New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-17
THE HORST or MONOPOLIES.

|
THE HORST or MONOPOLTES.
With 400 votes against 800 the Ohio Demo-
| cratic Convention adopted freeze coinage plat
form. The opposition was not weak in argu-
ment nor uncertain of purpose, and yet when
outvoted it accepted the platform which 300
delegates held dangerous to the country and I'M
lust to its millions of working people. 1t was
well said by one speaker that the voters OF
| Ohio had no occasion to sacrifice their own
prosperity in order to enrich the few million
aire mne-owners of silver States Neverthe-
less, the milionaires had their way, and under
p,eence of aSsailing monOpolies they committed
the Democrats of Ohio to support the worst and
most hurtful of all mOnopolies. This same
Democratic Convention denounced without
measure the new Protective Tariff, on the
ground that it oppressed the people for the
benefit of capitalists engaged in favored indus
tries. But no other industry ever has been
petted and favored as the mining of silver would
he if the policy of the Ohio Democrats should
prevail.
The convention thinks it an outrage that a
duty is placed on raw wool and on Tin plates.
But suppose Congress had provided that every
pound of wool produced in the country shoulu
be purchased by the Government at price
nearly so cents per pound above its market
value. and should be stored in public ware
bousos and that legal-tender notes should be
given TO the producers which all other CITIZENS
should be compelled by law to accept IN lull
satisfaction of all debts or claims. That wOuu
be indeed an outrageous burden ana yeb III is
precisely what the Democrats OF OHIO propose 10
do for the benefit of the millionaire mlne-oWh-
eIs, while they bitterly oppose any attempt 10
secnre better market for the products OF
100000 farms.
Sunnose Congress had enacted that every
Mound of tin plates produced in this country
sbonld he purchased by Government, and in
addition all the tin plates that any foreigners
might see fit to send hlther and that iegal-
tender notes should be given for tho entire
quantity at Such a rate that instead OF S3o'-
100000 it should cost over S4O,0oO'OOO'
Would there not be strong reason for denounc-
ing such a plumber of the many for the beneht
of the fow? But the same Democratic Con-
vention which rants and raves about the duty
on tin plates soIemnly resolves that Govern
ment must pay about one-third more than the
market nrice for all the silver that may be
delivered to IT, so that the yearly product OF
American mines, which is now worth aoom
! S51 .OOO. 600 in market value, shall be sold TO
| the Government for So 600, 600 or more Inc
new tariff has not a single provision which
would take from the people half as much money
for any purpose whatever as the Fpe-Coinage
bill would take from them for the benefit OF the
few owners of silver mines
The WOO! duty, according to the declaration
cd Governor
the Democrats of Ohio, has made wool cheaper
than it was before. The assertion was not true
because the duty on raw WOOL has merely pre-
vented such decline in the price III TINS coun-
fry rs has occurred in other countries. But II
H. were true, all the benefit would be realized
nv the consumers Of wool throughout this coun-
try. and every cent lost by the wool-growers
vould be divided among the rest of the people.
On the other hand, the pretence that the duty
burdens and plumbers the people is curiously In
consistent with the assertion that it makes wool
cheaper. II Governor Campbell were less of
demaqogue and more of student, he would
probably be aware that wOollen goods cost no
more now than they did before the new tamil
was enacted. and that not only because the for
eign importers have reduced the cost OF goods as
much as the new tariff added to the duty. but
also because the American manufacturers them
selves sell at prices as low or lower than were
charged six months ago. The pretence that
the people are burdened is simply false and
fraudulent but if it were true, all the loss that
could be imposed upon them by duties on wool
len goods would be insignificant, compared with
the direct loss alone which the free coinage Of
silver would involve. Pretending to oppose
lnonopoies and legislation for the benefit of in
dividuals, the Democrats of Ohio have COM
mitted themselves to the worst and most mis-
chievous of all forms Of legislation against the
public welfare and for the benefit of small
class of citizens.