Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-08
Observation-Disclosures EH44AH
Is POLITICS aaaa 81
81 -=OF THE DAY 81
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


E666SAA
Cost of Living.
If the constitution had not provided
for free trade between the States this
country would never have advanced to
Its present position of power and
wealth. Each special interest or prod
uct produced III every State would soon
have been clamoring for protection from
the competition of Its neighboring and
sister State and virtual embargo
would have existed against Interstate
commerce. But what cannot be done
to prohibit trade between the States
has been accomplished to prevent trade
with other nations and to tax the peo-
Pile of the United States IL they under
take 10 import foreign products. At the
outset, when this country was strug
Cling to establish manufactures and free
itself from the extortion of the mother
country. a tariff on Imports was desir-
able, both for protection and for rev.
enue. But the tax imposed did not ex
coed 10 per cent, whereas now 1t ex.
ceeds OH the average 80 per cent. If
these present enormous tariff duties
were necessary to support the govern
ment, there would be some excuse for
their imposition, but on many manu-
featured products the duties are SO high
as to be prohlbitive and actually pre-
vent Imports, in many cases exceeding
100 per cent and III some cases 200 per
cent.
This high tariff has naturally fos.
tered combines and trusts in this coun-
try, TO take advantage of the oppor-
tunity for monopoly. Prices have In
creased enormously, In consequence of
lack of competition and the cost of liv-
Ing has advanced 4S per cent since the
present tariff law was enacted in 1897.
But small percentage of this Increase
Is collected by the government, but the
far greater percentage is collected by
the trusts and combines. which control
about all thu general products consumed
by the American people.
This trust taxation has led to vigor-
Gus protests by the plundered taxpayer,
and In many States the independent Re
.publicans are rs hostile to the present
thrift system as tile Democrats are. But
these protests have fallen on deaf or
Indifferent ears and the party In power
lis still standing pat. 1t is no exaggera-
ton to say that there is compact be.
tween the Republican leaders and the
trust monopolists to continue this I'M
holy alliance for mutual advantage.
The trusts and combines getting the
lions share of the plumber and the Re
publican campaign funds good per-
Ecentage, to keep that party in power.
If this same tariff system was in
operation between the several States
each one would have its tariff monop-
olists and commerce between the States
would. on many products, be almost at
a standstlll. The vast concentration of
the great Industries at the points where
a the raw material is most available, or
where the skilled labor is located
would have been impossible, for the
rival interests In other States would
have been clamoring for protection and
a tariff wall would have been erected
around most of the States to prevent
the free imports of other States. Such
wall exists to-day between us and
Canada, between us and Mexico and
even between our own colony of the
Philippines, not to mention the wall
between US and Europe.
In spite of this tariff tax and restric-
tons, the necessities of our people have
forced importations from and exports
to all these countries. If the tariff wall
was lowered to a reasonable tariff for
revenue basis there would be more
trade and therefore more money made
and more important yet, the trusts and
combines would be compelled to reduce
their profits and the cost of living
would decline from 4S per cent above
the normal to the proportion that the
tariff rates are reduced, or thereabouts.
Those who work for wages would thus
benefit, for to reduce the cost of living
is virtually to advance wages, and as
every home provider knows, the in
creased cost of living has made 1t nee
essary for him to spend S1.4S for what
used to cost him 81, and II his income
has not increased 4S per cent he is
really getting lower wages according to
the increase of his wages from the nor.
NAL in 1897. Those with fixed incomes
are even greater sufferers under this
unfair system.
Machine Politics.