The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-09-12
PROTECTIVE TARIFF AGAINST
REVENUE TARIFF.

Editor Democrat
The statement that the repeal Of the
present protective tariff laws and the in
PRODUCTION of free trade into this country
would prove disastrous to the laboring
man by closing the business of his en-
ployer and thus throwing him out Of work
has already been frequently made during
this campaign, and by men, too, who
ought to know better. l am surprised
that these men, whose opinions in other
political matters are sound, in the face of
the history of this and other nations, of
figures, of sound political economists,a and
even of the objeCting voices Of men whose
interests are claimed to be protected by
tariff laws, should assent and attempt to
prove such fallaCies and misstatements as
these. They certainly know that they
are merely taking surface view of the
matter that such opinions are those held
by ordinary thinkers who have not the
ability ofpenetrating deeper that III they
honestly go. to the bottom they will find
that the very opposite is the truth.
The common statement of their case is
this; In order to allow our producers to
compete with foreigners we will compel
al exporters to this country to pay tax
on their goods sufficient to raise their
selling price to that ofour home commo-
dities if we do not do this it will oblige
all our manufacturers to stop business,
thereby taking away the support of thou
sands of laborers.
On first thought this seems plausible
enough, but how does II stand the test of
full inquiry eIh the first place, what
is the inevitable result of system ofpro.
protective tariff Simply this: It closes
all foreign markets to the reception of
our products, and thus our producers are
limited to supplying only the home de.
mand This argument is the corner.
stone of the free trade structure, and it
has resisted and will resist all the assaults
of the tariff delusion. What is the com.
monty accepted cause of our present stag
nation of business? Overproduction
and until we have an unembarrassed en-
try into foreign markets will this Condi-
ton of business continue. We have ia.
cilities of manufacture unequalled by no
foreign nation; but Notwithstanding all
the ability for production which these
advantages give us, we are almost as ef-
fectually shut out from exchanging with
foreign countries as if these countries
had no existence and we are compelled
to limit our production to home demand.
We have been told repeatedly by men of
authority in foreign nations that we must
discontinue our policy of taxing their ex'
ports to this country if we want free ac'
cess to their markets. Our own Consuls
and commissioners also report every day
that American goodsare in demand above
all others that if we would offer free ex-
change to the foreign nations our sales
in those lands would be very great; that
it is useless to attempt to find foreign
markets for our products as long as we
enforce our duties on the exporters of
these countries. Let me refer as an in
stance to the reports of our consul at
Sonneberg, Germany, as to American
trade abroad. The consular district of
Sonneberg combines the ,Thuringian
States, and has population of over a
million. The principal industries are the
making of china goods and toys. This
report was published in the papers about
October 1st last. He says:
A feeling OF hostility to the introduction of
American manufactures prevails throughout the
district on account of our high tariff, which shuts
out German goods from the American market,and
this feeling is becoming intensified by the prostra
ton of German industry and manufactures, not
withstanding the fact is universally admitted
throughout the district Of the superiority of Amer.
lean manufactures TO all others In the German
market With some necessary modification of the
tariff and with proper attention to the require
ments Of commerce the Consul feels assured, des.
pite all opposition and prejudice, that large and
profitable trade In American goods can be built
up in Central Germany.
About October 25th, last, further re-
port was made of which the following is
the abstract as published:
The consul, in order to meet the requirements
Of the trade circular from the department Of State
entered into communication with leading mer-
chants manufactures and exporters of his district
upon the subject under consideration. He has
forwarded with his dispatch copies Of the answers
that of the requisite conditions for the enlarge
ment of trade between the port OF Germany and
the United States is q modification Of our tariff,
for they assert that 1t cannot be expected that
German manufactures and merchants can take
their interest in the extension OF American trade
in Germany while German manufacturers are
shut out from the American market by prohibi-
tory tariff. The feeling throughout sonneberg Is
one of hostility to extension of American trade
until reciprocity OF trade by a reduction Of our
tariff is permissible.
But all this advice of unquestionable |
soundness is unheeded and we continue
to restrain our industries. 1t is not free
trade that will suspend our manufaCtur.
ing establishments and deprive laboring
men of employment, but it is protective
tariff that by keeping them down below
their full power limits the number of la
borers to half of what would otherwise
be employed.
Now, as to the operation of free trade
as regards the home market. Will it be
monopolized by foreigners so that Amer.
ican producers will be driven out? I
answer that imported goods will, to a
small extent take the place of domestic.
But suppose they do thus partly ? Look
at the balance on the side of our manu-
facturer. He has been supplying forty
million people, now he supplies oyer q
billion. He finds market for his pro.
ducts where before they were shut out.
His sales double, and he must employ
double number of workmen. He produ.
ces cheaper because he can now procure
his raw material cheaper. He finds also
that the home market demands nearly
as much of his commodities as before,
because his American goods are prefer
red to foreign, being of better quality and
construction, and better adopted to home
use because he can afford to sell as low
as his foreign competitors, since he can
produce cheaper and can afford to take
less profit, the deficiency in profit on each
article being more than made I'D by the