Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-19
For the Sunday Appeal
Free Trade-The Liberty of Labor In its
Grandest Proportions.

THIRD PAPER.
In the second paper | endeavored to show
that encouraging one trade discouraged an
other; also, that In course Of time the agri-
culturlsts, who at first bore the burden of du-
ties, increased the price of their products to
countervail the tariff. The theory of the
protectionists was to impose a duty on every
manufactured article, and admit free raw
material. In 1919 they clamored for high
tariffs, and insisted that imports should be
virtually prohibitive. They utterly scorned
the idea of revenue to be obtained By mode
rate tariffs. In fact, some of the best argu-
ments against a government deriving any
revenue on lmposts were advanced by the
protectionists. The raw material being adj
mitted free would necessarily induce, so they
thought, the building of manufactures to
convert the raw material. The great diff
Guilty was to determine what was raw mate
rial. In the tariff debates of 1889 some of
the States wanted high duty or molasses;
others opposed this as the raw material of
rum. The Pennsy lvanians advocated tariffs
on pig-iron. This was objected to as
the raw material of the rolling mills
The south wished a duty on hemp.
This the middle States opposed because
hemp was the raw material of cordage, and
they wanted instead a tariff on cordage.
Name objected 10 this because cordage was
the raw material of shipping. This part
Of New England wished, however, a dis
elimination In their favor In the form of
heavy tax upon foreign vessels touching at
our ports. The Inland States disliked this
because 1t Increased the cost of transporta-
ton. la this grand tquabble and conflict of
interests much that was raw material was
taxed. This, indeed, ought to encourage
manufactures. Here Was great wisdom dis
played. Of course the protectonists still
kept up the hue and cry, and continued quot
ing their golden maxim from Hamilton:
will lnrTH h e
manufactures to the minimum of reason
ableipro6t onIthe capital employed" In 1926
thes lead mines of Iowa and Illinois were
discovered, and the proprietors managed to
lobby law through congress imposing a
duty OF three cents per pound. The white
lead paint companies opposed this, as it was
the raw material of their products. They
tected, consequently they could not
compete with the paints of the En-
gllsh companies. This unlooked-for
interference threatened them with
a total cessation of work. Thus were the
white lead manufacturers encouraged. This
shows clearly that law In attempting to aid
one species of trade, discourages and is even
injurious to others. When a man is assisted
in every action, he can never do anything by
himself; so it is with manufacturing compa-
MES. That congress, in discriminating be-
tween manufactured and raw materials, has
failed utterly IN its purpose Is proved by ex-
animation of the statutes. Thus wire is tar
flied, and is the raw material of pins and
needles. Thread bears a thirty per cent.
duty, and is the raw material of lace and
cloth. Scrap iron Is taxed, being the raw
material of plate manufactures Vinegar,
the raw material of pickle iatories. Sugar,
the raw material of candy makers. Fruits,
the raw material of preserve works. Bris-
ties, the raw material of brush makers.
Coal, the raw material of gas works.
Leather, the raw material of oot-makers,
etc, etc. Tax the importation of foods
heavily, said the protectionists, land it will
make home produce cheap" The result is
that foods are higher here than in France,
with the same population, and an area seven
teen times less than the United States. In
the end, tariff is but modified form of
that old idea of despohsm, that the people
are the servants of their rulers. The spirit
that dictates where a people sha1A barter Is
substantially the same that In the suite cate
chism of Russia formulates: 1T is by the
will of God that men live in society, which,
for its more complete security, is divided into
nations, the government of which Is in
trusted by divine authority to a prince,
king or emperor or In other
nobility and kings imposed upon the agricul-
turists and producers. Now the rich and
vested companies, the railroad kings, and
Legislators having local and personal interests
to subserve, think 1t their night TO obtain all
that is possible from the people. They are
able to control the laws and impose unequal
taxes, so they with their millions in bonds de
not aid the government with a cent, while
the poor farmer with his visible acres paws
for all. Each manufacturing COMPANY of
stony New England puts its hands into the
farmers pockets and takes thence, unnoticed.
an amount almost equal to the duties imposed
by the Legislators the manufacturers system-
ahcally lobbied and bribed. AGES passed
away before the masses were educated suf-
hclently 70 demand a representative govern
ment. This was but one step IN advance of
Naturally the idea of omnipo-
tency attributed to kings now partially enyel-
ops legislative body. Nearly IS much rev.
erence Is shown for a parliamentary acI as
for the ukaSe of car. 1t may require wears
for people to emancipate themselves from
that idea of perfection of legislation Every
decree beginning with Gan act to amend an
&C" but proves the fallibility Of legislatures.
This being once recognized, it will lessen the
reverence for them, and force the people to
lind what their rights may be without reouir-
ing legislature TO tell them. Then will he
learned the unwlsdom in trying to improve a
natural law. Then will be seen the folly of
forcing the growth of nation. Lastly, it
will be then recognized that in a federation.
when part of personal or State rights are
delegated to central authority for better Sc
curlty, 1t Is only upon trust and can be with
drawn at Will. VERY MERIwETHER.
IRE most stylish ladies' shoes maaufac-
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