Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-01-07
ANXIOUS WoRkIHGmEN.
The Cost of Living Does Not
Go Down With Wages.
HEAVY BURDEN OF TARIFF TAXES

HEAVY BURDEN OF TARIFF TAXES
Uive.aixths of Those Taxes 60 to Fat
ten the Trusts-should Come on ut
Once-Rooxevelt's NcssaEe silent ON
the subject-Workers Must Suffer
Four Years Longer.
The Journal of the knights Of Labor
l5r November says: That most excellent
and carefully edited labor paper. the
National Labor Tribune of Pittsburg.
in its last issue gives this pointer:
"Wages are expected to come down
at the first of the year in all directions
Many crafts. iron and steel workers not
ably, have been reduced already. JUS
tice requires that other things should
come down III proportion. Let rent ana
taxes both he lowered if the working
man is not to be ground between the
upper and the neither millstones."
Apparently Il new idea has occurred
to these labor papers. III it can bc
made to work. the wage clrncrs Will
not in future have to carry the heavier |
end OF the burden Of industrial dcpres-
sions. They can unload on somebody |
else, just as the manufacturer now I'M
loads on them. When the demand 10:
goods falls Off and the manufacturers
profits begin to diminish the manufac-
turer reduces his working force or re-
duccs wages, or both When the de-
mand for labor slackens and abor's
earnings grow less, why cannot he
have his rent taxes and other costs OF
living reduced accordingly: How nice
it would be il he could pass this trou-
BILE along.
But we fear that the workers will not
get relief in these directions. Land
lords refuse to reduce rents much be-
cause they know that there arc just as
many houses and so many people who
have to live somewherc-that is. until
| they starve or freeze. State, county
and local taxes could not be reduced
without reducing the salaries of the Of
ficehodcrs. and it is absurd to suppose
that our political friends are going tc
vote lower taxes and lower salaries to
themselves.
The other kind of taxes are internal
revenue and tariff taxes. The internal
revenue taxes are mostly on liquors
and tobacco. 1t would hardly be advis-
able to reduce these much until the
tariff duties OH the necessities OF life
are greatly reduced. These tariff taxes.
which but few people know anything
about, really constitute more than two
thirds of all taxes paid by the average
family. The total taxes of the average
family are about 1925 year, OF which
$40 goes for state and local taxes. $50
for internal revenue and 500 for tariff
SIS goes to the government, the re-
naming $75 going to the tariff trusts
and other protected interests.
There is no good reason why this SIS
year of tariff taxes which goes to the
protected trusts should not be taken
off. even when times are good and
when wages are high. When wages
are low and men are out of work every
unnecessary burden should certainly
he lifted from labor's weak back. This
burden can DC lightened only by act Of
congress. and, unfortunately for the
workingnlen. they have elected the
wrong set of men to congress. The
'stand patters' are now OH deck in
' Washington. and they would see the
:, workingmcn of this country sweat
blood before they would think OF offer
ing relief that could he given only by
. stopping the graft of the trusts.
!, So little do the Republicans at Wash,
= ington care about the sufferings Of the
people because of high tariff taxes for
the benefit of trusts that President
Roosevelt in his message to congress
y did not even mention the word tariff.
= He last year joined the "stand patters'
= outfit now says that the tariff should
:, not he disturbed until after the next
. presidential election. OF course the
real reason for this decision is that the
protected manufacturers have paid fol
. the privilege of tariff taxing the people
:, and will not consent to let go of this
:, privilege. The Republicans might be
!. willing to break faith with the trusts il
= they could next year look elsewhere
;, CQ0n 10 these same truSlS lOI U1s
g campaign fund. The Republicans have
% never revised the tariff downward anG
p probably never will do so while grass
9 grows.
y The outlook for worlSingmen is MOI
r. rosy. There are two hard winter:
ahead, and the cost Of living is about
70 the highest ever known, thanks to thu
e trusts, which charge us all the tariff
g will allow, but sell their goods to for
!. eigners at very low prices. Possibly
e the voters may find out by next yea
f how to reduce their taxes in the only
way worth considering, but it is i'm
Y probable that their burdens can b.
:. lightened before 1907, for Republican
q senate stands between the people ant
j. lower tariff taxes.
Il It looks as if the workingman woult
Is have to be ground between those mill
IS stones four years longer. Sorry. but
10 is their own fault.
nvnoN, W, rYnrH|