The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-01-06
ROBBERY UNMASKED.
The Last and Most Thrill
ing of Hon. David A.
Wells Stories.

| SSHAot Wv cAtoh w topeetea W VI
American public.
In 1855, Henry Bessemer, an En-
glishman, discovered now process 10
making ateel As far as tho prodael
was concerned there was not much .
novelty in what Mr.. Bcssemer accom-
plishel, for just As good and even better
steel was made, and made abundantly
before. But the great merit Of Besss
mer's discovery WAS that il made chesI
an article most essential to the progress
of civilization, which was before dear
And the whole world reioiced in the
result, as ono OF the great achievements
of the nineteeth century. We say the
whole world but We are mistaken
the United States apparently did not
rejoice for portion of it's people,
after waiting until the new discovery
had been proved a success, and 30 avoid.
ing participation in the loss and ex-
penss that 10 always incident 10 an ex.
pertinent in manufactures, went TO
neutralize the benefit OF Mr.. Beiaemer a
discovery, by depriying it Of its special
merit-namely, eheapness. And they
succeeded in great degree III 30 doing,
by inducing congress to impose duty
of nearly l0o per cent. on tho impsrt
of all Bsssemer steel imported from
Europe and ,hen augmenting the price
of all steel that was made in this eoun.
try to an equal or nearly equal extent.
Ii is also to be noted as further part
of this history that the persons who
sought and obtained from congress the
power to tax to such an enormous ex-
tent the people and interests Of the
country who desired TO uAe tho neE
steel-the railroads more especially in
tho frat instance, aud then all those
who use tho railroads for freight and
travel-had previously acquired by
purchase at very low price the OK
elusive control Of the patent granted 10
Mr. Bessomer in tao United States !;
and that they then, aftor being thus
aoubly fortified against ell possible
competition at home or from abroad,
formed = company, or ring. Of sons
eleven associates, and refused TO allow
any othor persons 70 engage ia the
manufacture Of the now steel, except
on condition Of paying To the American
owners Of tho patents. royalty 10
large as 10 10 practically destructive OF
all profit TO all outside parties.
So the business outside Of operations
Of tie eleven associates has not until
very lately been in any degrse extend
ed. But now that some OF the original
patents have expired, few other par.
ties arc beginning to engage in the
business Tie American people, how.
ever, by reason Of the tariff, are pay
ing all the same as before for their
Bessemer steel, or about double the
prico paid by the people of o.her c0un.
tries, thoir eompeers in wealth and
civilization.
And how much does the tax at pres.
ert amount to annually 7 let Us see.
The domestic production Of steel rails
for tho year 1880. was 954, AGO ne!
tons the impOrtatisns were l5S,230
tons. indicating a domestic consump
tion for the year, Of l,ll2,690 tons.
The average price OF the American pro-
duct for the year 1880, was s67.50.
The average prices of Bessemer's rails
in Great Britain for the same period
we're between sc and gT, or from $50
10 $35 1t Is, therefore. clear that the
full pound of 1esh-S28 per ton
which the tariff allows, was taken on
all the Bessemer rails bought and used
in the United States during the year
1880, and that this increment of price,
in consequence-which was a tax on
domestic consumption-amounted in
the aggregate to s3l,l55,32o. Thirty
one millions OF dollars /! /! Truly q
big sum 4 sum 80 large that tho
mind il unable TO take its msasurc ex-
cept by instituting comparisons, or
finding ont how much the same num-
Der of dollars will buy of some other
commodities. Let US therefore, as a
help to mental comprehension institute
some OF these tests or comparisons.
Thus, il man were to attempt te
count this sum at the rate of dollar a
second, it would take him more than q
year, working twenty-four hours day,
or more than two years at twelve
hours a day to do it. It represents
more than three times the net ordinary
expenses of the federal government in
the year 1900 and more than half
the ordinary expenditures of the gov
ernment during the last year o.
Buchanans administration. The fish
cry business of the great lakes is an
extensive and laborious branch of do
mestic industry, giving employment il
1880 to 6,050 men, and supplying th'
country with a most desirable and
cheap article Of food. And yet, tax
ing the value of the catch for 1880
($l,7S4 ,050) as the basis for estimate
these $3.50 poor and industrious mer
would be required to work and Civ,
the entire product -of their work 70
more than seventeen years in orde
10 raise money enough to pay the ia,
which the tariff at present impose
annually on the entifo people and in
dustries of the country for the benef
mainly of comparatively very few peo
pie, and for one single branch of dc
mestic industry. And out of thi
great tax of $3l ,l55, ,32o only $4,470
236 passed into the national treasury
Again if we assume the average pro
duct Of wheat in the United States a
fifteen bushels per acre, and that tn
farmer receives on the average one do
lar per bushel gross for his product
both not unfair as assumptions -anC
| further, that the bounty to the stee
rail manufactures, which aecrued direc