National Republican., 1880-04-01

our NeOplc equal civil ana pOlltCal rights, Lot
the National Convention at Chicago, after full
consideration and without bias or prejudice,
say who best can secure success, and the Re-
publican party, like II well.drilled army, will
wheel into line and overcome tho last vestiges
Of the great rebellion Of 1861" Loud and
prolonged appla use.
The Corner In Paper.
Tho following letter was addressed to Cen
cral Garfield MS a member of the Committee on
Ways and Means. 1t is intended to gvo the
opinions of Western publishers, at whose re-
quest 1t was wrltton;
CHICAGO. March %, 1880.
DEAR StR: The sudden and abnormal advance
in the price Of printing paper has naturally filed
the minds Of publishers with alarm. Tho paper
makers meet monthly and vote further increase
of prices, aud pour in memorials Congress justi
flying 1t, and urging that the newspaper business
Is so hourishng and profitable that II can stand
almost any conceivable rise without being ruined,
They point to the exaggerated reports of the profits
of fow of the older and stronger journals III justi
TO make 10 alluson 10 the condition Of the ninety
aud nine publishers Of every hundred who are be-
ing driven TO the wall by them.
There ore some points In THIS con ttcyersy 10
which desire TO call your attention. Ws,ith hare
not been very clearly presented heretofore;
l. This IL case in which two classes OF manuiGc-
urers Insist Tint Congress should continue 10 them
the power Of robbng a third class of nanufac.
turers the latter from the peculiarly of their bus-
ness being unable to transfer the burden upon the
public or consumers. as merchants aud dealers
eau do but must suffer the whole loss entailed by
the Congressional discrimination against them.
1t publishers increase their subscription prices to
correspond with The great and sudden rise In the
cost of paper thoy lose their subscribers recent
experiments fully demonstrate; II they materially
reduce the SIZE OF their sheets thoy cripple their
ability to accommodate their advertising patrons
or they must suppress as much OF tler news space
as to furnish the reading public with an unsstis.
factory shoot They are thus placed between the
upper and neither inillstono. 1hoy are caught on
the horns of a dilemma literally.
2, The protective policy is moi Intended to enable
one class of manufacturers TO devOur another.
Publishers nro manufacturers. and were clas
slned and taxed during and after the war. They
give employment to ton times rs many operatives
as pulp and paper makers, and whatever paper tax
policy strikes them iniuriously, Injuries ten times
as many employers and employees as II helps An
artificial rise III paper promoted @d protected by
Congressional Interference in behalf of pulp and
paper mills and pulp mills must necessarily result
in reduction Of the wages of compOsitors press
men, clerks, carriers reporters editors correspond
ents and other newspaper emp!oyes, and in
| loss also 10 tho proprietors The damage
done by these Congressional iavortisns reacts buck
on the entire publishing business by II law of po.
minar.
g. Newspaper publishers have no protection
turers enjoy and all the protection" they ars
asking Is to be relieved from an unnecessary rev.
enueless burdensomo ana damaging tax imposed
for the eno!ument Of papcrmake kers ut their eN-
pense. The pulp and paper tax Is not protective in
operation and therefore violates protective prin-
cpes IL docs not even possess the excuse OF be.
ing levied for revenue purposes as II produces no
revenue tor the Government and never has to an
amount worth mentioning. This tax, rs | have
said, Is nntprotecuve, rs IL seriously dam gcs the
manufacturing business OF publishers, which is
enormously greater than that of prnt-papcr max.
| ing aud wood;pulp grinding, and at the same time
Is not needed by the latter against foreign COmpe
! titOn.
l. There is no country in the worldin which paper
can be manufactured rs cheapy rs in the United
bn hn raty mt in1
| chiefly used-wOOd and straw-arc found In greater
abundance at the lowest cost; that rags, tow old
| rope, refuse gunhy ongslhs, COTTON waste and thC
like oro duty free, cheap Nnd plentiful; that the
motive power for driving the machinery Is water
costing llttle or nothlng that the labor employed
| is mainly boys and girls md women, and but few
men, and the wages paid therefor arc small and
| tho business Is nearly or ontlIOIy free from labor
strikes aud trades union dictatIom whereas, the
publishing business is conducted by skilled, high.
priced experts working In league or combination
| for the advance or maintenance OF wages scales.
most ingenious labor-'sving machines aud pro-
cesses, 10y which great products are turned ont with
| few und lowpaid employees aud, the power being
water Is almost gratuitouS Hence, It may bo
safely affirmed that OF all branches OF American
mon,niaf'HTei ,, p pGPand gr!nt,poper maklng have
| stand least in need OF whut Is called Congress
| sunal protection" As M Industry It Is not 4
"suckilng infant that requires pap bottle but is
stalwali, robust adult perfectly able to take care
| OF itself without cOldling from Congress.
D. Print paper is u commodity that represents
| large weight and bulk to o given value; cOuse.
| quGGtly the freight and expenses Of Importation
| lre heavy, and afford paper mills a largo, natural
| aud Legitimate protection against foreign compel
itors, and this cost oi importation gives an ebun-
ilnt protection so long as papcrulkcra arc content
| with fair profit ON their products. The oSs.,uo
duty l. only used 70 project pOolin :, cc.nhaG-
ton aud unhealthy. prices, and - place publisher,
| under the shelter or an uG;ighteouS law.
g. Tho general .Sncy OF Congress has heretofore
| been to ng.nt manufacturers 10 import their raw
ma,er!Rls free Of tax hence the large free lat IN
! IA IL FR HH.
and under Il the pulpmnEcr imports bass ana soft
woods flC0 Of duty II he wishes to, ana the paper
maker is permitted 10 import rags old iute old
| rope, various grasses and large variety OF raw
| material used IN paper manufacture too numerous
! hero TO mention. In order that horo may bc no
| further preiCNt for retaining lNe existing OucrOUs
duties ON print paper, many hundreds, perhaps
| thousands, OF publishers have puitiuncl Congress
| TO add wood aud other pulrS AMI soda ash to the
! free list. On what economical or reY0uuC principle
wood and Other pulpa arc taxed twenty per cent.
surpnssos the comprehension of publishers Is not
| q patent monopoly sufficient protection ou wood.
pulp making is II to the public interest That an
article which costs cent pound TO make shall
be SO protected as TO- sell ut three Gn o-hal TO ioul
| cents pound2 Is II the duty Of Congress 10 aid
/ by thp law this kind Of robbery
| :. Ihe raw material nsGdi by publishers consists
ofunsi1ed print paper; Why should not this raw
material publishers be placed on the free list rs
well rs tie raw material OF the manufacturers
why does Congress Discriminate against publish
!ng manufactures denying them free raw llGleial
Whi!o u gives free raw material To pulp and paper
mOscrS Congress acts as II IL had Ga Sunity toward
| tho newspaper business, and mhliciously desired
! 10 cripple ana iujure Ii. The TcontOn of the
onCrous ana wholly unnecessary papcr duty iUr
niSheS grounds for q presumption 81 that kind
which the prepayment OF neMspapcT-postaSo act 1;
not calculates To remove.
have thus placed before you sol2s aspects Of tho
ease as they appear from ,.v standpoint oflhe pub
/ fishers o. ,ne Vest
! il is said that now an apprehension prevails In
| the minds Of some of The members Of the Ways
aud Means Committee that II a bill b1 presented to
the House removing tho TAX on mlp soda pSh ana
unslzcd printing paper other Interests may obtrGdG
| themselves and load IL down Win amendments
| affecting sugar, steel, iron, coal salt etc, But
| this fear Will not be rell1Ct unless majority o!
OF tho House arc hostile 10 Tho bin 6nd resort 20
| this method OF ki.lng t put they cannot 90 &,
without mauiieatng and discovering sheirmdt F|e
Gpi If there lo a majority OF the House intent on
retuiuag the present tax on paper let Il De 50 re-
corded The bill! viii h2 passed without amend
! ment II the House desires 70 remove the tax,
Mood not argue this point further but subscribe
| myself very respectfully yours, j. MEDlLL
ToRoSTo, ONr., March 3l,--lianlNn is now
training for his match With C0uuaey. Ho
will go to Rochester Friday.