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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY.
Entered at the PoBtofllco r.t Lincoln, Nebraska,
aw oecond-clasB matter.
V 11 man J. I1HVAN
Killlor and J'ropr.'ctor
Dai a nn I llKTCAi.xn
rroclnte Editor
ClMM.Kfi W. llllYAN
riiblli'lior
rdltorlnl Uroin.i nml HukIiicm
Office 224-?:o froulh 12th Street
One Year fl.O.")
Ix Month 58
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
00
Tho American Homestead, a monthly
farm journal of national Bcopo, will bo
sent to all Commoner subscribers, with
out additional cost, who renew their sub
scriptions during (ho month of July.
Take advantage of this offer at once and
send in your renewal.
Practical Tariff Talfe
The oils and chemical schedule of the new
tariff law, notwithstanding the reductions made
in certain items, carries a total increase of 5.63
per cent. In this schedule twenty-two items were
increased and eighty-one reduced. There were
four tlmeB as many reductions as there were in
creases, and yet if the duties levlod in this law
were applied to the actual importations in the
last available year 1907--the revenue would
have been $ 65 0,0 00 more than was actually
paid under tho Dingley law then in force, an
increasp of almost 6 per cent. Fifteen acids
paid, under tho Dingley law in 1907, as duty,
the sum of $87,704. There are seventeen acid
items in the new law, and the estimated revenue,
computed by tho finance committee of the sen
ate,, will be $206,980. Oxalic acid, formerly
on the free list, now taxed at 2 cents a pound,
is so largely consumed that the tax on this one
Item alone is $146,000. It is the only increase
in the acid paragraphs, and by taxing it, nearly
$120,000 has been added on the seventeen acids.
Of these seventeen acid items eight were re
duced and eigl t unchanged. If oxalic acid had
been allowed to remain on tho free list tho re
duction in these acid items would have been
22 per cent instead of there being more than
double the total duty levied.
The interests of the consumer were not under
consideration when this schedule waB made up.
In ordor to make him believe they were, Mr.
Payne has been claiming that the decreases were
on necessaries and tho increases on luxuries.
In the list of acids he includes these: Acetic,
acetic anhydrouB, boracic, chromic, citric, lactic,
sulphuric, tannic, gallic, tartaric, formic a,nd
others. All of these ho lists as necessaries of
life.' How "much of any of them do you buy
in a year? Not very much, a quarter's worth
possibly. The truth is that all of these acids
ire bought in large quantities by manufacturers,
who use them in their processes, and it was
in their interest, be it remembered, this law
was fashioned and passed.
Some very wise men or some heavily inter
ested men must have revised this schedule.
Look at these facts: $373,000 worth of camphor
is yearly imported, but there was no change in
this item, while borax, of which there is hut
$48,000 imported, was reduced from 5 to 2 cents
a pound. The borax trade is monopolized. Coal
tar colors valued at over five and a half mil
lions were imported in 1907, but no reduction
wau made in this item, while in that of chloro
form, imported to the value of $2,000 a year,
a reduction was made. Over two and a half
million dollars of glycerin are yearly imported,
but there was no reduction in this item. We
import $80,000 worth of licorice, and this was
reduced. Licorice is largely used by the tobacco
trust to flavor its products. The oil trust con
trols the linseed oil trade. On this item there
was a reduction, but none is noted in the case
of these used by the masses, castor oil, cod
liver oil, fish oil, fusel oil and hemp seed oil
importations yearly, $2,250,000. Which do you
buy most of, linseed or castor oil?
tion on this schedule, which covers yearly im
portations of over fifteen million dollars, is
$60,000, or 32-100ths of ono per cent. The
senate, committee classifies two-thirds of these
items as necessaries and one-third as luxuries.
Marble is listed as a necessary and onyx as a
luxury, yet there was no reduction whatever
in rough marble, the only item under which
there are large importations, while onyx is re
duced from $1.50 per cubic foot to 65 cents, the
same as marble. Cheap spectacle glasses pays
a 96 per cent tariff, while agate, classed as a
necessary, is taxed at 50 per cent. China ware
is classed as a luxury, and en the ten items or
subdivisions, the tax runs from 48 to 60 per
cent. Common earthenware is also heavily
taxed, 25 to 35 per cent, notwithstanding the
fact that American potters have this field to
themselves and could undersell the foreigner
if the stuff were on the free list. There is a
slight reduction on common glass, not enough
to affect the price to the householder, but
enough to enable the republican stump speakers
to include this large production in the group of
goods reduced by the taTiff. C. Q. D.
Schedule B, earthenware and glass, contains
187 items, an increase of seventeen over the
Dingley law. Of these 46 are reduced, 12 are
increased and 112 unchanged. The net reduc-
Tho American Homestead, a monthly farm
journal of national scope, will be sent to all
Commoner subscribers, without additional cost,
who renew their subscriptions during tho month
of July. Take advantage of this oflVr at once,
and send in your renewal.
The Commoner's Million Army
The congressional campaign upon which we
are entering is exceptionally important. This
campaign involves more than the control of tho
next house of representatives; it will have a
most important bearing on the presidential elec
tion of 1912. If we gain control of congress
and then find that the predatory interests are
in control of enough democrats to prevent the
adoption of an aggressive program, we shall
be defeated in advance. If congress is to.be
democratic in name, it must be democratic in
fact.
Put none but the faithful on guard. The priv
ileged classes never sleep; their agents are al
ways at work. If a weak corporation republican
is nominated In a republican district, they at
once set about to nominate a corporation demo
crat against him, so that a defeat of the repub
lican party will still be a victory for the inter
ests. If a republican revolts againBt servile sur
render to tho favor-seeking corporations, the
corporation republicans immediately take the
democrats up to the mountain top and offer
them the earth if they will but nominate some
democrat who wears the corporation collar. Be
not deceived. Democracy is not satisfied with
office-holding; it is content with nothing less
than the enforcement of a creed a democratic
creed applied to government.
The Commoner is doing what it can to protect
the wealth-producing masses from exploitation,
and it deserves your co-operation if you approve
of its policy and are satisfied with its efforts.
But The Commoner has infinitely more interest
in the success real success of democratic
principles than it has in its, subscription list.
'Whether you are now or ever shall become a
subscriber to The Commoner, you are invited to
join with the readers of this paper in the at
tempt to secure democratic candidates who will
honestly and boldly stand for a definite plat
form specifically outlining the reforms demand
ed by the people.
Daniel Jones, Iowa. I enclose herewith my
check to pay for club of subscribers herewith.
Please send me more of The Commoner's Mil
lion Army blank applications.
' William Fisher, Iowa I have your letter and
in reply will say that I shall certainly try" to
raise a nice club for The Cominpner's Million
Army. I am always willing to do,,al .hatj
can for Mr. Bryan and his cause.
Horatio Roush, Ohio. I am glad to. see a
"blank in your publication for membership in
Tho Commoner's Million Army. I am now a
subscriber and desire to be a member of this
great army. Will secure additional members
in this community.
John L. Holden, Iowa. I enclose signed en
listment in The Commoner's Million Army.
Whatever influence I may have will be given to
the kind of democracy of which The Commoner
is the ablest exponent. Defeats in the past
have not discouraged me, nor moved me a hair's
breadth-from democratic principles.
J. H. Ventrees, Ky. I will get up a club for
The Commoner's Million Army just as soon as I
can. I want both The Commoner and the Amer
ican Homestead. I think the dear old Commoner
is the best paper for everybody to read that has
ever com to my notice and I wish that all
democrats as well as republicans would' carer
fully read The Commoner every week; It would
enable them to cast an. intelligent ballot.
Let every Commoner reader ask his neighbor",
"Have you joined The Commoner's Million
Army?" Let every Commoner reader lend a
hand to this particular effort at democratic or
ganization. A long pull, a strong pull, and a
pull all together, will bring groat results.
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APPLICATION BLANK
The Commoner's Million Army
aaaiatin vromotlnl ?u?J?LtZZ?2l rtuanm ana nominating convention, an
aaataztn promoting the great democratic campaign of education bu devatina a. rea
sonable share of my tfme to tJic, attribution if literature. 1 ?KcillVeeoSne
worthy Persons for membership in The Commonir'a MUUnrmu?mnin n wau
X can assise to increase the uaefttlneaa of thia organization. urwy anH m "Hy wav
Signed.
A.ddre88.
'..............,.,...,.,..,. ,,!
With the understanding that Mr. Bryan agrees to accept annual subacrlpUona to Tho Commoner from
members of this Army at a not rato of 65 contB each, and that each subscription to The dommnorhainn.
cludo a subscription to Tho Amorlcan Homestead (a strong homo n4 nam pipmffl Zfflha
Commoner free to devoto lta undivided offorts to pollUcal matters and current evcSta-l onclow horowith
66 conta for ono annual subscrlpUon to Tho Commoner (Including Tho Amorlcan Homestead) uorownn
... V, y" ?ro, sdjeady a subscriber to Tho Commoner and do not caro to extend your oxDlratlon data at
this tlmo, the last paragraph abovo may bo disregarded. . y ur oxPirauo aaw M
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