Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-07-06
COMPLICATIONS"


regard to import duties which affect
some of our local industries. After re-
ferring to petition to congress pray
ing that the duties be retained upon
lead and zinc, which few years age
was circulated throughout this lead re-
gion, he says:
ave do not propose to touch the mer-
its of the tariff question at present, but
merely refer to this bit of local history
to indicate the complications OF the
subject, and to illustrate the lnconsls-
tency of those democrats who are howl
ing for free trade. and denouncing all
protection as republican robbery.
What Mr.. Jones views on
this subject may be, we can only sur
mise. If they accord with the demo-
cratic press Of this district he will IA
vor practically free trade, and to be
consistent must include all products III
a list for reduction to a revenue basis,
lead, zinc and wool as well as iron,
coal and articles produced or manufac-
tured in other states
We do not think that anybody who
took part the last congressional cam
raign in this district ought to have
any doubts as to the position of our
present congressman on the tariff ques-
ton. The platform of the convention
which nominated him demanded ian
immediate reduction in the tariff, with
a view ultimately to the abolition of
all duties except for revenue only"
Upon this plank Mr.. Jones fairly
took his stand, and advocated tariff re-
form in every one Of his speeches dur
ing the campaign. The words in quo
tations, we believe, define Mr.. Jones
position exactly, and it is the only one
consistent with true democratic doc
trine.
In regard to the duties upon the
products of zinc ores, which are the du-
ties chiefly relied upon by our local
protcctionists for political capital,
there are some phases very favorable
to revenue reformers, even from sell
fish standpoint. In the first place, it is
necessary for the successful and profit
able manufacture of either spelter or
oxide from these ores to have an album
dance of cheap coal-aS it takes some
thing more than two tons of coal to
one ton of ore to produce the former,
and something more than one ton of
coal to one ton of ore to produce the
latter. Now the rate of duty laid upon
coal by the tariff laws to which our
protection friends attribute the exist
ence and success of the zinc industry
in this section, is as high as the duty
upon zinc in any form. To show how
important a part the cost of coal plays
in the reduction of zinc ores, it is only
necessary to call attention TO the
fact that the high price of coal was the
chief reason assigned for the shutting
down of the old Bellevue Zinc works
at this place, and the starting of Mat
thieson & Hegler's and other works at
l.
of which would have been established
here were it not for this one reason
Our protection friends may reply that
the high freights charged by the rail
road companies ut that time also con
tributed to the cost of coal. But it is
right here in regard to railroad treights
that all protectionists must remain 81
lent. For it is safe to say that thu
outrageous high tariff upon rails
which before the present law was pass
ed was as high us twenty-eight dollars
on ton, or twenty-Seven dollars wortl
of steel rails, retarded the railroad
building of the country many years
And if it were not for this duty anC
the other higher duties upon every ar
ticle which enters into railroad con
struction, instead of having only ont
short line of railroad at that time, this
mining region would have been inter
sected by trunk lines of roads, and il
consequence eff them the mining indus
try us well rs every other industry
would have grown and prospered
This subject Of the effect of the tariff
upon our home interests is fruitful OF
speculation not ut all favorable to the
cramping and dwarling policy of So
called protection.
There is also Il special reason why
the editor of The Tribune ought to be
careful about making Il partisan at
tack upon the democratic policy o
"practical free trade" being inimica
to our local interests. The mem
berS Of his party who framed the bill
passed by the last congress to satif!
the demand for tariff reform did no
treat our Industries in very higl
minded manner. While they reduced
the duty upon oxide of zine they obey
cd the dictates OF strong lobby fol
the spelter interest, and let the old du
ty remain And this WAS done Will,
we were represented by a high protec
ton member from this district fol
whom his friends claim vas influence
In like manner did the last congress
treat the wool growers, whom Thu
Tribune would like to alarm. The du
ties upon wool was reduced, bu, thu
manufacturers were influential enough
to keep all kinds of wooden goods II
high rs evef, and in some instance
had them increased.
We need not enumerate more of tn
Inconsistencies and absurditieS of the
present tariff laws 1t is the same oil,
story: rich monopolies always carry
ing their ends, no matter how unscrup
ulously they are brought about.
The Democrat favors the lowest tar
if possible which will raise suflicien
revenue to meet the legitimate eXpen
seS OF the government economical,
administered The lower the tariff Ia,
is it suits us the better, just the sam
rs in the case Of any other tax. Viewed
in this light the question of tariff tax
alton never becomes more complicated
than any other manner of taxation. L
is only to those who have miSconcep
ton of foreign trade that its compleXi
ty appears to pass all understanding
Foreign trade. like home trade, is ben
elicial, and ought to be encouraged and
nStrni,nnl Mhnin acts n.