Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-07-15
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM

How is an industry to be pro
tected 2"
BY law which prohibits the importa-
ton of its product from abroad, either
entirely or under certain restrictions. .
What reason is given for protecting
branch of home Industry
That unless guarded against the COM
petition of foreigners it cannot be
proftably pursued. For instance, il is
said that the English and Belgians can
make iron cheeper than we, and there-
fore It is claimed that heavy duty
should be levied on importations OF
English and Belgian iron, and all foreign
iron.
What is the effect of this duty on i'm
ported iron2
1t raises the price Of all iron, because
the home manufacturer charges for it's
product price equal to foreign, plus the
duty and the cost Of shipping.
Does the duty, therefore, increase the
price of all iron, home as well as foreign,
TO the American consumer?
1t does.
Who are the American consumers of
iron2
The whole American people; the
farmers, who use plows, hoes, reapers,
mowers, spades, shovels, axes; the me-
chanics, who use hammers, SAWS, planes,
chisels the machinists, the shipbuilders,
those who travel or send freight by rail
roads, all who use tools Of any kind
whatever, aud all who live in houses, of
which nails, locks, bolts, stoves, CRATES
and iron work form part There are in
the United States nearly forty millions
of consumers of iron.
Does a protective tariff on iron,
such as we now have, raise the price Of
all iron articles to all these forty mil
lions2
II does, TO the amount of over one hun
bred per cent. 1t obliges forty millions
of people to pay at least twice as much
for the iron which they must use, TO live
and to make their living, as they ought
to pay.
For whose benefit or advantage are
these forty millions thus forced to pay
more than double for an article of daily
and absolute necessity
For the benefit and advantage OF the
iron producers.
Who are the producers of iron 2
There are, by the last census, sixty
seven thousand nine hundred and sixty
two persons employed in the production
of iron ore, and cast, forged, wrought
and rolled iron, in the United States.
Is it, then, to benefit this ridiculously
small number of less than sixty-eight
thousand persons, that forty millions of
people are made to pay enormously and
unnecessarily high prices for a prime
necessary Of life
That is clearly the case. Indeed, The
advocates Of PROTECTIVE" of high price
tariff make that their plea.
But how do they support such pre-.
posterous demand2
By the argument that these sixty-eight
thousand people are engaged in an un-
profitable employment
Is employment, then, so scarce that
these sixty-eight thousand can not get
anything profitable TO do2
On the contrary, laborers are so scarce
in this country that many most useful
and profitable enterprises cannot be set
on foot, merely because there are not
men enough to work them.
Ought Congress, thea, to encourage
people to labor at employments which
they confess TO be improbable, by max.
ing up their losses at the expense and
out Of the pockets Of the whole people
Such a course seems and is absurd and
wrong.
To support these $4,000 in what they
say is an Improbable business, what are
the 10000, 900 obliged 10 pay extra by
the protective tariff on iron.
In the report Of Stephen Colwell, Rev
enue Commissioner, it is asserted that it
costs S37 90 10 produce ton of English
iron, and Sll6 80 10 produce a ton Of
American iron. The difference in cost,
SIS 49, is what is sought to be made up
by the protective tariff. That is TO
say, Mr.. ColWell, who is protectionisi,
admits that we might buy our iron for
$50 so per ton. Protection" makes rs
pay SIG 80, or SIS 80 per ton extra.
Now, be says, we used IN 1865, about one
million eight hundred thousand tons
Thus, according 10 bis statement il
would seem that forty millions Of Amer
lean people are obliged 70 pay. for the /
benefit Of the sixty-eight thousand iron 1
makers, no less than the sum Of one hun I
ired and forty millions Of dollars per I
annum. NoEcnder the people complain /
81 hard tines
But the iron makers did not get 81 /
his7
No. fhe services of tar coTlrcfo-q and i