The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-01-06

struggling patriotic efforts, had sen
out its revenue officials, who arbirtraril
took from the farmers and delivered {
the steel rail makers twenty.cigh
bushels of wheat for every ton whicl
they acquired 2G,724, $50 bushels
(more than was grown in 1880 in tn
entire state Of Wisconsin, Missouri o
kanuas) or tho product Of 1881 ,G5'
acres, 10 have given them an equiva
lent in yeluo TO the bounty which thor
actually received in money during tki
samo year under the existing tariff.
Now Z $ not pretended that thee,
steel rail taxca are paid primarily ol
exclusively from the products Of tbt
fisheries, or from tho crops of the
farmers although the burden dos,
rest in great degree upon the latter,
who furnish the bulk Of tho commodi
ties transported by rail but as oil
taxea Of whatever name and nature,
must be paid out of the products oi
labor, and can bo paid from no other
fund. then somebody, in order to pay
the enhanced cost Of the domestic con.
sumption Of steel rails, oyer aud above
what passed into the federal treasury,
must have performed service equal
to growing 2G,72l $50 bushels of wheat
or of cultivating ,G5s acres OF
land. And for this enormous amount
Of labor the toileTs were in no way
benefited, for they might have sold
all the products Of their labor for the
same price as they did receive, and
have bad an exemption in addition
from the tax, to represent profits or
surplus in their pockets.
We have here, therefore, all illustra.
ton, in the nature Of demonstration
interferes with the natural distribu.
ton Of wealth ; enrehing few at the
cost Of many.
But this record Of the greed and
rapacity Of the steel rail manufacturers
Of the United States IL not 20. CON-
plete. Not content With tho exclusive
ownership Of the patent right to manu-
facture no. satisfied with the enact
ment Of an oxorbitant tariff on the
import of all competing products, they
sought and obtained from congress, in
conjunction with tho iron manufaotur-
ers, the right to foreibly compel ths
purchase Of these commoli,ios by Ger.
tain great domestic consumers Thus
they would not consent - lhe granting
of charters by the government 10 the
several Pacific railrost, even when
the construction of thcsc roads a. re-
garded in the light Of doub:ful and
dangerous financial experiment, ex-
cept the builders were s4ddlel with
the restriction that ia OIL their pur-
ohsses Of iA:s and steel, they should
be obliged t5-take. irrespective of kind
or quality, such products as the Ameri.
can iron aud steel manufacturers might
ofFcr to sell, and none other. Now it
might naturally have been supposed,
in conformity with the old provnrb,
What is sause Tor ihe goose is sascs
for she gander.' that the American
iron and steel manufactures having
prohibited the rAnE-oontinental rail
road companies from using any thing
but American iron and steel for their
constructions, would have themselves
rigidly rofrained from using anything
in turn in their iron and steel works,
except tho products Of American labor.
But If any one had INDUCED in such an
hypothesis he would have been sadly
disappointed. For these special iron
and steel friends Of American industry
no sooner found out that in the absencc
Of hundred per cent. duty on foreign
pig iron, scrap iron aud iron ore, they
could supply themselves with these
raw materials cheaper in tho foreign
than in the domestic market, then they
deliberately turned their backs on their
fellow. American iron miners, and pig
metal smelters, and proceeded to take
advantage Of the pauper labor OF
Europe by purchasing aud importing
large quantities Of iron ore from Spain,
and old rails and scrap iron from Eng
land and other countries, the importation
Of foreign ore for 1880 having amount
ed to 493, 40s tons and old rail and
scrap to the value of $l4,705,S79.
Whereas much harsh language and
not few threats Of smashing tho pro
tective machine have been indulged In
on the part of American workingman,
who have always been told by ths pro.
tectionists OF the Pennsylvania school
that good Americans must only
buy and manufacture American pro
ducts, and never omit to frown dow
severely the products of the pauper
labor Of Europe. Another result oi
this absurd legislation has besn to put
at least ono of the Pacific railroads in
very awkward position. This is tn,
act of congress incorporating the Texas
and Pacific Railroad, passed March 3
1871. Ii was provided (section g. al
the instance OF the Pennsylvania iror
and steel manufacturers, "that said
road should be constructed of iron anC
steel rails manufactured exclusivsl,
from American oros, excePt such al
may heretofore have been contTAoteC
for by any railroad company which
may be purchased or consolidated with
by being qualified and incorporated q
provided in the act, and a supple men
tary act, approved March 2, 1872, re-
peats almost the same language. Now
as none Of the Bessemer steel rail mill
in Pennsylvania use American ore
and iron exclusively and solely, bu
all import large quantities of foreigl
ores from: Spain, Elba and other for
eign mines andas probably no com
pany in the whole country ia able t.