, 1876-02-16

Tho trOtectlOnl6t8 RrQ laD0rlnR earnestly TO
manufacture public sentiment agaiust the
N1oRn1soN Thrift bill and against any Tariff
bill which proposes TO reduce ''protective"
taxation. They nrguo that tho object Of the
bill is to increase the revenue from customs
by reducing the rates Of duty on imports
TINT tho duty on foreign imports being re-
dncel, tho country will 10 flooded with for
oign-mndo goods, mad our manufacturers will
bo driven out Of business. This statement
as to tho purpose Of the bill aud rs to its
effect is utterly fallaeious. A tax by tariG is
Of twofoll character It is tax upon tho
nrtic1o imported and to largo extent
tax on tho same kind of article
produced at home. Tho tax On tho material
Of imported overcoats We will assume to be
S1li on each cont III tho absence OF such
Tux, the foreign-nlatlo coat could bo sold at
$35 and tue Lome-malo cont at tho sama
price. In consequence Of the tnx, tho foreign
made coat cannot bo sold for less than $50,
mud tho .prico of tho homemade cont is NIL
vanced to the sa,ne figure, because the tailor
has to pay $l5 extra for his cloth. Now,
if tcn Of fifty persons purchase imported
and forty purchase lon,c-mado coats, the
Government will receive aa tax :1h0, but tho
tax pail by tho fifty purchasers is $3.50.
Here is IN illustration Of tax laid
for protection; 20 per cent is for row.
cnue and SO per cent IL for bounty.
THO American manufacturer frankly states
That whether lie purchases American or im-
ported cloth, buttons, or sowing-silk, Or other
materials. he is compelled to pay tux Of $40
| or S12; that, owing to )ilo taxcs On the cost
Of living, he cannot producu tho coatA IN
competition with tho foreign manufacturer,
who is entirely exempt from all sucl. taxation
Oh lis materials, and upon nearly MI tho arti-
clcss entering into the cost Of living; Tint,
IT lie wcro in like manner exempt from such
ta1, aud was, like tho foreign manufacturer,
free to buy aa lis materials FREQ Of duty, la
could sell his coats as cheap II not cheaper
than the European. That iB precisely tho
present condition in which tho American
manufacturers Of every description AFRO now
placed by tho high tariff. Tho tariff SO taxes
ill tho materials tAoy use, anl 60 increases
tho cost Of living Of I'LL their labor, TINT they
cannot produce their goods mud sell then, iu
competition with tho foreign makers.
The purpose Ut tho Thrill bi}l now before
Congress is twofold 1t proposes 10 abolish
taxation which produces ITO revenue. IL
proposes to repeal or 10 reduce taxation Oh
all tho raw materials entering into manufac-
tureH ns to plnce American manufacturers on
au equality with the uutaxod manufacturers
Of other countries. Tho British 1nauufAc,
ture1s Of cotton aud wooleu goods, Of iror
and steel wares, get al their raw cotton
woo1s, aud pig free of any kind Of tax. Tit
American manufacturers pay tax Of IL pei
cent on such woods rs tloy must mix will
tho wool Of this country, aud o tax Of Is poi
cent on oil tho various chemicals, dyes, ani
other materials, aud 10 per cent on all thei'
machinery; tho cotton manufacturers nro il
liko manner heavily taxed iu tho same way
tic manufacturers Of iron anu atee]
goods arc taxed mn average Of 10 per ccnt or
their raw material. These taxes produce but
small revenue us compared with tho whole
tux collected by the consumers, and this bill!
proposes to repeal these unproductiyo taxes
and to so reduce the cost OF raw materials
that our American manufacturers may ba ab!t
to produce their goods aud sell them, not onl,
In this but in all countries, in competition
with the foreigu.mado goods. Tint IL ons
object of tue bill.
The other purpose Of Tho bill il to provide