St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-04
FREE LUMBER.

MI DRYAN, OIL Iu6 IlOuS6 ways anu
means committee, halls from the tree
less prairies of Nebraska, and there is
sort of poetic propriety in his being the
author Of the free lumber bill. If there
is any commodity under the sun which
ought to be kept low in price in land
like ours. it is lumber. Where million
brave hearts are fighting to win homes
for themselves and their families with
an equal chance of success, the state
should not put any barriers in their
way. If there is any industry which
ought to be able to maintain itself with
out artificial encouragement, it is the
lumber trade in the United States,
where there are limitless stretches of
virgin forests awaiting and inviting the
axeman. The tax on lumber is trib-
ute wrung from the struggling poor, in
defensible, unnecessary and pernicious.
Every man who loves his hearth fire
should take up arms against it.
The duty on this universal necessity
is not going to be removed, however,
without opposition, and convention is
now holding in Washington to protest
against this remedial legislation. One
of Its committees has prepared a report
in which it is said that this is the larg-
est single industry in the United
States = S750,OOO,00O of capital are
invested in it; it employs 3,OOO,-
900 people, and its annual output
has value of S50O.OOO.O0O. This vast
volume of wealth and strength declares
that it needs the assistance of the state
if it is to prosper. 1t hoists the white
flag of distress and says that if left to
support itself, as most of US have to, i'm
mediate and complete ruin awaits it,
This morning it sends delegation to
the house of representatives to tell of
its sad plight, and to advance its claims
for subsidy.
What reasons has it to offer why it
should be favored? Here they are. 1t
says that stumpage is cheaperin Canada
than in the United States because the
government OWLS the land and allows it
to be cleared for small royalty. In
the United States the government once
owned the land, too, but with bound
less generosity it gave it away. 1t gave
it for practically nothing to the same
people who are now asking it to add a
bounty to its gift. If it had kept the
stumpage itself we should be in posi-
ton to compete even-handed with our
neighbor across the border. but because
it has been liberal and open-handed, be-
cause it has divided its possessions
freely among its citizens. it must go fur
Their than this and support the objects
of its bounty, whose very wealth makes
them helpless. Is it possible to con-
ceive of more braZen-faced affrontery
than this?
But suppose the tariff is removed,
what will happen? The committee says
that the price of lumber will be reduced.
The country could stand this. But it is
not all. There will also be CORE
spending reduction of the wages paid to
American laborers employed in this in
dustry. The millionaires do not care
for themselves. The lumber monarchs,
whose fabulous fortunes make them an
object of wonder and a menace to the
permanence of our institutions, are will
ing to submit to disaster as far as they
are concerned. But the poor Iaboring
man is the object of their tender and
persistent solicitude. For his sake, and
for his sake alone, they have journeyed
to Washington, in convention assem-
bled, passed resolutions, wined and
dined and memorialiZed congress. What
sublime human feeling! What I'M
precedented seIf-sacrifce! What mar
velous pity for the lowly!
Out upon cause which has to use
lies for arguments. Down with hypo-
critics! Let us have free lumber. Let
us have all the necessaries of life at the
lowest price consistent with their prop
er production.