The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-10-03

telling them that all it asks is temporary
protection, in order to give it a fair start
and equal chances with competition. II
it could only get the privilege OF a high
tax on an imported article just a few
years, it promises to reduce the price ;
and then, when thellaws have been made
for sixty years in its favor, it still clamors
for a duty of seven dollars ton for Its
protection, or more than sixty per cent
on the present cost of Scotch pig iron III
London, and snarls and grumbles be-
cause the new tariff proposed last session
offers to reduce the duty to five dollars
How much are the American people
now paving, in the shape of bounty, to
the pig iron privileged classes Accord
ing to the Iron and Steel Bulletin, print
ed at Philadelphia, in April, 1878, the
product of American iron consumed in
1877 was 2, $40 900 tons. The amount OF
pig iron importedin 1877 was 90, 900 TONS
The duty on this, at 81 per ton, $42o,ooo
went into the Treasury, But the enhanN
ced price paid by the American people
on the amount of iron produced was to
the full amount at least, Of the duty. That
is, on 2, $40, 900 tons, at 81, the enhanced
price amounted to the enormous sum OF
SIC, $50 900. And this prodigious boun>
ty was paid by 45, 900, 900 of people to
privileged class Of less than 5000 per-
sons. We include in the 5000 the whole
iron mining and smelling interest, both
CAPITALISTS and laborers. A more mon
strous monopoly there is not upon the
face of the earth than this tax upon our
iron. a metal which enters into every de-
partment of industry, and constitutes the
tools of all the trades.
We said a more monstrous monopoly
does not exist, but we ought to except
woolen blankets, upon which the duty
averages ninety per cent, amounting
practically to prohibition of importatlons.
Blankets are as necessary to human
comfort as fuel, or any other article OF
necessity that can be named. We lmN
ported of this article only about 1000
worth from abroad, the duty on which at
nineStenths of the value amounted to
$500. Where do we get the rest OF our
blankets? ? Why from those American
manufacturing concerns so much lauded
as beneficial and philanthropic lnstituo
tions, which foster American industry
and reduce prices to the community
Now, the consumption of blankets In this
country has been estimated by careful
experts at about 2,ooo, 900 pairs per ans
mum, the money value Of which may be
about Sc, 900 900. Ninety per cent on
this amount goes as profit into the pock'
cts of the manufacturers, or about S3,N
900 900 per annum to the monopollsts,
while the revenue to the Government is
lust $500. In other words, for every
dollar paid into the Treasury, the Amer
lean people pay about 5000 in bounty to
the privileged class, to whom people are
made tributary that they may make and
sell blankets at these enormous prohts'
five take wooden goods generally, 1t
will be seen that we imported in 1870
about $40 ooo,o worth. The average
duty was then, and is now, about sixty
two per cent, so that we collected and
paid into the Treasury about S25, 100000
in the shape of duties on woolens. But
we produced in 1870 woolen products to
the amount of SI55 ,ooo, 900, the enhan,
ced cost of which to the consumers, al
the rates of duty charged (sixty>two pei
cent?, amounted to the round sum oi
$50, 100000 or abouttwice as much boun'
ty paid to manufacturers and monopo'
| lists as the revenue paid to the Govern
ment. Is it not about time that some OF
this legislation which sacrifices the great
est good of the greatest number to these
narrow and grasping monopolies should
be amended Yet another Congress
! lcallinn itsels Democratic h IS adjourned
I without reGS % ~ III. We. W.
lRe4.l Sept II, 1873.