The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-10-02
For the Free Trader.
Gov. Bebb on the Tariff.

Ne.srs Editors In the midst Of editorial di.
you cannot BE- expected to reply to every ques-
ton touching your political creed
Coy. Bebb in the course of his remarks on
Wednesday evening, put two or three questions
which seem to require reply.
Not being able to go over all the points dwelt
upon by him, we select one or two upon which he
seems to err
The maih subject which he discussed was that
of Free Trade. A most important theme SUPER
or 10 the question, who shall be Presidents
II is question this, which greatly concerns
this vast Republic. and ought tn bs closely stud,
led by every true American. He that has not
studied thi. subject closely is very apt TO be
ried away by false statements and sometimes
the man who thinks himself perfectly converssnt
with this subject, and who has made It his study
for years, giving it his attention by night and by
night and by day, even he is apt to be mistaken
gld give forth statements which to him are true,
but which are falacious and unsound 1t seem.
10 US this was Gov Bohbs position on Wednesday
evening lust. We shall take him up on one point,
He stated that the producer and not the consu.
mer paid tn, duty levied on imported goods.
The following was like his remark Gentlemen,
1t is all f.lacy, this notion that the CONSUMER
pays the duty The Democrats tell you so. but
the democrats tell you what is not true. lis the
British manufacturer who pays your dvtv, and I'll
show every man III this room 1t is so Suppose an
American merchant goes over to Manchester. be
SAYS to the British merchant Sir. ! cannot pur
chase any more OF these particular line of goods,
unless you reduce them in price Our Govern.
ment have levied duty Of cts on the square
yard, and you have got to lower the price Il you
expect to supply our market. The British mer
chant thinks little. at last be says. Well I'll do
it. Who pays the duty. the consumer or the pro.
ducerl Why dontyon see, Fellow Countryneu,
its the producer; and vet these democrats would
have you believe that its the consumer. It's all
nonsense. Gentlemen, il aiat so. The Wings look
much pleased, rub their hands, stamp their feet
ard cry hurrah ,-aint that fellow Bebb a smar,
one well he is Such was the style of the
speaker and the feeling of the audience.
Now for the answer Who pays the duty, the
consumer or the produceri In holding thatit is
the former we argue thus: Competition and the
laws Of supply and demand regulate prices in all
markets.
The American Tariff may have sometimes an
effect bu, 1t by no means regulates prices in tue
British market. Suppose the Manchester mer
ohant says 10 the American, Sir, am sorry your
Government has laid such a dGty on these goods,
but as | have large orders TO fill for France, Ger
many and the Baltic cannot allow the deduction
you w.h-what is the consequence. Why just
this Gov. Be6bs country men have got to pay
monepolist in the East higher for their goods than
they could be had elsswhere-There's the point
- Does Coz. Bebb mean TO say that the Ameri-
can Tariff was formed-not for the purpose OF
keeping out British goods-but only that British
prices be broken down-not for the purpose of
protecting home INDUSTRY, but only that the Brit
ish manufacturer be got to pay the American du-
~. II this is the position, then protection TO
home industry is Wing nonsense.
To put the matter in its true light-and we de-
y all the Wings in the Union to gainsay our pre-
misses that it is the consumer who pays the duty,
and not the manufacturer Let Va illustrate by
stating a case that occur. every day. Suppose
that the duty on British cloth imported into
France is 40, into Russia so, into Germany %,
and into America 3Si per cent. Suppose that
four merchants one from each Of the above men,
countries, are purchasing cloths for their respec
tive places IN the warehouse Of q Manchester
manufacturer. What is the price OF such and
such q cloth is asked. That cloth gentlemen. ia
10 shings per yard. Suppose among the buy
ers there IL asuther, Manchester retail merchant
he also wants to purchase cloth They all buy a
poce each Of the 10 shilling kind Of brand cloth
Does the seller regulate hi, pIices in view of the
dfIeren tariffs OF the respective na,'s,.-' O.
,xinly not, all are charged the 10 shill'ngs per
yard. Follow the American buyer home with
his GRAND cloth-he brings it to New York, paws
the s3i per cent duty. which would be s. cents
on the yard, making the cloth 50 80, includes in
the price to be charged besides the duty, insu-
rance, freight. expenses, etc, and concludes he
will be able to pay himself at - per yard. He
sells i, to m Ottawa merchant for 81 he also cal
culntes expenses, and marks the cloth 10 sell at
IS IS. A farmer wishes coat piece, buys 2 yds
" the cloth, pays his $40 81 for it. Now comes
HE question who pays tee dutyi Not the Brit.
ish .eller-he has got his price from him who had
no duty to pay, a. from him who had so per cent
to pay. Not the New York merchant he calcua
ted the duty IN the price he marked on the ticket
Of the piece, aud made the Ottawa merchant pay
it when he sold him the piece. The Ottawa mer.
chant acts on the same principle as the New Yor-
ker, he cannot afford to pay the dnty, and OF
course includes it in tn, price he charges for the
cloth. Then who pays the duty Why the far
mcr Gov. Bebb's countrymen. He and he
alone paid the So cents duty upon the yard, aud
instead Of paying IS 81 FOR his cloth, he has to
support monopoly got to pay slo 81. It's
the Consumer, not the manufacturer, who pays the
duty.
II the Illinois farmer hsd purchased the cloth
in Manchester from the retail merchant, how
much duty would he have had to pay
Who's answer u