The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-24
NO EXCUSE FOR 1T.

Whatever excuse there might have
been in early times in this country for
the granting of bonuses to start new
industries or produce something needed
by the community. that excuse no
longer exists, and is no argument in
support of the bounty system.
An endeavor has been made by some
Republicans to persuade the people of
Utah that it is right to appropriate
public money 20 private uses, on the
specious ground that in early times in
Utah bonuses were given by the legis-
lature for the production Of certain
articles not then raised or manufac-
tured in the territory. On investiga-
ton it will be found that the small ap-
preparations made for such purposes
were. in most instances il not in every
case, for the public benefit rather than
for private emolumeut. They were
special bonuses and not continued
bounties.
Take, for instance, the bonus offered
for the manufacture of gunpoWder. The
article produced was to be handed over
to the officer appointed to receive it,
for public uses. 1t was in the nature
of a reward as an inducement to the
production OF something needed by the
public. The public obtained the benefit.
the individual or Arm thus induced to
attempt its manufacture was to re-
ceive the reward, and what was thus
made became public property.
A bonus is given sometimes for the
scalps of wild, ferocious and destruc-
tive animals. The public gain the ben
eft CT the expenditure Of public money.
That is a very different thing to the
system which Rerublicanisn has en-
deavored to fasten upon the country
by which public money by way Of
bounties, continued year after year, is
given to private parties or corpora
tons solely for their emolument, to in
crease their prof3ts. the good alleged to
come out Of It 20 The public being only
indirect, and the same that comes from
the establishment of any industry
started and carried ea without the aid
OF money from the public treasury.
Whatever specious arguments might
have prevailed in early times in this
country, under pressing necessities, fer
the bounty system, the circumstances
now existing furnish no sufficient rea-
Son for its perpetuation. It was funda-
mentally wrong, 10 matter by whom
advocated or by whom permitted It
is so clear az to pe almost self-evident
that public money should be expended
only for public purposes. Taxation is
for public uses and necessities. No tax
of a genera! nature is right which COM
pels the citizens to pay money for the
personal use and benefit of a class or
corporation or an individual.
Further than that, this nation is
considerably more than a hundred
years old. The infant industries that
cried long ago for government pap, are
now lusty and strong, and instead of
being self-supporting they have clam
ored all the louder, as they have be-
come matured, for additional public
pabulum. And they use the wealth
they have thus amassed, to place in
power a party which is pledged TO the
political heresy that imposes this wrong
upon the nation as a right.
This is the mischief of the protection
and bounty doctrine when put in prac-
tice. 1t is wrong in principle to start
with. But if that is waived, in view
Of some apparent exigency. the tempo
rary expcdIent becomes a settled policy,
and the beneiciaifes become emboldened
to claim as a right that which was in
tended in the start for a special priv
ilege. Protected corporations grow in
rapacity on the food thus furnished
them. As they become better able than
ever to compete with the foreign mar
ket they demand higher protection, and
as they are able TO produce at profit
that for which q bounty was granted
to give them a start, they clamor for
its continuance and often for its in
crease
The manufacturers and producers in