The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-07-17
The Tariff:

The consideration OF the tariff ques-
ton will agitate the public mind of
these States now that tho American
people have recovered from the blind
partizan warfare against a section of
the common Union, and legislation
will cease to be had simply to choke
out and destroy the liberties of the
Southern people, to a very great ex-
tent, and the matter which was sup
posed to be settled as far back as
1916, must now come up for final adj
justment.
In the infancy of our government,
the policy Of extending protection to
home manufactures was doubted by
some Of our wisest statesmen, and in
reading up the views given to both
sides Of the question during a series
of years of discussion, we can but adj
NIT that, although it fostercd a branch
of industry carried to considerable
extent in one part of the Union only,
our fathers did a wise and polite
thing in throwing around their infant
lie factories the strong and protect
ing arm Of the government. But like
all questions, all acts Of good political
imports; acts that conservatvely
passed and executed would tend to
work good to the community of States;
the tariff has been twisted and push
cd beyond all bounds of reason, and
has become the cloak of the monopo-
list. To now seriously argue the
right further to continue in force laws
known as "high protective tariffs,'
would, we think, place the stateman
who favored it in u rather awkward
delcma.
Our country has grown in size, po-
pu|ation and power; able in a'physi
cal and moral sense to cope with the
most powerful OF human governments,
and all our industries have kept pace
with growth Of the country, would it
then be wise to continue to protect
an industry established Upon firm
basis to the detriment of other branch
es of revenue to our people. Trade
is regulated by the fixed laws of sup
ply and demand, and the wants Of
communities will search for their sup
plies in the cheapest and best mar.
kets. IL it justice to the American
people that this government, by high
tariffs, should force its citizens to pur-
chase their iron, salt, coal, hardware
and clothing from home manufactures
at higher rates than they can be had
for abroad I For lear in mind that
as we advance rates of tariff tue willy
manufacturer advances the prices of
his goods. Upon It's face, to the con-
sumner, it hears evidence of great in.
justice, for if our industries here at
home, with all the raw material near
at hand cannot compete with foreign
manufactures, We had better close
our shops and invest the capital thus
locked up in some other and more
profitable business.
Politicians take advantage of the
ignorance of the masses and from the
hustiugs treat the question in sense
Of an appeal to interest; to the in
terest of the labor employed, and
studiously avoid to touch the subject
in a point of view of political econo-
my. How often have we heard of
the wages that hands in our mines
and factories received in advance of
that obtained in Europe; but We
have as yet failed to hear the states
man follow up the simile, that in this
advance Of wages paid, they are com.
PEELED t. pay a proportiouate ad-
vance for the neoesssries of life, that
their rent, food and clothing, advance
with even pace with their wages. II.
Illustrating which We will say that a
laborer receives when the tariff is
simply to afford a revenue, not to
protect industries, one dollar and fifty
cents per day, he pays one dollar per
day tolive, now let this be a ''high
tariff" he receives two dollars and
fifty cents per day wages and pays
two dollars, 80 it will be seen that
all the la5orer gets is the simple salts
faction of receiving higher wages and
the pleasure Of splendid more money,
if there be any pleasure or satisfac-
ton in it, without the privilege of
laying up AGENT more for q "rainy
day" But he is doing more than
this, be IS fostering and building up
mouopolies, the power Of which is