Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-25
rne rnrl,t nna our seet,en.

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The Tnrif hnd our scctson.
The HERALD has been, and Is Of the
opinion that good newspapers first
duty Is the defending OF the material and
other legitimate interests Of tho section
whore it is published, Of the people who
read IL and Of the men whose business
and enterprises sustain IT, Following ont
this programme, we desire to devote a
little consideration to the question Of the
tariff, as II affects Los Angeles and her
surroundings. We do this, not in any
partisan spirit, for we freely confess that
II our party proposed any programme
whose effect would be injurious
10 this section IL would then be our duty
10 take issues with the party. II our
readers, then, will give moments at
tention to this question in the same lib
eral spirit IL may be well for the country
and for tho interests OF all. People are
not Of any political party on narrow
grounds Of prejudice, but because they
think one party or the other best forwards
their material interests.
From this patriotic point Of view--and
II is patriotic one. For what is the
best for our material interests Is the best
for the country--from this point OF view,
then, we ask all good citizens to ask
themselves what benefit protection Ia or
can be to this section? Ours is pre-
,minently nm agricultural country. 1t is
destined to remain so. For generations
10 come our climate will attract people
from all lands. The rich will come to
enjoy in this sunny cline fortunes made
elsewhere. The einvalid Of many classes win
come to exc out the ebbing fires Of life
which were wasting with alarming pace
under more rigorous climatic Influences
AS il stands to-day we produce less OF al
most every commodity than we consume.
The result is that we are obliged to bring
IN from abroad many Of the necessaries
Of life. This is to be densely populated
section, and these conditions are likely
20 continue. AS a section we will not
produce cereals for export beyond our
own State. The sheep herder is thing
OF the past with us. We have no
lumber, no coal here or near here
We shall grow for all time to come large
amounts of fruits and OF vegetables. But
these mature at seasons when they defy
competition. You can count on the fing-
ers OF one hand the products OF this sec.
ton which would be protected by any
tariff. Raisins, nuts, dried fruits and
wines and brandles are the sum. They
are all luxuries, and as such it will not
be hard to keep a moderate tariff on most
of them.
Pass from what VI e produce to what we
\ import, and the more these things are
Nax-protected the more we pay for them.
Qur farmers are the people whose inter-
e&ts are preeminent in this section. Under
the present system he is taxed from the
TIME he rises in the morning until he
goes to bed; and at night his sleep is
made burdenNby a weight OF taxation
on the bedding he sleeps under.
The shingle on his roof is taxed.
The door that shuts up his
house ia taxed. He pays tax on the
glass than lets in the sunlight in the morn
ing, and on the blinds or curtains that
shut it o,lt at midday. He walks on
taxed carpet laid on a taxed floor, In
taxed houseA to openla taxed door with a
taxed key fitAing a taxed lock. He can
touch nothing see nothing, hear nothing,
use nothing, eat nothing that is not
taxed. His shade and shovel, his
plow and wagon, his fork and
hoe are taxeA He pays tax
on his sugar, on lin salt aud slice of ham.
BY day he wears\ a taxed hat taxed
stockings, taxed cd 9t and. IA taxed shirt.
BY night he sleeps oAl taxed bed and
taxed mattress, under\ NAKED Blankets and
taxed sheets. lie sta down to eat, and
the table, the chair, thu knife and fork,
the cup and saucer are Ak taxed. And
all these taxes go to benefit some one
thousand miles away flAm lin, some
one who does not spend dollar ior
anything the Los AngNles. farmer
produces. The farmers iuo is the
laborer's interest, for tho gre part OF
our labor must find employm pa our
farms. The farmers interest 10 the
merchants interest, for it il the
farmer and off his profits III the
merchant must look to live. The (nor
must pay our laborers and he m be
the chief purchaser OF our mercharI be.
The less the farmer pays for the iIi o.
ments used on the iarm, e
larger his profits will be;
better able he will be to hire lab
and pay for it, and the better customer l
will be at our stores.
II an intelligent elector is a partisan
before all things, and above all things, he
will not pay any attention to these facts.
He will simply reflect that his party has
-decided to vote for the presnnt tariff I