Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-02-20

( The census OF 1880 gives the follow
| ing official and interesting returns q
| the number Of people occupied in pur-
suing q gainful occu patton. The total
number was IS 392 ,099. The division
" as as follows:
| Engaged in agTiculture....... 4,6-o, ,493
! Professional and personal service. ASS
Trade and tranSpoTfaticn.. l,SlO,2 I
Manufactunng,m mechanical mining $685. IL
Total. II. ,592 ,G99
But the actual mum Der employed in
manufacturing was:
Males above IL years old.......... >, ,02j, $50
Females above - years old..-..-... 53l,6l9
ChlIdren..-. ..-...--.-..--....-- lSIS2l
Tntal rs. .Sa5
Now these > .73S, ,S95 are the actual
army, officered and marshalled by pro-
lection, to wIom the whole population
has to pay tribute in the shape Of tariff
tax. When We look at this thing calm
IL we may we'll subscribe to the sagac-
ty Of Mr.. Bright, who, in one sentence,
defines the whole situation by describ-
ing the protection5sts as an organized
army. and the bulk of the population
as a mob Of consumers.
In the first place it will be seen that
ed in all other business, and nearly
three times more in farming, than IN
manufacturing. Net statesmen and
orators will coolly cry themselves
hoarse by pointing out that the exist
ence and welfare of the whole 60 000.
GEO Of our population rest upon the tax
ation in order that higher wages can
be paid to these 2,73S 600 mechanics.
Of course, as protection Is mixture Of
kuavery aud ignorance, those who are
ignorant Of the fact cannot point out
that 3 days or 3 weeks wages will
buy more Of anything except bread
and meat ia Europe than in the United
States. a ND those who do know it and
omit TO state it are the other set. But
what would this country he without lis
farmers Only see what Is going on
around US. The 2.700 900 people en-
plyed in mechanical Industries have
for several years past been discontent-
ed, more or less turbulent, dissatisfied
with employers There are strikes al
most every week; hundreds Of thous-
auds are la want end misery; full of
grievances, whether real or not, yet
grievances. And all this in the very
teeth Of protection, which the apostles
OF the protection Baal hold up as the
only remedy for all evils. True, not
only hundreds but thousands Of mill
lions of dollars have been gained br
perhaps Il hundred corporatins or single
individuals. The tariff on steel rails
aud steel, according 10 the uncontra-
dicted statement OF the Hon. William
l.. Scot! of Erie, Pa. has made the in
co.ue of one single individual in Penn
syIvania $ 000 day. There are now,
believe. Only I steei-faiI corporations,
y ho by dnt Of duty of ST. ton on
rails will pocket at least S20, 600, 600
bonus on homemade rails during the
year 1887. There are hundreds of others
OF such m0nopol.s to whose bonus II
come bv be grace of the tariff amounts
to hundreds If millions ofdollars. Still,
what good is that TO the community a
large? Strikes, disconteuts, vexations,
and disturbances 90 on all the same,
and that is the result of protection.
Now turn to the farmers. There are
7.610 900 human beings actually en-
pioyei and at work in the pursuit Of
farming. l. there. can there be, d more
orderly or more worthy. a more law
abiding and ptace-loVing population
on the globe2 IN 1880 there wer-4 4 00S,
907 separate farms # all Kinds and
sizes held in the United States. The
value Of these farms, without any
moVeables on them, was SO, 1877 ,096,-
776, or say in round sum, nearly Sl0.-
300 600 600, " bile The whole capital in
vested in manufacturing in 1850 was
s., 100 %, 606, or not quite Is per cent:
as compared with the value of the
/ farms alone without the cattle. \ II
this mighty, industrious, hard-work-
lug, and without intending to be at all
sentimental, blessed population is moth
l. y1s .,Y>ly
subject to an organized army OF protec-
/ tiouists.
Let me show the farmer in this COM
mupication what tax he pays OH that
awful luxury To man and beast known
| as salt. In 1856 we imported 81 ,493, :
/ 397 worth of foreign salt. Of this
amount S126, 500. being salt used by
curers of fish. did not pay any duty,
/ hut came in either free or the duty was
renitted. The tariff laws are SO beau-
tjfullv arranged that II treats some as
/ loving children and others as step-chil-
dr-n. The fishermen being the actual
children of Eastern tariff makers get
their salt for curing fish free Of duty.
| But the farmers, elng step-chiidreu
have To pay IS par cent. duty on bulk
| salt and 80 per cent. Oh salt in bags if
they want to use salt in their rm-
/ houses. The treasury. groaning under
q surplus of 100000, 900, saw fit to col
Iect duty in 1856 of 500. .324 81 on for
eign salt. The home production Is
valued at s. o00, 600. This being en-
/ haDced at least by dint Of the tariff.
saw. :, 600 900, it therefore follows tn at
the country pays tax If some s. T00,-
900 for the luxury Of using salt, more
than half Of which is paid by the farm
I mass over ti.Fs gSrrfays " and mt
rage that th= farmer should pay a tax
Of Il cents per 100 pounds on salt in
] bags, or cents per loo pounds in bulk
| when'the fisherman Of Gloucester get