Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-20
BY Neal Brown.

To the EDITOR
The tariff graft is the greatest evil
that confronts the American people.
The men who have been robbing the
people through high tariffs have cor
rupted every spot and place they
have touched. They have log-rolled
over tariff schedules in congress,
threatened congressman with defeat,
if they did not support their tariff
laws; bribed them with campaign
funds: raised enormous sums in po-
litiCal campaigns, to keep the repub
lican party in power, and are now en-
gagged in an attempt to perpetuate
this system through the success of
the republican party. Nine-tenths Of
the republican voters would be glad
to see this system stripped Of its
wicked power, but party loyalty has
heretofore restrained them from ex-
pressing what they feel, by their
votes Railroad rebates and discrim-
nations and excessive freight
charges all fade into insignificance
compared with the tariff graft When
ever complaint is made, and those
who are being plundered, plead for
Irelief, the protected interests are on
hand to guard their privilege of OPP
ipression by every argument and do
vice that human selfishness is capa-
BILE of. They are ready to argue that
la tariff makes things dear, or makes
them cheap according TO the effect
upon the dupes or benefciaries OF
this system. If the laboring mans
dinner pail is empty or half-filled,
they tell him they will fill it to over
flowing if he will only vote the re-
publican ticket. If some manufac-
turing interest that is not getting
share of the plumber begs for a re-
duction of duty on the raw material
it uses, they threaten to take away
from it what little it has. They trade
for excessive tariff rates, agreeing TO
support each other in maintaining for
each, rates as nearly prohibitOry as
possible. If a panic or depression
comes, as has often been the case,
under their system, they spread
propaganda OF falsehood in reference
to the cause of it, attributing it to
Everything but the real cause. They
take the wealth of the whole people
land pile it up in the hands Of few.
They sell their products in foreign
lands at price much less than Is
charged to their own countrymen.
To the consumer they say, The tar
if makes things cheap" TO the pro
Queer, THE tariff makes your prod
ucts dear" to the laboring man,
Your wages are dependent upon
u.s." and to the farmer, I'VE make
you a home market" and, IF we
take from you in exorbitant prices
with one hand we give back more
than this with the other hand"
This prostitution of protection is
far-reaching; the railroads Of the
country are taken into camp. Paying
enormous sums for iron and steel to
tariff trusts, they are kept quiet
through fear that their own privileges
may be attacked, or for the reason
that many Of the railroad interests
are closely connected with the pro
tected interests and whatever sums
the railroads pay to such interests,
they can get out Of the people In
freight and passenger rates.
The Chicago Tribune, good re-
publican paper, said, editorially, in
March last, Of the steel trust, 1t
ought not be allowed TO make Ameri-
can railroads pay s2S for rails when
it could make handsome profit by
selling them at 500" 1t further stat
ed from authentic evidence that the
total cost of a ton of steel rails to
the trust does not exceed SIS
So this graft continues and rami-
fies into every channel of business
and political life. 1t is "inextricably
intertwined" with every other graft
ing and selfish interest. So things
will continue until the tariff is re-
vised not by it's friends, but by its
victims
wausau. wis. Aug. Is.