Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-28

II TJe1---
Col OF iaoor.-.-.---- .--.--t tsteoott
Cost OF material rs
Making labor and material cost ts, ,7sT 27T
Ths value 0fi product. xAsR salaa IA ...!..
D,snet c.p..l and sSof n
And II leaves net proht os7 sss
a'gThis shows apro6t for that year OF
66.9 per cent. on all the capital en-
ployed, while the total cost of labor
was only S.S per cent.
In a subsequent letter to Mr.. Kelley,
Mr.. Swank endeavors TO explain away
part Of this profit on. capital. but
does not succeed very we'll, ahdiwheth,
er the profit was.S Sc or sc per r'eent it
shows who is getting therbeneit of che
present ubiquitous tariff.F And in
another case Mr.. Hewitt Showed be-
you'd all cavil that another. steel com,
pany, afssr making q dividend of IL
per cent. in 1881, on o total capital Of
$4,000, 900, had a surplus OF undivid-
ed profits OF over $4,000, ,O00l! And
taking the protected industries all
through. the recent census report
shows concluslvely that capital, and
not labor, receives the lions share of
the benefits Of protection, Thus in the
silk, the cotton and wooden. the iron
and steel industries, which together
produced in 1880, $50, ,522, 2S6 worth
of goods, laborers on the average got
but $500 each for. the years work,
while capital got % per cent profit.
That is, every Sl.1ls Invested brougbs
as much to the owners as did a years
work, on the average, 70 the laborer.
The census report shows also that
the total wages paid for labor in iron
and steel mills in the census year, was
less than l percent of the value of
the iron and steel made Mr.. .kMorri-
son, of Illinois, stated in the House
that, ''The people who consumed the
iron and steel product Of 1880, could
have imported it, paid all the wages
paid in iron work and mines, and saved
$6,00O,OOO while the workers would
have been left free to follow other
pursuits Indeed, the evidence from
all sides, is conclusive that high pro-
lection, with free immigration Of labor,
inures not to the benefit Of labor, but
to capital, and goes to build up monop-
olies.
Mr.. Carroll d. Wright Chief of the
Labor Bureau of Massachusetts,, shows
that the increase of wages from 1878
to 1881 has been less than 7 per cent,
while the cost of living has increased
81 per cent, and Prof. Thorald Rogers
has shown as the result of thorough
historical inquiry into pricesssthat cost
of living is increasing faster than rate
of wages. In this way again the aid
of government, through legislation
and ostensibly this time in the interest
of hbor--is brought to the side of
capital and helps to make greater the
inequality in the distribution of the
products of labor
1t was expected Of this Congress
that it would reduce taxation and re-
form the tariff. 1t did neither. Its
attempts at the reduction Of taxation
Gas SO manifestly to relieve capital
rather than benefit the great body Of
taxpayers that it was condemned by
the people and wisely rejected by the
Democrats in Congress. Under the
present tariff So per cent. of the value
of all the imported sugar you consume
(and large part Of the sugar con-
sumed is imported) goes into the treas
urv as taxes; 95 per cent. Of the value
of imported rice (not including profits
to retail dealers); 75 per cent. of the
cost Of spool thread; SO per cent. Of
the cost Of blankets 60 as taxes. To
get bunting to the value Of d dollar,
Sl.2l must be paid as taxes. For q
dollars worth Of horseshoe nails, 9S
cents must be added for taxes. Nor
was it proposed 70 reducetaxes on any
of these things, but instead, to relieve
the capital Of National Banks, and the
manufacturers and vendors of playing
cards, quack-medicines and cosmetics.
From the tariff commission as
constituted, nobody expects anything
but bill Of expenses to be appropria-
ted for when Congress meets. But
why is it asked, did not the Democrat
ic Congress reduce taxes? For good
reason. Until the maturing debt was
refunded and interest reduced and the
debt well on tie way To- extinction, I
for one was opposed TO the reduction
Of the revenues. But now the time
has come when, believe, the burden
Of war taxes can and ought to belight-
ened. T think the time has comesWhen
stamp taxes, except on whiskey,
tobacco, and perhaps, one or
two other articles maybe safely re-
moved, and when duties ON many inn
ported articles in general use, as sugar,
for instance, may be lowered But
taxes can not be lightened IL the waste
full appropriations Of this Congress are
to be continued. Butireduce axpendi-
lures and we canreduce taxes and con
Jiue the payment Of the public debt
too, but not otherwise, III aaa I'D
NATIONAL BANKS.
The Democratic platform declares
that stability in the value of money,
is 4 primary requisite " industrial and