the beneficial
tuas Of the coast would be preserved
uaiupAissd. At the same time such \
regulation would materially help the
hus.scsa OF ship-baildiug in our ports.
To all in carrying cut this desirable
change in the tariff. or at leas, in pre-
venting its removal. 10 an argument for
having three more n,emlssrs in Congress
frcas the Pacific coast. - Senators and
Representative Of Washington. Their
snfa~nce upon this question would IL
tsns:ihly felt ~ well ~ upnn others that
are Of vital interest 10 cur people