The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-05-31

than Europe! III IS because ct0NtHy, Houso-
hold utensils, and all manufactured accessories
and Mruries Of life are so much dedrer. How
ever, great deal of the cry about "cheap la
boz" is all "moonshine," or, to use more vul
gar and common expression, all in your
eve" The skilled mechanic in Europe gets
as high wages nearly as in this country; and
is really better paid there, in proportion to
the cost of living, than here. The reason of
this apparent paradox IS readily seen when
we remember that American manufacturers,
being protected, have the monopoly of the
trade and pay but little attention to durabili.
ty, style or finish, but, as is universally
known, home made articles are apt to be OF
the shoddy stripe. carelessly made and soon
worn out. While foreigners are compelled
to furnish well made and genuine articles in
order to find purchasers in our country, there
by bringing into requistion the best Of skill
ed workmcn, our own manufacturers get the
cheapest class of workmen to be found and
skillful workmen are not in demand. Throw
of all tariff ana allow unrestricted CONNER
cia intercourse between this and other coun-
tries, and you will see a revolution in the
style of manufactured merchandise. Skilled
labor would come into acquisitions articles
of common use that now drop to pieces with
the handling would be made strong, durable
and better finished
The real secret of this protective tariff bus
mess is, that enables manufacturers to make
an eXorbitantly high profit on small
amount Of money invested. All articles of
commerce in common use can be manufuc-
tured in the |. 5. so as to give fair profit
on the money invested and a reasonable COM
pensation for the time and labor of the man
ufacturer in direct competition with the same
articles imported free of tariff. But the uni
versal motto practised by the American fnan-
cier is, get all you can and keep all can get"
SO he cries for protection to enable him to
make one hundred per cent and upwards in
his business. 1t may be denied that this is
to be genuine and one of scores of similar
enterprises that are going on all over the
land. A man in Rhode Island invested $780,
600 of his own and $4,000 Of borrowed mon
ey in manufacturing enterprise The first
year he cleared $4,000 after paying back his
borrowed capital. The second year his divi-
dends Melted him $4,000 The third year
it amounted to $4,000 $4,000 made in
three years from $4,000 capital. Will any
one pretend that it is necessary to protect a
business that gives such enormous profits as
this?
We are told that the tariff not only protects
home manufactures but supports the L. States
government and that it all comes out of the
pockets of foreign manufacturers. i short
time ago the Chicago InterOceGB published
an editorial arguing in favor of the protec-
tive tariff somewhat after this fashion: If
one hundred dollars worth of goods were
brought in from foreign country, they would
exactly displacc the same amount of home
manufactures ard leave the nation that much
poorer, while by levying tax of twenty five
dollars on that amount the government is sup
ported and that much money kept at home
and the home manufacturer enabled to sue
cessfully compete. The man who wrote that
article proves that he must be writing in IA
vor of his own pocket and knave at that, or
pie of the sophisry used throughout in sup
port of this .'.lse and rotten principle Let
us look at the real truth. The importer of
foreign goods buys in the foreign market at
tho nj, a ly nt Dripn of that hn Irip
them to the L. S. and lands them in the Gus
tom house, where after paying the duties, he
adds to the original cost the duty paid, the
freight and his margin for profit. With these
additions the goods are sold, and, as have
already pointed out, were the home manutac-
turers of the same goods to put their prices at
competing rates, foreign goods would be ex-
cluded, and the support of the government
would fall directly upon themselves. Hence
the consumers are compelled to pay 4 double
tax; they are compelled to pay the govern
ment tax upon imported goods, and the sur
plus over and above reasonable price to
home manufacturers.
But it may be said, the money does not 90
OuU vi llt 'ONitl anu NIaDltS OuI lclliS
manufacturers and moneyed men to accumu-
late large amount of capital, and thus adds
to the prosperity of the country. We will
estimate that one man in every hundred is
engaged in manufacturing or owns shares in
an enterprise of this kind. This is very far
from the true estimate, however, and one in
five hundred would be nearer the truth But
taking it thus we find that the farmer, the
mechanic, the laborng as well as other classes
not directly protected, are compelled to pay
from % to 200 per cent. more for articles OF
every day consumption than would be the
case if foreign competition were admitted.
The bulk of this surplus money paid for
merchandise goes into the pockets of a few
manufacturers and capitalists. They contrib
ute nothing towards the support of the gov
eminent comparatively, while the farmer is
taxed on every pound of iron he uses, on all
his farm implements, the clothing of himself
and family, the salt he uses for his stock, the