Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-01-02

THURSDAY. LaNU3RY 2. 1915.

Debate on he 7ai0, IN he House Of Reprtaataiires.
We have already adyerieJ The fact that an interest
ing debate arose Ia tho the House Of Representatives
lew days ago on the proposition To reduce the duty on
Rail Road Inn, in which the tariff system was inciden.
tally discussed Sumo oi the points embraced in that
discussion are worthy Of further notice.
MI Foster, 81 Pennsylvania a Loeooco tariff man,
Who declared that 'ihe vote given by the Pennsylvania
democracy IN favor Of Mr. Polk vote. mol for free
trade, but intended 10 be in favor Of proper and Judi
cious arlf. went al length into tho SUBJECT and do
monsraIed pretty conelosyey thai he and his consttu
ens, in the true spirit Of The tanner who declared TINT
there was "nolhng like leather ft terrifying ely ,"will
regard no tariff "profer and adieious" which oms to
impose high protective duty an igon and coal This
argument is unquesonaby sound and f,rcible-nay il
would do no discrcdli 10 an orthodox Wing Replying
10 the assumption, which al, experience has shown to be-
as false as tie theory which it is Intended to sustain that
protective duties are lar upon tho consumer and con
seqnenlly TINT the system operates bounty To ono
class by the oppression ofanohor. Mr. Foster adyored
10 the well known fact that although for ten years prior
10 the passage Of The visiting tariff aw Rail Road Iron
was brought INTO lhs country free Of duty sold fr
tl2 per ion more when il thus duty free, than il
has done since the duty Of S25 per has been levied
upon IL. Ifibis an isolated aud solitary instance
Ia which result so contradictory TO the "lfee tadou
theory had teen produced by protective duty, i, uvn,
be rauslhy inferred that an effect 80 contrary 10 tha,
which would seem To be tho legitimate consequence Of
The imposition Of adny had been wrought by some extra
heons causes not apparent upon the surface and even
nndiscorhIWe to the Losi scrutinzing eye But when
II is seen that reduction Of price follows tho mpostion
Of duty wbensoeser domestic capital and labor are there
by brought into active and successful competition with
Tho foreign, as invariably and rs certainly az llpb, fol
loNs in the irark Of the SUM- il would seem TINT ovc,
though 1t might appear 10 conflict with the ordinary pro
eesscs oreasanng linen o.pht no more to doubt The ruc
eency by which this result is Produced in the one case
han III lhe other II Tie fact be so. is mol Tho con,>
plant TINT the duty ia equivalent 10 tax drawn from
thu picket oil the consumers be put into the ppckot of
The manufacturer maneslly erroneous and the complain,
based upon II as obviously absurd and ri.uons7 Do,s
not show indeed that The consumer IL benefited bv IN,
competition pfodnced between the foreign manufacturer
"ho. having bud monopoly of the market previously
regulated The prices al his pleasure and tho domes
Tic rival, who is brought into e and activity by tho
stimulus Ola protective duty, and by the assurance
which that duty affords 10 him of permanent advantage
10 that sAent IN furnishing the home demand1 The
foreigner. compelled 10 have market or 10 sion his
works mol only consents curtallmnn Of hs preyis
ly enormous profits shown TO be enormous by tho RI,
ducilon Of price which follows the creation of comret
hon-hut he econoulzos in the cost of manufacturing for
the purpose OF undcrseng. # possible and 50 of broak
my down. the rival that has stepped in between him
and his old customers. Iflho duty be tar the con
snmsr evidently does not pay il. That il Ia paid by
some one. however, ia IN lenlable- and in our opinion
1t IS not nj all dnhru 10 ascertain who the payer is
for certainly IL cannot ho commended that tho C,reicp
manufacturer lof Ra Road Iron for example, who in
1911 brought his fabric 10 tho United States dutJ free
and sold II or 800 per ton, does net loose someihig
when, reaching our shores rith duty Of s25 per
Ton on his fabric he nevertheless sells it for &l5 II ia
oon,ended. We know, that but for the duty he could at
fund 10 sell il TO the consumer here for n
Price minus the duty-n other word, for ssO par
ton ! Perhaps he coald-but the question H. ,rould
he sell II Tor that price, That is the question for
The consumer who coes for low prices to ask himself
UonH he2 And thai question is answered in advance
by another did he sell il r that price when Rail Road
Iron rGs duty fcel So far from it, he demanded apd
obtained thrice that sumhe sracird from i2 to 5 dol
lars per ION more Than he present price seth The df,
superdddtG 4 INC Oh Inc duy-destfoy thereby domos
Tic competition rIhrow your ow manufacturing sys
tem-rehuild upon its suios. that foreign monopoly
which the iarlfof 1870 dies 'royed, and the benefits OF
the destruction ol which the con inner is enjoy ing
m reduced plices-and We shall AGAIN find ourselves
compelled 10 submit 10 those eyorhllant oxaclions
which formerly bore so heavily upon the people |,
seems to US 10 be- far less Oppressive" pay Si5 per
ton for an article even with $25 duty than to pa, 800
FER ton for the same article, duty froe For one. We
like that sor OF taxation, which, instead OF taking mos
ney out Of The purses oour people, puts i, in The Eu-
ropean manufacturers not ignorant Of this effect Of
our tariff system They feel il; and hence their loud
and ncessan groans. which we should not hear if the
duty was paid, as some of our Political economists con
tend, by the consumer here--and honce too the plea
sure eNpressedhy many Of the British and French pa
pers at tho election of Mr. Polk to tho Presidency
because from his administration they expect the opor
OH system which will cripple il DESTROY American
capital aud industry for The mutual benefit Of foreign mil
lionarcs aud paupersof the former in the augmentation
Of their profits; OF the latter, in extending the depart
mens OF labor and in increasing the wages OF the laborer
The tendency Of The protective duties reduce prices
whenever domestic capital aud labor is seby brought
into successful rivalry with that Of other countries WI
were agreeaby surprised TO find nierenally sustained
IN the debate upon which We are commenting. by on,
ofthe most violent opponents of The tariff We allud,
ID Mr. Payne Of Ala, who closed furious denuncia,
tio6 u the sssiem with the suggestion OF "remedy'
thetefr "A tcso, Il, ,hich he threatens on behalf u