The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-10-11

dollars each year under this tariff,
more than is necessary to run the gov
ernment. Ifthe government only gets
One-third of such excessive tax then
of course these monopolists get the
other two thirds. If the government
gets (say the lowest sunny sixty millions
a year excess, then the monopolists get |
about twice that sum, that is, 12O mil
lions each year, from us through the |
high protective tariff, and while we are !
piling this excess up in the government |
vault, we are piling twice the amount
onto the millions of these monopolists.
They have sixty millions of the dear
people, male and female, of our country
working for their benefit, sixty million
slaves to these monopolies. The old
must work, the. young, our young,
must suffer if need be, SO that we con-
tribute this enormous sum of money
to the monopolists. Do you wonder
that they like high protective tariff,
and fight for its continuation. Do you
believe word they say when they tell
you they want it for your benefit? Do
you love to be slaves to the greed of
these monopolists No! you are
American citizens. You scorn to be
slaves to a centralized money power.
You are still freemen. The issue is
squarely made. One of the great po
Iitical parties has openly declared in
favor of continuing this exorbitant
tariff, this unholy extortion of your
money for the benefit of these million
aire monopolists. The other great
party has openly declared and pledged
themselves to cut down this exorbitant
tax to such sum as will be sufficient
for all proper expense of the govern.
ment. What do you and 1 care for
party when such principle is at stake.
With this vast drain upon our wsllets,
60 millions to the treasury and 120 mil
lions to the monopOlists each year, is
it any wonder that money is scarce
among the people, is it VOL der that
land is low and no purchasers 4; is it a
wonder that all business is dull in the
land, excepting only that carried on
by the monopolist? Is it any wonder
that the great factories ale killing all
the small shops in the country? And
with continuation of this state of af-
fairs, how long before our money will
all be under the control of the favored
monOpolists, and you and be but lit.
tie better than beggars in the land of
our fathers. For the sake of yourselves
and your children, consider this mat
ter and act ON your convictions aud not
on prejudice.
1t is said that we now have about
Sl3S, 900, 200 above the government
needs in the t.easury vaults, and that
the estimated excess under the present
tariff, or tax, will add about $l20, 0,O06,.
600 TO said excess. Now don't you
know that it mattered but little what
party is in power, this money must be
expended. Some say, oh pay it on
the government debt DON'T you know
the republicans have refunded the
debt and made it payable only in the
dis amt. future. so the holders of our
bonds can demand about what premi-
um they desire, and if not paid they
will hold the bonds until maturity.
| You know it TO be fact that we have
had to pay premium of 80 per cent.
to take up some of these bonds. How
do you like the idea of paying 80 per
cent. premium to these bondhoIders.
They exact it through the power of
laws made when the republican party
had all three branches of the govern
meDt. Who is to blame? How do
you like it? l say let us disburse it.
1t lies there a temptation to jobbers
and frauds. The soldier boys enlisted
to serve for about $l3 per month, and
we paid them in deprecated money,
which was worth only 43 to AZ cents
on the dollar. Let US take an account
of the shortage in their payment, and
from this excess make up their pay tc
them, their widows and orphans, tc
the true amount, in gold and silver
Then such money would be paid on an
honest and just debt, and it would re-
turn to circulation among the people
and would increase the price of labor
and all the commodities and produc.
tions of the land; it would remove s
load from farmers shoulders, canoe
mortgages, and would cease to be s
temptation to jobbers and swindlers
Time forbids my further remarks
Consider whether my suggestions are
of value. .is.s