Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-05-09
THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF.

the recent speech of Congressman Mar
shall. on protection, going the rounds of
the free trade press:
The farmer starting TO his work has a
shoe put on his horse with nails taxed 81
per cent, driven by hammer taxed "a
per cent, cuts n stick with knife taxed
80 per cent /; bitches his horse to plow
taxed 90 per cent, with his chains taxed
81 per cent. He returns to his home at
night and lays his weared limbs on sheet
taxed 50 per cent, and covers himself
with Il blanket that has paid 259 per cent
He rises in the morning, puts on his hum
BILE flannel shirt taxed so per cent, his
coat taxed 80 per cent, shoes taxed 80
per cent, and his hat 20 per cent. opens
family worship by chapter from his
Bible taxed % per cent, and kneels to
his God on an humble carpet taxed $50
per cent. He sits down to his plain meal
from plate taxed 40 per cent, with knife
and fork taxed 80 per cent. drinks his
cup of coffee taxed AZ per cent, or tea 70
per cent. with sugar 20 per cent, sea-
sons his food with salt taxed 100 per cent,
pepper 297 per cent, or spice 379 per cent.
He looks around upon his wife and chill
dren all taxed in the same way, and then
thanks his stars that he lives in the freest
and best government under heaven.
This is very plausibly put; but as a
matter of fact it is fatty false. 1t assumes
as self-eyident proposition the very re-
verse of what has been proven by actual
test. Marshalls assumption is that the
tariff imposed for protection adds just
that much to the price the consumer has
to pay for the articles taxed. whereas the
unvarying testimony of political and in
dustrial history is that g protective tariff
really lessons The cost Of hring.
Take for example cotton. In 1916 the
first protective tariff of this country was
adopted. Prior to that time cotton cloth
hal been admitted duty free, and the job
bling price was from forty to fifty cents
per yard After the tariff had been i'm
posed it began gradually to decline, until
in 1882 sheetings had gone down to from
six to seven cents yard at which price
the tax amounted to about one hundred
per cent. SO much for Mr.. Marshalrs far
mer returning home at night to "lay his
weary limbs ON sheet taxed tifty-eight |
per cent"
As another illustration showing that
what the free traders call ''the burden of
taxation is really relief from the burden
of impoverishing dependence upon a for
eign monopoly, take the farmers AK.
Until 1880. we had absolute free trade in
axes. Up to that time we paid England
from Sl5 to SIG per dozen for them, but
with the adoption of the protective policy
The price began to fall, and continued to by
steady gradations, until in 1919 better
American article could be bought for SO a
dozen. Again, the free trade price of
hoes was from 81 to S. per dozen, but
under protection hoes, as well as axes,
were cheapened so per cent.
We might go on with the entire list of
articles used by the far
ner, showing substantially the same result
n regard to them all but these examples
ire abundant for the purpose of exposing
he utter falsity of the free trade position.
The whole argument of Marshall and
lis coadjutors is based on the false postu-
ate we have exposed. The fact is that
he tax imposed for protection is paid by
he foreign m anufacturer, except such
portion of it as he may be able to get out
IF the importer.
The actual reduction in the cost of liv-
ng under the protective system is not
only an incontestible fact, but one that
admits of ready explanation. Protection
stimulates competition. and competition
is the great safeguard of the consumer
against the exorbitance of the manufac-
turer.
J. Stuart Mill goes into the philosophy
of the fact and truth we have Just stated
Mr.. Mill is claimed by the free traders not
only of his own native England but of
this country as the ablest political econo-
mist of the period. Although stoutly
the general doctrine of free
trade he has the candor to say: "a coun-
try gets its imports cheaper, the less the
extent and intensity of its own demand
for them. The market is cheapest to
those whose demand is small" We have
shown that such has proved the case in
he United States. The tariff history of
Great Britain proved the same of that
We have before us table show
ng the exact facts in the case of bar iron
rom 1882 to 1913, also of white lead from
500 TO 1915, and in both cases the tariff
decreased, instead of increased, the price.
In view of all this every intelligent far
ner must be convinced that self interest,
IS well as consideration for the general
Welfare, demands, that he should support
the protective system.-Chicago Journal.
The Third Party State Committee have
decided not to call State Convention
until after the Republican State conyen-
lion. The inference to be drawn from
this is that a satisfactory nomination by