Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-12
THE DOUBLE CorroN.r,Er.x

Do the people doing . cotton business in
and with Memphis, and the planters sending
their cotton here, agree with the iron monop.
olists that the duty on iron ties used in
bsling cotton should be doubled? We hear
OF no action on their part which opposes this
doubling Of the duty. Somebody tells a
tory of a basket standing on the passage
way in street-car, which every body pushed
past IS we'll as they could, while nobody in
sisted on its being put out OF the way. II
the cotton people choose 10 accept the OBJ
struction the iron lords put in the way Of
their businers, as the people in the car per-
mitted the basket 10 bar their way; if they
choose meekly 10 submit TO have tie cotton
interest subjected and made tributary to the
iron monopolists, it will be well for them to
their yielding necks will remain there, how
ever CALLING they may find it. Even Vicks-
burg, city doing much less business in
cotton than Memphis, has shown activity
against the inexcussble act Of levy
ing a tax upon the cotton inter
est for the benefit of the iron mo-
nopolists, and six members OF Congress have
assured them they will do all they can in
the matter. The secretary of the Vicksburg
Cotton Exchange has since written 10 these
six congressman, by direction of the EI-
change, desiring them TO use their votes and
influence TO defeat the proposed duty on iron
ties, as Southern planters have euffered al
most overpowering reverses within the last
Eve years from overflow, bad crops and cpl
denies, and are in no condition to bear fur
Their burdens. We here remark that were
the cotton planters about Vicksburg flourish
ing aud prosperous to the highest degree,
that would make no difference in the case.
1t is unjust that one business interest should
be made tributary TO another, and it is
equally unjust if it was the iron manufsc-
turers from whom money was exacted 10
give it 10 the cotton planter. A Baltimore
writer adds: "Do everything you legiti-
mately can TO defeat the proposed mere ase
of duty, which is direct and burdensome
tax on the cotton planter" The Bal
timore Day says upon the proposed
doubling OF the cotton tax: "There
are 100000 of US who have
some sort Of interest in buckets,
pals, casks, barrels and other objects on
which hoops are used, where there are only
a hundred or SO interested in the msnufac-
ture of hoop-iron, and we know Of no obi
CATION of the 49, 999, 800 to the 100 to consent
to tax on all hoop-Iron for their benefit,
especially one so high as to exclude it, thus
denying the peoples government the thirty
five per cent. duty it could obtain on the i'm
ported iron." That paper would like to see
whether the thirty-6ve per cent. duty would
really drive the hoop.iron manufacturers
out Of business, and what calamity would
follow if hundred men did change their
business, while The remaining part Of the
nation would be benefited by their retire
ment? There lies the point, the people at
large are robbed that the few may get rich,
an effect we clearly see it produces by the
number OF millionaires that have sprung up
since the reign of monopoly set in, and by
the formidable extent of their millions.
Memphis should be among the first, the
strongest, and the most persistent in opposi-
ton to double taxing iron ties.