The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-22

REPUBLICAN "FREE TRADERS
Judge Kelley Of Philadelphia, sound
cd note Of alarm on the tariff question
the other day, by stating that Fernando
Wood and the Democrats we're prepar-
ing to strike at the duty on steel rails.
The Gazette took it up, and also pitched
into Fernando and the Democrats as free
traders. A bill reducing the duty ON
steel rails from $28 to $40 ton has been
introduced in the House, and is backed
by memorials from some Of the great
railroad companies east and west. AS
rule, railroad kings are not Democrats.
The monopolists and corporations are
invariably in sympathy with tho Repub-
licans. But there is another influence
at work to secure lower duties on steel
rails, and this is the Republican party of
the northwest, and we have no doubt
the Democrats of that section, and ofthe
south, sympathize with the movement.
1t is put before the people as question
of cheap transportation by cheaper built
railroads. The Chicago Tribune says the
Republican Governor.elect ofIowa, Gear,
is in favor Of lower tariff, and that the
Republican Legislature will probably in
struct their Congressman on the subject.
The same action, we think, may be ex.
pected from the Republicans Of MINES
ota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, and
very probably Michigan, although the
latter is more Of tariff State than any
west Of Pennsylvania. The increased
representation of the northwest in Con.
gress, under the new census, will not
be alone felt in the South. 1t may shat.
ter some Eastern idols, in the shape of
combinations which place the stigma Of
jobbery on the principle of protection.
The Chicago Tribune, which we need
not tell our readers is the great Republi.
can paper of the West, is leading in the
movement to cut down the duty on steel
rails, and in its issue of Thursday, had
the annexed article. We deem it i'm.
portant to print, because if our iron and
steel men rely on their local organs for
information, they will hear nothing of
free trade" movements in the Republi.
can party. They had better be up and
doing, furnishing their old arguments
about "pauper labor" and British gold"
The Tribune says.
Gov. Gear of Iowa, favors the Legisla-
ture of that State instruCting their Con.
gressmen to use all their efforts to break
up the Bessemer steel rail monopoly, be-
cause 1t is Injurious to Iowa and other
agricultural States in which new rail.
roads are needed. Many Of the Iowa pa
pers are advocating reduction of the
tariff on steel rails, and print approving
ly the memorandum recently submitted
to Congress upon the important subject
from some of the Presidents of the cor
porations whose roads terminate In Chi.
cago. They stated that the present price
of steel rails In England is 1924 a ton, at
which price large quantities have recent.
ly been purchased for American roads
with a guaranty of ten years wear. With
rails at the price here stated, the rate Of
protection here afforded by the present
duty equals 100 per cent. This rate is
much too high, and it is still further in
creased by the charges of importation,
amounting to about $3.50 per ton, thus
making the ad vdlorem rate of protection
l31 per cent. Since 1870, when the duty
now in force went first into effect, there
has been an enormous and unex pected
decline in the cost of the manufacture OF
steel rails. In consequence of this de-
cline, the ad valorem rate Of protection
has increased in the intervening period
from 45 per cent to 120, an advance Of
75 per cent. With rails at 1923 per ton
the rate Of protection reaches the first
cost, and, adding charges of importation,
equals lib per cent Of their cost.-Pias.
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