Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-09-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

AS the natlOnal campaign pIo-
crosses, the people throughout the
country, are devoting more and
more time to the study of the var
ious questions that concern our
welfare. This to a large extent &C
counts for the remarkable quiet
ness of this campaign, which shows
that people are doing more think
ing than whooping than heretofore,
a I'd are going to cast their quiet
vote as dictated by reason than by
impulse. The American people
rather believe in the principles OF
protection, where it is necessary to
protect the interest of the Ameri-
can workman. But it is admitted
by all that there are very few in
dustries in this country that still re-
auire protection, and the existing
law is much higher than is necessa-
~. In fact when the DINGHY Tar
iff Bill was framed in 1897, eleven
years ago, the protected interests
of this country deceived Republi-
can members of the committee into
placing the tariff a great deal high
er than was necessary. Their ar
gument was that president McKin-
lev could then trade these tariffs
off in forming reciprocity treaties
with foreign countries, certain coun-
tries would let in our goods free OF
duty, and we in turn to admit cer-
tain goods from those countries free
of duty. The fact is that reciproc-
ity treaties were never formed and
still we have been induring tariff
which has enabled the trusts to
practically take the consuming pub
lie of this country by the throat.
In the first place, we have a great
steel trust that is enjoying a high
protective tariff Robbery Of the
people is shown by the fact that
this steel trust sells it's seel rails in
London Sc per ton less than the
price of which they sell them in
America. If we enjoyed the same
rates on steel rails as the foreign
ers enjoy, we would be building
railroads and electric lines much
faster and thereby giving employ
ment to many people who are idle.
The wire nail trust which furnishes
wire fences and nails to the farmers
is selling the goods the American
farmers buy for 1-3 less to the Eu-
ropean farmers. In other words,
the wire fencing and nails that the
American farmer pays $50 for is
sold to the European farmerfor $40,
thus the American farmer pays SO
per cent more for enjoying the
glorious benefit of trust promoting
tariff. Also every newspaper in
the United Safes is paying double
the rate for paper that they paid
twelve years ago to-day. Ii the
tariff were removed from pulp, for
eign competition would compel the
paper trusts to stop robbing the
American newspaper men and to
sell to them at reasonable price.
The tariff now in existence strikes
harshly at the home than at any
other point. Every sewing ma
chine that is purchased by Ameri-
cans from the sewing machine trust
cost $40 or 500 more than the same
machine is sold in European coun-
tries at. This only goes to show
that great trust companies in this
country rob the Americans out of
every dollar that they can possibly
secure. This they are able to do
by reason of the iniquitous tariff
that protects them in this robbery.
Every voter ought to be sure that
he votes for congressman this fall
who will reduce the tariff when the
election is over.