The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-05-13

CObtb MIN nbIb.
For these and other reasons, which
we have not space to cite now. we re
quest you TO give your attention TO such
q revision Of the tariff laws af
will give us the raw materials
free Of duty and put o grad
ual scale OF duties on the fab
RIGS 30 arranged 90 TO correspond with
the amount of labor expended In the
course OF construction, keeping In view
the adjustment of any difference there
may be between wages here and else
where.
That luxuries be taxed higher than
necessities instead of vice versa, as IL
now the case.
That reform shall be secured In the
administration OF the law at the custom
houses, which shall secure just and
proper valuation of all articles entered
Into consumption.
That stringent rules be adopted to
prevent uDdeTyaluatiOn and fraud.
Being upwards Of 10000 In number,
and speaking Independently for the irst
time, We crave your attention and that
OF Congress 10 our interests, which,
though small In size, are yet az dear TO
us 40 are the interests Of the wealthy to
them, and we no longer believe that the
mere possession OF wealth should give
any more weight than the oppression OF
Of poverty; for "the little oil is az dear
TO us aa In the much TO the wealthy and
powerful" aud all have right TO stand
upon the same footing before the law
making power OF the land. To this we
pledge ourselves with oil the powers
possessed by American freemen, hoping
that wise councils will prevail and our
Interests conserved.
In further support OF the correctness
OF the ground we take, we will say that
from the tables given In Eyans's I'm.
ports and Dulles, 1883" we find that
In the year 1853 the impOrtations OF
"wOol, raw or manufactured" amounted
10 5000 067 pounds, valued at $8,d9l,'
0SS23. and the duty paid was $3,lN,
0?802, The duty on the different grades
OF wool runs from "a SO per cent, the
highest, averaging 873S per cent. for
oil grades, or at out q cents per pound,
The total amount OF wool consumed
In the United States In 1884 WAS 1903,
350,0 pounds, on all OF which, dOmes
tic or foreign, this tax was added
amounting 10 at least five cents per
pound and aggregatlng $l9 9l7 b32, Can
an industry be- prosperous that is taxed
at the rate OF $50 900, 900 year for the
benefit OF few men who employ the
minimum amount OF labor, az do the
wool growersp Thus the operative In
the wOOlen industry Ia taxed 800 upon
but one Item OF the materials he works
up; and when we take into c0neidera
tion Tho fact that similar ttxatlOn IL
Imposed on every other item OF mater.
las used In the manufactures, we can
no longer wonder why II Ia that, not.
withdrawing the small compensatiln
our labor receives, we cannot compete
with the manufacturers OF the old
world, aud why Is II that, notwlthatand-
log our bOasted protection, "the great
difference hitherto exiatlng between
wages OF the two countries is lessening
rather than Increasing"
Assuming that the duties on the other
materials used In the wO0len manu-
features are less than those on the wool
and assuming the average on all to b.
30 per cent, Including wool q d oil,
we Ind that the tex on the Sl6i 37l Dol
worth OF materials was $40. 3ll ,i65 30 IN
the year 1880. The total wages pad In
the same year amounted to $i7 $50 076,
showing that the tax was $i,022,378 In
excess OF the wages OF oil the wooden
workers. and we eau safely say that our
OF the tax percentage Ia moi
excessive. Here, then, we and Il place
where reduction can be made without
lnjuring any class or crlppllng q single
Industry, aud we feel impelled 10 pro
test against being longer oppressed TO
give the few the whlp-hand over us.
The removal Of thia tax must be bene
llClal 10 the manufacturer also, M II will
give him freedom 10 expand 10 other
besides our 0wr; 20 Increase
wages, which will enhance the prosper
lty OF the working people, who will In
turn enhance his Prosperity by Their
ability and willingness 10 consume
more OF The manufactures, and benellt4
will eventually repch oil the people
the broad land. II will bring
cOntentment where now Ia unrest and
hard feeling. II will brig prosperity
10 our manufacturing industries, bring
about more equitable distribution OF
tho products OF labor, Int the brake
from our commerce ard industries, and
cause the ocean TO be dotted with our
ships, that 10 u nation we may once
more feel proud Of having the stars and
stripes ioat aloit in every part Of the
world. II, A. HERwiG,
A, Q. LEwiN,
j. p KERR.
10 BAuD