The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-08-24

SWEET HoME, Or, Aug. 18th, 1883.
Editors Democrat
notice the Albany Herald and other
republican papers speak of the democratic |
policy as q irce trade poliey,and the repub- |
iican policy as a policy of protection to |
American labor Now | want to ask you
a question or two. 1. Does the Mills bill
repeal an tariff duties II Il docs, how are
we going 10 raise money to pay the running
expenses softheRovernment OF =. What duty
does the republican policy propose 10 put
on the Importation OF foreign labor Oris
there already tax on foreign imported
labor 3. Was MIR, Harrison In favor OF ad-
mitting Cinnamon without paying this tax
You will pardon me for asking these sim
ple questions, but want light and will vote
Tor NV own interest as well as for the In
terest Of the public at large,if knowW
Very respectfully,
LABoRKR.
II Is evident that "Laborer" has read
freely of the "protective literature sent
broadcast all over the country and paid for
ont Of the princely profits Of the protected
monopolies Of the country. But he Is can
did, for he says he wants light. There Is
hope for him. lie would know whether
the Mills bill repeals all duties. No. The
Mills bin does not repeal all duties. Il re.
duces duties on some articles and puts about
40 articles on the free list, leaving about
1000 articles still on the dutiable list. Tn
der the present law the average duties upon
all imported dutiable articles for the year
1857 was Al per cent. Under the Mills
bin the average duty on the same articles
would be 43.4o per cent. "Laborcr VIII
please take notice that "47 per rcent'means
Sa7 on the $Ioo worth of goods imported,
and ga per cent" means $4a on every Sloo
worth of goods imported. These are the
average duties under the present law and
the Mills bill. On some the duties are
higher and on some lower. AS an exam
ple Under the present law,h a merchant
or other person should import 100 pounds
Of blankets, worth 90 cents per pound, the
duty would be "3s cents per pound and 10
per cent ad valorem," or S7I duty on 500
worth of blankets Under. the Mills bill
the duty would be"4o per cent ad valorem
or $40 duty on 500 worth of blankets. We
ask al. I.aborerD II he does not think that
$50 is tax enough to put on $50 worth OF
blankets , But We shall deal candidiy with
aLaborer." The Mills bill puts lumber
salt, wool, jute, grain bags and number OF
other articles on the free list, but then we
have had a standing free list for 100 years
and II has been increased quite often,eyen
by republicans who put, or assisted to put,
ouinine, hides and many other articles on
the free list. And yet no one denounced
them as being free traders. Under the
Mills bill ample revenues win be collected
to meet all the necessary expenses OF the
government and then have surplus left,
50 that .'Laborer" need not be alarmed by
such false cries as are raised about that
matter.
2. This question shows IN what extent
the protectionists Of this country have be-
logged the minds of laboring people IL
making them believe that labor has beer
protected by the legislation OF Congress
The republican party does not now, noT
never did 1t propose to protect the iaborers
of this country against imported foreign Ia.
Dor by gduty" or tax upon suchimPortcd
foreign laborers. The manufacturers oi
this country are highly protected against
the importation of such industrial products
as they produce, but the laboring man has
no such protection. The labor Of the la.
boring man Is his capital invested. There
is no law against imported labor except
such as is contracted for in foreign coun.
tries,and that law is practically dead let
ter In consequence Of the difficulty Of en-.
forcing it.
Z. HLaborer" takes 1t for granted that
there is a tax or duty" on PauPer laborer'
who come to this country from the paupeI
regions of Europe, but as we said before
there Is no such tax. While Mr.. Harrison
was in the Senate two bills wereintroduced
10 restrict Chinese from coming to this
country. At all stages during the consid
Grafton of these bills he uniformly voted
against all amendments intended to
strengthen and perfect them, and finally
,oted against them. We hope "Laborer'
will pursue his course of investigation, as Il
will be of great benefit to him.