The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-09-29
ExoRBITANT TAXATION.
Republican Letters Admitting That La
Dor IL Not Beneflted by Protection.

Republican Letters Admitting That La
Dor IL Not Benefltcd by Protection.
The case Of the high takers stands
on the baseless assumption that high
taxes are beneficial to labor; that with
out high protective taxes the country
and all its industries would be ruined.
This claim for protection is an after
thought. When the war tariff was
laid no one made the pretense that IL
would benefit the working-man. Il
was known that it wonld injure him.
Even its author did not conceal the
fact, and its most ardent advocates as n
war measure merely were free to say
that with the war ended and the need
Of extraordinary devices of taxation
no longer urgent it would be repealed,
as a matter OF course. The protection
to-labor idea came only at the eleventh
hour, when some new trick was neces-
sary to prolong system which COM
mon sense and common honesty had
doomed from the first.
Furthermore, the Herald has said
that the men who most loudly declare
that protection is of value to the
working-man are either ignorant or i'm
moral that they do not know, or,
knowing, willfully pervert the truth.
1t would seem that the validity OF this
proposition could be established by
reference to the Ingalls, and Foster let
ters What says hgallsP Speaking
of Republican Presidential candidate,
he writes:
My impression is that Alger or Gresham
comes nearer nlllng tho bill than any OF the
Others and with some fellow like Phelps, OF
New Jersey, who could reach the conservative
forces Of the East and get contributions from
the manufacturers and Wall street,
This was the private letter OF one
high taxer to another high taxer-of a
man who knew that protection bene-
fited only the manufacturer and who,
writing to another having a similar
knowledge, made no pretense of any
thing else. In public both Ingalls, and
the man who received his letter will
assert that protection makes wages
high. and that it is supported by them
for no other purpose
What says the Foster letter? Quot
ing United States Senator, it goes on:
was solicited to contribute to protective
tariff league, and replied that II the manu-
facturers Of the United States in their assooi-
ated capacity were an eleemosynary institution
n would vote to give them pension, but that ]
did not propose myself to contribute money to
advance tho interests Of men who were getting
practically the sole benefit, at least the
most directly important benefits, OF the tariff
laws. 1 am in favor OF protection; not pre-
cisely the kind we are having, but might be
willing to keep even that rather than not to have
any, but am sure can get along without any
OF it fully as well MS the manufacturers can
and II they think the Republican party is goins
to maintain high protective corps for theil
benefit, and the men who do the work in thai
party are going TO keep up the expenses Of {
campaign out Of their own pockets, leaving
them to reap the fruits Of the tariff policy with
out any deduction for the political expenses
they are greatly mistaken. understand tina
in o general way the manufacturers OF New
England have been more liberal IN their con
tributions than those OF Pennsylvania In fact
have IL from the best possible source that tn
manufacturers OF Pennsylvania, who are NOR,
highly protected than anybody else, and VIII,
make large fortunes every year when time
are prosperous. practically give nothing towart
the maintenance OF the ascendency of the Re
publican party. OF course shall not violate
, what consider to be proper principle Of &C
tion; but II had my way about it would pu
the manufacturers OF pennsylvania under thu
fire and fry oil the fat out of them.
Addressing manufacturer, Mr.. Fos
ter, who is chairman of the Republic
an League of the United States, say
concerning the above:
These are strong words, and bitter, but the,
are true; and 1t now remains with you an,
your associates to determine whether they ar
to be reiterated after the campaign is over an
protection has, through your apathy, beel
struck its death-blow. II you give us the mean
to win the victory we will do it. Are you will
ingY
These letters have not been denied
and can not be. They are genuine. l
they do not give away the entire pro
lection case, then no case conceived il
wickedness and bolstered up by false
hood and conspiracy ever was giver
t away. The protective tariff is mo
nopoly device for the enrichment O
the few at the expense of the many
This much is admitted in private b,
its own defenders. What course is lef
to honest and self-respecting menP-
Chtckgo Herald.