St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-06
OPPRESSION
To Labor and Industry Caused by
the Tariff


Full reasons for these views cannot
be given in brief letter; but it must
be admitted by all that system Of rev.
enue which brings into the treasury an
nually more than S50,00D.0 0 above the
amount required for vigorous and
proper administration of the govern
ment at time when there are no ma
turing obligations to which it can be
applied in payment is radically unsound
and vicious. To take money by means
of the taxing power frol the labering
and producing classes and turn it over
to capitalists who do not need it at 27
per cent premium-S27, 100000 premium
on every hundred of millions of dollars
of the obligations Of the government re-
deeemed-is oppressive to labor and in
duStry, unjust toward these classes,
favoritism to capital and capitalists
that is most vicious in its influences
upon all classes of people. 1t is my
view that the tariff for the last twenty
five years has been unequal and unjust
towards the Northwestern and Southern
states.
To be equal and just it should be
equally beneficial to all classes of peo-
pie, or to a majority Of all classes and
all localities alike. The expression is
nary intelligence that the tariff queS-
ton is local question and not one of
general interest. This expression can
mean nothing more than that where a
great industry or manufacturing estab-
lishinent has been built up in a certain
city and village, and is maintained by
virtue of the tariff, that its benefits are
confined to that city or village. But in
connection with this it must be borne
in mind that its burdens bear upon the
whole population of the United States.
Hence the question is local and general
at one and the same time. 1t seems 10
be theory OF many. and theory upon
which the present tariff law is framed,
that if by grouping together 1900 or
5000 or more minor inuStrieS you have
by the aggregate of all of those benefited
a majority OF all the people in the coun-
try, even though the burdens thereby
created far exceed the benefits, that
you have adopted a system based upon
sound public policy. | must confess
that | have never been able to approve
of this proposition. 1t may be my mis-
fortune, 1t certainly is not my fault,
that | cannot see the Soundness of this
view. 1t will be conceded by all that TO
tax the people of the United States to
raise revenue to enable the secretary
| Ol Tie treasury 10 pay S0UJ.UUU bounty TO
manufacturer in one OF the Eastern
states to enable him to compete success
| fully against foreign production of the
same article would be policy that
| could receive no support from major
ity of the electors Of the country, and
| yet the tariff system does this Indirectly,
not to one only, but to many thousands,
and while the districts in which the
manufacturers are established and
maintained are benefited, the localities
where the product is largely consumed,
| like the Northwest, are unnecessarily
and oppressively taxed. The amount
paid by he people of Minnesota, during
the last twenty years, toward the sup
| port of these industries that has not
| gone into the treasury of the United
States, is probably hot less than $780,
000,000. My Judgment is that this $780,
| 100000 would conduce more to the hap
| piness and comfort of the people in the
hands OF those that earned it than III
the hands of those who did not earn it,
but obtained it through the taxing power
of the government.