Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-07-27

The following Letter explains itself
most capltally. The tariff humbug is
pretty thoroughly ventilated

pretty thofuuRhlA Nthihalcu
PIrrsnuuun, June 30, 1870
Hon. DdririH Phelps, M CO.
DIAN SiRi | have Just read the
letter of f. r. Brunot, Esq. addressed
to you on the subject OF tariii on steel.
II was addressed to you in the inter
csts Of the consumers of steel. The
number Of direct consumers of this
valuable product in this country
amount to about 100000 This large
number is made up of the manutac-
turcrs of saws, ohisels, augers, axes,
trowols, knives swords pistols skates,
pens, &c, in u word, of the makers of
all kinds Of tools used by our mochan
les and skilled laborers Cheap steel,
therefore, is necessity for this quar-
ter of a million.
But the number Interested in cheap
tools is far greater than the number
of those who make and use them
Cheap steel makes cheap tools, and
cheap tools mean cheap food, cheap
houses, cheap fuel, cheap travel and
cheap clothing, and those interested
in these things are counted by the
million.
Now, Mr.. Brunot proposes to cheap
en- steel by maintaining the present
tariff as per cent if possible by in
creasing it. This he would do by Il
specific instead ofan ad valorem duty
in the interest of tho revenue, to pre-
vent fraudulent issuing. So far as he
recommends a specific for an ad valo.
rem tariff, all lovers of justice, homes
ty and patriotism will 90 with him,
but so far as increasing tho duty on
steel is concerned, we are not so
clear. Mr. Brunot kindly volunteers
to speak for the consumers. But il
may be asked, don't the consumers
know their own interests well enough
to speak for themselves Is il likely
that a producer has more sympathy
for the consumer, than the consumer
has for himselfY
am a small consumer of steel bnt
| have never yet been able to sec
how adding forty five per cent. TO its
price made it cheaper. ! know, TO be
sure, that steel makers have been able
"to sec it., +" and have told us over aud
over that it was so, but our bills for
steel, and for steel tools all show that
adding the tariff to an article incroas.
es the price ofit Ifit were not so.
why is tariff necessary? 1t is the
American mechanic lying down so
that by standing on him our steel ma.
kers may be us tall aa the English and
German steel makers.
However, Mr.. Brunot goes on TO
show that the tariff creates competi.
ton and so lowers prices. This is all
true enough, and never denied by any
sane man. Why put up a man Of
straw, merely to knock him down p
This is the question: Who pays for
getting up the competition The steel
manufacturer says want to compete
with England ; now if you (the con
sumer) will give me fifty per cent TO
begin with, I'll try and compete with
Smith in the pie business, but he's
afraid, and so he says 10 Brown. if
you will give me fifty per cont on
my pies to begin with, I'll try and
compete with Smith. Now. there is
no question that Jones can compete
with Smith if Brown is willing TO
back him with fifty per cent. But
the question is wi il pay Brown to
do ity Smith says it will, and Smith
thinks he sees it
This, then is clear: A tariff creates
But tho consumer and
not the producer, pays the tarif,and
so he takes all the risks, and the pro.
ducer takes the profits. Again, il is
equally clear that competition lowers
prices. But here, again, it is the con
sumer and not the producer that pays
for the getting aud keeping up OF the
competition.
But | wish to ask another question
connected with this idea of competi. |
tion lowering Of prices Admitting
that the tariff does both-creates
and lowers prices-to
whom docs the money goy To steel
They told us they |
could not compete unless they had n |
protective tariff Of forty five per cent |
nd yalorem, and the consumers gave |
It to them.
Now, let us see how much VIC have .
given these pauper steel makers that |
hey might compete with the pauper
abor of Europe, and here | quote Mr.. |
Brunots figures: "The revenue re.
,eiyed by the United States from duty /
IN steel, in 1869, was s1,1S6,334 IL /
n gold" Nearly ono million and a
ialf in currency. This represents
what the consumers Of steel paid into
he treasury in order to help our man
liacturers to compete with foreign
manufacturers, and yet Mr.. Brunot
nnoccntly adds "This sum is the
'nnual tribute paid by the foreign
manufacturers for the privileges of the
american market"
But this is not all that the oonsum.
r pays; this is what he paws the
government. Now, let us see what he
'ays the steel makers, and | quote
gain from Mr.. Brunot: ave made
twenty-five thousand tons of steel
asst year; on this the consumer paid
i ,5SO,OOO into the pockets of the
tce' makers. Adding together tho
ums paid into the United States
treasury, and into the steel manuGac.
urers pocket and you have a little
ver three millions ofdollars paid bv
he steel consumers for the benefit Of
hrce thousand FIVE hundred steel
makers.
In conclusion, sir, let me say. when
the best interests Of the consumers"
emand higher tariff on steel. it is
uite as likely that they will find il
ut, as il is that anybody else will
nd again, that the profFered and
rcsscd advice Of the steel makers is
pit to create little suspicion OF their
isintcrcsicdness.
Commenting these few things TO
our favorable notice, subscribe my.
Elf, j. BfnrED
EpNfpf III - - - 4 .-.. ]