Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1883 — JUDGE JERE BLACK. [ARTICLE]

JUDGE JERE BLACK.

A Talk 'bout Monopolies and Their Effect—The Tariff Question. New York June I.—JudgeJeie Black the Jail prominent representative of ihe auie war cabinets, has some pronounced opinions on coming political matters, and expresses them freely. In an interview he said, on the tariff question, that congress bad no mon right to levy a tax on imports than it had on land, beyond what is n-cessary for the support and maintenance of the government. All above tbat was robbery. Beyond that point the judge positively declined to talk on the subject until he could do it in his ova way.

“What is the condition of the AntiMonopoly contest in Pennsylvania?” “There is a great sorrow and burden iuvolved in that issue, which is for the people to take hold of. To show you how the monopolies are effecting us, I wilt give you an example in York Pa., where it presses itself on my own attention with peculiar force. The freight exacted on toe single article ot anthracite coal is ceaily $l per ton more than is charged upon the same commodity carried from the same mine and delivered by the same company at Baltimore. In alt reason and conscience it should be from 50 cents to $1 less, seeing that the distar.ee is sixty miles greater to Baltimore. That makes tbe discrimination against York at least equal to $1 50 on every ton. The quantity consumed iu the latter place is something upward ©f 100.000 tons, and the exclusive tax upon it all is, therefore, $150,u00. Every cent of this is as wrongfully taken as it it were feloniously stolen. It amounts to as many times as much in the aggregate as ali the legitimate taxes which the same community pays for the support of the state, county, schools and almshouses.”

“Who suffers most?” “A manufacturer who uses 2.000 tons of coal must pay $3,000 of blackmail to to the railroads or to the monopoly which they have created, unless the tufluence of his wealth gets it remitted But the largest part of it is levied upon poor laborers whose wages are barely sufficient to lurnish their families in scanty measure with food, si elter and clothing. Much of it is paid by the contributions of charity for those who would otherwise perish by cold and huDger, The man w.,0 can hear the simple story of this wrong without indignation must be as cold-blooded as a snake.”

“Now,*’ continued Mr Black, “we are often told that In this struggle for honest government against the power of the railroad corpo a ions the just|cause has no chance of success. We do seem to be out on a forlorn hope. Tbe little'finger of monopoly is thicker than the. loins of the law. The Influence of our enemies over the legislature is mysterious, incalculable and strong enough to make the constitution a dead letter in spite of oaths to obey it and a popular demand almost universal to enforce it. There is no other tubject upon which our press is so shy as upon this, the most important of all. Afraid t» oppose the corrupt corporations and ashamed t<> defend them, it sinks into silent neutrality.” “Is it true, judge, that the manufacturers all consider a protective tariff essential?”

''There the question of railroad monopolies comes in. Manufacturers of iron assure us that they can produce the article as cheap as the English manufacturers can. But the ]a ter can bring their product across the ocean and deliver it in our market at a less charge for freight than our own manufacturers can send it 50 or a 100 miles on the railroads, The railroad companies step iu and insist on taking from our manufacturers for freight as much as the English are required to pay in duty, and all tnat they can get besides. If the duty on foreign iron is, for instance, $7 per tou, then the railroads claim that amount for freight. It helps the monopolies, not the producers. Ouf manufacturers ire nearer the market iu distance, but uot in the ru:e of c larges for freight. Could they be p ..ceJ oi: an equality i i the latter they could compete with f> reign monufaptqrer.-i wi ; limit a tariff. T • show you how the local freight rates operate against us, observe that if a ton be carded 5)0 mileS r.mi Uhicago to Philadelphia, for $3, and the same charge be made i<>r cariying it 12 miles, from Phiiadehmia to Media, the rate iu the latter case is lift, times as high as the former. lam credibly informed that such disproportionate charges are or have recently been made, alul that, as a general rule, ail local freights, whether the haul i.e long or short, are charged without regard to distance, tlie same, or nearly the same that would be charged on the same weight if carried from Chicago to Boston.” “But,” the judge added thoughtfully, “you are interviewing me,” and he walk ed awav.