The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-08-27
VOL. XIII.---NO. 80.
How Protection" Robs the Poor Man.


always of men without accumulated
means These men are, it is true, the
producers of wealth, but 50 large a share
of what they produce goes to their own
| support and the capital which employs
their labor, that the mass of laborers do
not become wealthy. At the same time
that they arc producers they are steady
consumers of products. Now it would be
but equitable to take off the taxes on what
they consume, or at least to reduce those
taxes to the smallest amount consistent
with the nations necessities for revenue
1t should be the policy of the Government,
since the laboring classes have but little
money, to shape its legislation 80 as to
make that little go as far as possible.
| How has our government, as judged by
the present system of duties on articles of
consumption, discharged this duty Has
the principal burden of taxation been laid
upon articles of luxury9 Has legislation
been so framed as to protect the poor man
in his right to buy where he can buy
cheapest Has the accumulated capital
OF the rich been made to serve as the prin-
cipal basis for taxation, while the poor
laboring mau's earnings have been exemp-
ted? We look into the tariff laws for an
swers. The clothing worn by our working
men is taxed between seventy-five and one
hundred per cent. The salt they consume
is taxed from one to one hundred and sixty
per cent. The iron they use pays duty
OF seventy TO eighty per cent. The cotton
goods they buy cost them from one hun
drcd to one hundred and twenty per cent.
more than they would do but for the tariff
levied ostensibly to protect" American
! labor.
Who is it that is protected" by laws
which so enhance the prices accommodates
consumed by the whole people' Is it the
| people, or is it a few owners of spinning
and rolling Mills and salt works? Look
at little sample of the beauties of this
protective system. Here is farmer, or
mechanic, or merchant clerk, who wants
to buy good comfortable coat for his or
binary wear.
In former times, before the war, with the
duty on wooden clothes at twenty-five per
cent. Gas it would be now under tariff
framed for rcvenue) he could buy such u
coat at from seven to ten dollars according
to the quality. Now the duty on woolens
is fifty cents per pound, and thirty-tive
per cent. al oalorem in addition, which
amounts to between ninety and one hun
NtiSN POI SSil' oil eiiC tll llC COSO VI Vic
material in London. 1t results thai, after
profits of the American dealer, the coat
which used to cost less than ten dollars
now costs from twenty to Twenty-Five
And two thirds of this enormous increase
Of cost is directly traceable to the protec.
tive tariff of whose virtues we hear so
much. Were the duty on woolens reduced
fppt, min 70 Nv g.,
twenty-five per cent, the coat which now
coasts the wearer twenty dollars could be
bought for fourteen.
But the existing tariff actually discrim-
mates against the poor man by levying
higher duties on coarse goods than on fine
ones Thus the tariff on cloths and cass-
meres, which was fixed up" i'll the interest
of the wooden manufacturers, lays the hea-
West tax upon the commonest article of
wooden fabrics, such as are more largely
manufactured here. The duty, instead of
being graduated to the value or cost ofthe
goods, and so taxing the articles of luxury
the heaviest, is cunningly levied upon the
weight OF the CLOTH so that the coarse
wooden worn by the working classes pays
more than double the amount Of duty, in
proportion to its cost, than is paid by fine
broad cloth. The duty, the reader must
remember, is fifty cents per pound, and
thirty-tive per cent ad cal0rem in addition
Then a yard of coarse cloth costing say
81 in London, and which will weigh at
least two pounds to the yard costs as fol-
lows:
Specific duty at 80 cents per pnun, Two pouas 81 %
Al "'iorem duty ON cost 81, ut 81 per cent 81
81 IS
or Just one hundred and thirty-fve per
cent. od ealorem i. e., on the prime cost
of the goods worn by the poor man.
Now look at the bill of costs charged on u
yard of broadcloath worn by the wealth.
lest classes This fine, light cloth will
weigh scarcely one pound to the yard,
though its cost may, and sometimes does,
rise as high as five dollars. We then have
a specific duty of 30 cents on a yard which
is equivalent to only five per cent. on its
value; and this, added to the thirty-five
per cent. all oa!Orem duty charged on all
wooden goods imported, makes just forty
five per cent paid on the rich mans broad
cloth, against one hundred and thirty-fve
per cent. (or just three times as much in
proportion) paid on the poor mans coat
of linsey- woolsey. -Cincjnnati Commercial.