The Republican journal., 1872-05-23
High and Low Duties.

70 wipe out the enormous duties which are
try. It IS as Old as the government itself,
tsyiag confronted the trainers of the CON
stitu1on at the threshold OF their labor
1t has never ceased to be conspicuous 10
the party strife Of the country Forty
year: ago az oppressive tariff had more
power for the dissolution of the union
shan the slavery question really possessed
thirty years afterwards, aud its threaten
iags then would have resulted as serious
" had the same unwisdora prevailed a.
Washington. To-day it confHonts the
country with the sane 'orce, power and
unanswerable logic. Next to the military
and cenaralizing tendencies Of the admin
lstration, i is the question Of the day,
and it will continue to &c a great issue
uatii the injustice IS removed.
Before the times o: So inflated currency
and artificial and false standards of val
t,es when the people enjoyed 4 better
hiIO'' iCtl W. ibS An'-diiiiI2 VI t'iC-
tectiop, II was never a popular doetiiae,
and its adoption AT different periods was
not regarded as any thing more thar
temporary expediant. Prior 10 the war
of ~ we had low tariff The frst
tariff tor protection was established i'll
1916, which however was net snfici
ra cb;.e ot,t reooJs
therefore. il ortiar 10 meet the pr eyailing
exigency, it vas increased in 1928 This
remained iu force but tour years, when
the popular demand for change of pol
ICY brough; about The " compromise lar
If" Of 1882. 1t was not until 1912 tha.
the protective system regalaed the ascen-
iancy, and it maintained its position
bat four years again when it was com
PEELED TO give way TO the nonprotective
tariff of 1916 This continued in force
until 1857 when il was changed for anoth-
er of similar character, but still lover
duties. Our present extreme protective
tariff was invented and adopted in 1861,
since which il has been noditiec: at least
q dozen times, retaining however It's
more burdensone and oppressive features
throughout.
The advocates Of protection beguile
the casual reader and superficial thinker
with the specious assumption thar the la
borers share in the profits and are CORE
spondingIy benefited thereby. It must
be borne in mind, in this connection, that
tor nearly every article Of necessity COM
fort or luxury which he ooDsume9-ex-
cepl the air lie breathes and the water he
dr.Iks--the jaborer is Compelled to pay
an excessive artificial margin over the ac-
Iual value, IN consequence Of these pro-
tectiye duties which are levied tor the sole
purpOso Of enhancing the prices. Il is
this increased expense of living that
raises the price of labor The manuiact /
urers are not over nagaanilaous and lib
eraI IL respect to wages. The remuoera-
lion OF labor regulates itself. If cotton
| splnners ont OF work could be found who
| we're able 10 live and enjoy the same com
| forts at ten cents day less than those
nosT employed, they would Immediately
| offer their services at ten cents day less
than the prevailing wages, and they
| would be Employed. It is al indisputable
| fact that all employers hire their laborers
at IS low & rate as possible, whether il
one Kind Of business or another. The
employees in those branches of industry
which enjoy the privilege Of high protec-
ton under the present tariff, get no better
living as the result Of their labor than
those who are engaged in pursuits which
are excluded from such fostering care
Even were this otherwise. the fact would
still stand that the number Of laborers
employed in the industries protected by
| high duties is not one-twentieth of the
whole laboring population of the country,
and even if they were benefited there
would be no justice ii making the other
niDeteen-twsntiesas pay increased prices
for the comforts and necessaries Of life in
order to raise the wages of the ons-
twentieth
In the every light in which protection
may be viewed it is found to be an un-
equal, wasteful and oppressive form of
taxation, discriminating upjustly against
the poorer masses and in favor of the
wealthy few. The sooner, therefore, it is
uprooted and the country restored to the
condition under which it fourished during
the sixteen years of non-protective duties
prior to 1861, and during the many years
of low duties before that period, the
sooner will true and substantial prosperity
return, our commerce resuscitated and our
agricultural interests redeemed, and tn G
better it will be for the stability OF our
legitimate manufacturing enterprises and
the general welfare of the people. To
endeavor to promote this end will be the
duty of every true friend OF reform dur
ing the approaching campaign, not only
in congressional districts, but ii the pres
idential canvass as well.
In another column we make extracts
from recent speech on the tariff by Hon
S. S. Cox, the keen rapier of whose wit
never fails to puncture pretence and hum
bug. Our readers will admire it for the
rollicking tun with which it abounds, as
well as the terrible dilemmas that it pre-.
sents to the protectionists.
Thepolice OF Lewiston are shooting all vsgran1
dogs.