Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-09-17
ADvocATlNe 4 MONOPOLY.


concerning the tin plate tax 1t ia not
an original view with him and he is not
responsible for 1t any more than other
Republicans who accept the theories
handed around for party use by the
benefcaries of the tariff. But to bring
the iniquity and enormity OF modern
Republicsnism-th worshipof the pro
tectionism fetich-home to the people, we
shall use Mr.. Reese as an example Of an
honest and fair man. who has been un-
Willingly misled by q campaign cry,
started by vulgar and greedy syndi
cate, into the advocacy Of monopoly to
Cypress his fellow citizens.
There is no tin plate industry in this
country, consequently, no plea that it
has been ruined by The foreign compe-
tition Of cheap labor There has been
protective duty of cent pound on
tin plate for many years. from which the
government collected $1,000 600 last
year; there is also duty Of 45 per cent
on the steel place on which the tin is
spread, and the crude tin Is admitted
free. Why was not tin plate industry
started here under those favorable cir
cumstances7 Has anybody attempted
to give the figures to show that tin plate
could not have been manufactured here
with profit under those conditions2 No,
not a single balance sheet has been
shown or referred to- On the contrary,
Mr., 5ronemeyer, Pittsburg expert,
says that tin plate could have been
manufactured here proftably under
these conditions. Mr. Mckinley and his
colleagues have not presented any such
statement.
How then can Mr. Reese know enough
to advocate that the farmers and the
working men of this city and common
wealth, his customers, nsighbors and
friends. the thousands Of poor people who
use tin shall pay their proportion OF this
100 per cent. tax, amounting to about
Sl5, 900, 600 per annum, to start tin in
dustry where a syndicate win obtain all
of the profit and the people will bear the
loss, If any, and pay the tax besides
At this time when both farmers and
workingmen, who compose the bulk Of
our citizens. and who create the wealth
of the country, are in a distressed con-
dition, why Should this additional de-
mand be made upon theml
Why is 1t that the tin plate industry
has become so important that farmers
shall be compelled to pay twenty bushels
of wheat bonus for tin roof which
should cost them only twenty bushels all
told? Why should So, 600, 600 people pay
one fourth Of a cent each annually to the
tin plate syndicate because II is so small
a sunni 1t aggregates over $15, 009, 900
Why 1t is not worth as much to the people
as TO the syndicate? Why not leave il
with the people for few years2
Several years ago Mr.. Reese was a
young man, without capital, anxious tC
be established in business for himself. II
would have been just as fair, as honest
as necessary and as beneficial to the com
munity to make law prohibiting the i'm
portatlon Of tin and hardware, increasing
prices and thus creating a monopoly BY
which Mr., Reese might in a shorter time
accumulate the capital and establish .
business which he desired to make profit.
able, as to assist this tin plate industry
to do the same thing on larger scale
That seems preposterous only because
local monopolies have nat been granted
since the people Of England, after suffer-
ing untold expressions from Elizabeth
and the Stuarts, arose and overthrow tn,
monarchy.
The Supreme Court Of the United
States has declared that
To lay with one hand the power Of th,
government on the property of the
citizen and with the other to bestow il
upon favored individuals to aid priYat,
enterprises and build up private fortunes
Ia none the less a robbery because it i
done under the forms Of law and i
called taxation
If Mr.. Reese will study the situation
carefully, we feel confident that he vii
reverse his opinion on this tin plat
question and advocate the cause OF
his neighbors, customers and friends
the people-rather than the cause of til
Pittsburg syndicate. He knows tina
this unnecessary tax will cost his neigh
bors, friends and customers dear: h
does not know how much the syndicat
will realize 1t may be $lOO 600 Q
| 81, 900, 600 per annum on their investmen
and he does not know even whether th
industry will be started.
he cannot in justice and fairness az
vocate tax on This people for the reason
that the protectionist crank and th
benefeiaries Of the tax cffer.