The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-07-06

i
A Protest Against the Tariff by the
Shoe Manufacturers OF the United
States.
The undersigned, engaged in the manu-.
| facture of boots and shoes, desire to call
the attention of their fellow apufaeturers
and of the public to certain facts illus
trative of the bearing Of the present tariff
upon their industry. The legislation Of
other countries has aimed to secure for
manufacturers and artisans the raw mate
rials of their industry at the cheapest pos
sible rates. Every country pursuing this
policy has rapidly developed its manu-
factures. The opposite system has gene
rally prevailed in. our country, and has re-
tarded the naturally vigorous growth OF
orr industries. Whatever measure OF
prosperity they have attained has been IN
spite of an adverse and depressing system
of taxation, and is due to the intelligence,
skill, and industry of our people. These
have enabled them to triumph over both
natural and artificial difficulties. alI1 8 ~
The tariff tax upon our leather amounts
to thirty-hve per cent. From the earliest
periods of our history, Americans have
enjoyed such advantages in the manufac=
tute of leather as have enabled them, to
undersellan competing nations, This tax,
therefore, is totally unnecessary, as a pro-
tective measure. 53 A9Hrz1z
The duties on cotton and silk rubber
webbing are thirty-6ve and fifty per, cent
respectively. As few of these goods are
manufactured IN this country, these pro-
teetive duties are benefits to the few and
burdens to the many. The duties on LAST
ipgs and serges are eighty-tiye per cent
Although these highly protective duties
have been levied for four years, they have
succeeded in stimulating only two olestab-
hshments to engage in making qthesef ar
ticles, and that to limited extent. More
over, the quality of their products IS too
inferior TO supercede the use of the import
ed goods. -9-ra7 lahio Iafh VIC zgi
The combined taxes upon all the articles
forming the materials of our industry yield
the government revenue ofonly So, 500,-
600, while they impose upon the manu-
facturers of boots and shoes tax of SIS, =
000,000-which must eventually be paid
by the WeareTs Of this necessary articles.
The direct consequence of these protec-
tive taxes is such an increase in the cost
of our products as prevents our competing
with the manufacturers of boots and shoes
IN other countries. OF late wears, there
has been an increase of twenty-five per
cent in the productive power Of q given
amount of capital and labor engaged in
our manufacture through improved ma
chinery and new processes This gain,
which should have resulted in cheaper
boots and shoes, has been completely nulz
ifed by protective taxes. The legislation
of our ewn country has assclriVen-euf@pro-
duetsfrom the markets of Canada, Mexico,
the West-Indies, and South America,
which we had enjoyed for mora than a
century. j Il has Transferred the manufac-
ture Of our products to q great degree to
Canada, where it enjoys, greater .adYan-
tages, and is ssubject TO fewer impediments,
in the prosecution of business Thus, our
country has to this extent lost the benefits
of this industry and given her wealth to
others, through system of tariff taxation,
professedly framed to foster and encourage
American industry, but which expels it
from America ana increases the wealth Of
ether nations. TU -t.5s-gt sus p.
In addition to the direct influences of
the tariff upon our production, the system
of protective duties indirectly imposes
grievous burdens upon it by increasing
the cost of our buildings, engines, machin-
cry, tools, and supplies, as well as railroad
| transportation. 1t raises the prices of
house-rent, fuel, food, clothing, and all
supplies, so as to renderextTaRagan wages
q necessity TO our workmen. This appa-
rent increase of wages, however, yields no
substantial benefit to our Workmen be-
cause it Is all consumed in the enhanced
cost Of living. --=-------
We believe that an entire removal of all
protective duties would greatly advance
our industry, as we should then have the
markets of the world i'm which to sell our
products, thus largely increasing the labor
employed and the profits of manufactur-
ing. We, moreover. believe that the en-
HANGED 10ealth and coRforto of our own peo-
pie, consequent upon change Of system,
Wonld be evidenced IN an increased con-
SUMPTION of our goods, A reduction in
the duties levied upon the articles used in
our manufacture IS demanded by the in
| terests of all capitalists and laborers en-
gagged in the boot and shoe industry,
The magnitude Of our industry, which
is larger in the value of its product and
the number of hands employed than any
other single industry in the county, should
insure a careful consideration of our rea-
sonable demands. While the iron, the
cotton, and other interests are constantly
deferred to by our legislators when they
request Protection, it will not appear nm
reasonable that the boot and shoe industry
should claim from their fellow-citizens
and from Congress careful consideration
of the injuries inflicted upon ii by this po-
hey of miscalled Protection, andthe mani
disadvantages which would result, at
least to the largest manufacture in the
United States, from its overthrow
LYNN, MASS.
SM Bubier, William Porter, Philip A
Chase. A F Breed, L Frazier. C S Sweet
ger, ] A Sweetzsr, D H Sweetzer, Lewis