The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14

not TO cease Inelr CldLlOT IOT TtlOTlu
until tariffs shall be reduced abso-
lutely to what is required for the
real expenses of government. In
der the system now in force the reve-
nues of the government are not par
ticularly enhanced by protection. This
tax has been imposed simply to en-
able the manufacturers of this country
to grow rich, for the tax, in the great
majority of instances, absolutely in
cludes foreign articles of manufac-
ture, often of even natural production,
that the consumers of this country
may be forced to buy home manufac-
tured articles at twice or thrice what
the foreign would cost, admitted free
of duty. 1t is a well known fact that
the people of this country have thus
contributed enormous wealth to a
favored class, and now continue to do
so, even after the question of protec-
ton has ceased to be. in any measure,
necessity in fostering home indus
tries. With import tariffs properly
reduced these people would not con-
tinue to amass wealth with such great
ease and with such marvellous rapidi-
| ty, because the consumers of the
country would be called upon to part
with not more than half the money
they now spend for neceSSi-
ties. With import tariffs reduced
as they should be. foreign manufac-
lures would find their way to our con-
sumers, and the demand being great
er, because of the altered relation in
prices, consumption would be increas-
ed. Low tariffs would thus produce
healthy trade, a more rapid inter
change of commodities between the
United States and foreign countries,
and nominal tariff would then pro-
duce reyenueso ample that all inter-
nal revenues could be abolished. Ger
tainly no people have been more great
ly imposed upon, through an iniqui-
tous system than these very consumers
who have been forced to contribute a
vast sum, billions annually, not to
support their government. but to
enrich the few-a class legislation, in
augurated that monied aristocracy
might be used to subvert popular re-
publican institutions. Let us but
take view of the railway question,
as affected by this iniquitous
tariff system. An outrageous tariff
of S28 per ton on rails adds about
$1,000 to the cost of every mile of road
built with good siXty-pound rail
and probably decreases railroad build
ing 25 per cent; in other words, at
least one-fourth more railroads would
be built if we had q constitutional
Democratic tax on steel rails. Now
on the railroads already built, Poor's
Manual says that 100000 men are
employed, and if % per cent more
miles were in existence 100000
more men would have EN-
ployment. In other words, 300,-
600 men are not only in
jured, but absolutely kept out of en-
ployment, and all for the benefit of
the men employed in steel rail mills,
who may possibly number 10000 men,
so that it would be cheaper to let steel
rails come in free of duty and giveem-
ployment to the 300,OO0and let them
pay each of the 10000 men, say twice
the wages they now make in the steel
rail mills, and let them live a life. of
absolute idleness and ease. What
makes it even worse, however, is that
the wages of 100000 men thus stolen
and withheld, or that portion which
goes to the steel rail industry, does not
go to the men employed by it, but in
the main to less than one hundred
favored mill owners, who care nothing
for their employees except to use them
in acquiring untold wealth. Who ever
heard of one of these workmen in the
iron mills growing rich, or even COM
paratively well off in world
ly goodsp To show how very
little these mill owners care
for their workmen, it is related that
not long ago one of the largest steel
rail mills in the country shut down
and discharged its men, and turned
them, their wives and little ones
adrift for many months, because the
other steel rail mills agreed to pay the
company certain sum for keeping
their mill idle for a certain length of
time. This mill having robbed the
American people in the most approved
protectionist manner and in the name
of workmen, drove its own, for whom
it professed so much love, into the
streets to starve. But, aside from the
employment which the manufacture
of steel rails in this country gives and
that which their free introduction
would give. there is another question
which has not been considered by
the economists. The duty imposed
on rails and that upon all
other material, entering into railway
construction. not only forces railway
builders to project fewer miles of
road, but it compels railway managers
to charge more for transportation.
Could the railway builders be relieved
from paying this protection tax of
about sixty per cent on all the mate
rial used in the construction of en-
gines and railways and of rolling
stock, not only could there be more
facilities for rapid transportation, but
everything would be transported at
greatly reduced prices. Suppose, for
instance, that the duty were such as
to allow a reduction of twenty-five per
cent on all transportation. The cotton
planter who sells one hundred bales of
cotton would then get at least one dol
lar and a half to two dollars per bale
more than he now gets, and this
would give him $50 to $500 more