The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02
WE ARE NOT, MENDICANTs.

--tI;G s..l.->....- -
N a>eb, -
WE ARE NOT SlENDICANTs.
The G b has received a copy Of
circular which has been sent to all
newspapers and is commented upon
approvingly by some Of them, espe--
cially the high tariff ones, protesting
against the imposition of an additional
duty of 2k cents per 100 pounds on
wood pulp, as proposed by the Dingley
bill. If any newspaper in the country
has right to- object to a tax upon it's
raw material, it is the G o b e, which
has stood for low tariff and free raw
material. not only for itself, but for
others. We, who say that to tax the
wool that clothes the workingman and
the material of the house that shelters
him is crime, could, without incon-
slstency or indecency, claim a similar
immunity fora commodity whose in
creased cost must fall upon the pub
fishers of the newspapers. We decline
to do it, because we are not mendi-
cants. We claim no right to special
favors above others, and believe that,
II the poor people in this country are
to be taxed for the benefit Of the mil
lionaires,; we should carry our share
of the cruel load
1t is true that wood pulp ought to
be on the free list There is no con-
ceivable apology for duty upon it.
Neither is there any apology for duty
on wool, on iron orc, on salt, on lum-
Der. on bituminous coal, or on a long
list of articles which Mr. Dingley pro-
poses to make dear, in order that the
| millionaire may sing and rejoice. But
why should the press alone escape from
this iniquity. and why should its pow
erful voice be raised in it's own behalf,
whether it is Ilaelping or hindering the
imposition Of these abominable taxes
| upon others? I'm the name Of a. .Democ-
racy that means equal rights to all and
special privileges to none. we reject for
ourselves the proposition that wood
pulp should remain where it is, if the
taxes on other commodities are to be
raised along the line.
IT fills us with amazernent and with
un10tteraple scarn TO. find that there are
newspapers so poor in spirit. so selfish
in their search for pelf. that they dare
to claim Immunity for themselves at
the very moment when they are clam
oring for increased taxes for every one
else. It almost passes belief that men
should be found In any community who
| will go before the public with a plea for
light taxes for themselves and heavy
taxes for everybody else That dispo-
sition is pretty well grounded In hui
man nature, but it takes more than
the ordinary callousnesss of human ma
ture for a man to advertise it In cold
| print. We find in the Pioneer Press
an impassioned plea against the pro-
posed increase of 21s cents per 100 on
wood pulp. every line and word and
syllable of which applies to the duty
on lumber, against which the same
contemporary has no word Of objection.
It is stated that our importations Of
wood pulp are mostly from Canada,
and that the logs from which wood
pulp is made are also brought in large
ly from Canada, whose supplies are
more easily accessible to the principal
pulp factories. It is asserted that there
is no necessity for this duty, either on
the ground Of revenue or protection. It
is added, further, that this duty would
play right into the hands of such paper
manufacturers as are endeavoring to
form a trus4 and raise prices. You do
not have tdh change one word Of that
argument tg apply it to the duty on
lumber. Yet the same authorities will
tell you, when' this is under discussion,
that the lumber kings of the United
States mustibe protected against this
same Canada. ~ @5
When it comessto the making of wood
pulp and the importation Of Canadian
timber for pull, making, the United
States can Fhold its own against Ca
madam competition. When it comes
to the imp98Ft.aa}}}}on Of lumber and of
logs that are INTENDED to be sawed
into plankiiag, Instead Of being ground
into pulp, this. same Canadian laborer
is held up as bugaboo before the af-
frighted eyes Of the American working
man. Away with such incredible self
contradiction and such bold and pat
ent assertion of a right to legislative
favoritism! The G. 10 b e. believes the
proposed increase of rates on wood
pulp to be, as stated, utterly indefensi-
BILE for either protective or revenue pur-
poses; tax upon intelligence, an un-
just burden upon. the newspaper bust
ness and q smonstrous injustice to
newspapers and their readers. It be-
lieyes that the other taxes which it
has mentioned on other articles. which
the United States can and does pro-
duce as cheaply as any other nation in
the world, andswhich 1t sells In foreign
markets in open competition with the
world. are equally monstrous. In the
name Of Justice II i, we demand the aboli-
IL,