Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-11-02
THE TARIFF AND TRUST TAX
Republican Participants in Plumber
Refuse to Move for
Revision.

There is a set phrase used by the re.
publicans that: THE tariff must bs
revised by its friends" Now the
friends of the tariff do not want re,
vision, therefore, how can the tariff be
revised by its friends? Senator Gal.
linger, of New Hampshire, a republic
an leader, said a few days ago: Il do
not propose to be a partner to opening
the Pandora box that attempts at tariff
revision would unquestionably precip-
itate." The evils that are feared if the
tariff box is opened are, no doubt, most
serious when viewed from the stand
Ioeat of republican politicians. They
are silent partners with the trusts,
that the tariff fosters, in taxing the
people and would have a sorry time
in running their political machines
without the contributions from the
protected few, mainly trust magnates.
But side by side with the evils that
would arise to the few from opening
the tariff box, there would also be vast
advantages to the many, depending in
its volume upon the th~oroughness with
which the revision of the tariff is
made.
If the tariff rate on trust products
was reduced to the point where it
would produce revenue to the govern
ment, instead of, as now, producing
revenue for the trusts also, there
would be a large saving to every fam
lily in the cost of living. The govern
ment now collects on the average $3.49
each year from every man, woman and
child for tariff tax, so that an average
family of five persons pays $17.45.
But that is only a small part of the
tax that is imposed by the tariff, for
the trusts and others protected, are
enabled to add to the price they charge
for their products more than a reason
estimated that when the government
collects $3.49 per capita of tariff tax,
the trusts and other tariff beneficiaries
collect not less than $12.50 per capita
and probably much above that large
amount, in increased prices that the
tariff protects them in charging.
So the tariff bill which the American
people pay eeSh year is: To the gov
eminent $2SO,O00, 900 or s3.49 per cap.
tia; to the trusts $1,000, 600, 900 or
$3.50 per capita; total $780, 900, 900,
or $15.99 per capita.
The annual tariff tax therefore to
each family of five persons is not less
than $685..
How mucn the republican politicians
get of the tariff tax collected by the
trusts is not possible to arrive at, for
these contributions are made secretly,
and, as the late exposures in the life
Insurance scandals show, are charged
up as illegal expenses" That millions
have been paid to republican campaign
managers by corporations and individ-
uals, nearly all of whom are directly
Or indirectly interested in the trusts,
and therefore in maintaining the tariff
tax intact, is not denied by those like
Mr.. Cortelyou, the chairman Of the ma
tional republican committee, and MI.
Babcock, the chairman of the republic
an congressional committee. The peo-
pie pay the tariff tax and the trust
controlled republican leaders refuse to
revise the tariff, which furnishes the
means for controlling elections.
II this tariff tax was collected at the
door of the stores by collectors for the
government, the trusts and the repub-
Iioan pn1itinionc tho o,,ctor,oco x,o,1a
rebel and demand that their represen-
tatives in congress revise the obnox-
ious law. But the politicians are too
smart to fix the tariff law to be col
lected in that direct way and have
adroitly arranged the tax so that it
is paid indirectly in the increased cost
Of the goods you purchase.
Still, you who are voters have a rem
edy by voting only for candidates for
congress who are pledged to revise the
tariff and for members of the legisla-
ture who will vote for United States
senator's who are also pledged to tariff
reform. Those who are not voters
wives, mothers and sisters-can use
their influence on husbands, fathers
and brothers, to vote for tariff revision
and to accomplish that you will find it
necessary to support the democratic
candidates, for no other will unresery-
eddy pledge himself to reduce the tariff
tax to the needs of the government
honestly and economically admins
tered.