Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-04-17
BUYS ANn SELLS ExcHANeE
GERmANY.s IsunnENs.
Bismarck's HaPless Experimental
PrOtectiom-A Tax on the Poor
which has not BENEFITED
ahe Rich nor the state.

RiSmarcEx's HaPless Experimental
PrOtectiOn-A Tax on the Poor
which has not BENEFITED
the Rich NOR the state.
Correspondence of the N. i. Evening Post.
BERLIN, Feb. 27, ISS0.-Thost
persons who followed the parlia.
mentary proceedings of the sessions
of the last Reichstag will remember
the reasons that led the German
parliament in July to pass the pro-
teetive tariff, which removed Ger
many from the list of states with
strong free-trading usages. Only five
per centum of the imported articles
were then subject to customs duties.
The iron industry was suffering
severely under the general business
stagnation, and its managers hoped
| for Improvement by reducing for
eign competition. Those persons
| interested in this business. had some
reason to complain. In 1877, when
the crisis was already at its height,
all duties on imported iron were
removed. Now from the time of
Adam Smith up to the present time,
few free-traders have denied that
harm can be done by ceasing sud-
denly during an era of depression
and regardless of all existing cir
cumstances to grant any protection
whatever. The inconsiderateness of
the measure in question was paid
for dearly by the supporters of the
liberal cause. The deplorable state
of the iron industry was, as a mat
ter of course, from that time for
ward connected directly with the
new policy of the government. The
proprietorS of iron works took the
lead in an agitation the motto of
which was, @ProtectiOn of home
labor; Germany for the Gernlans5'
The cotton spinners in their distress,
concluding that a change might
help them and could not iniure
them, Joined the iron men, and
formed with them unions for the
purpose of common agitation. Sid
Not long before this the leader of
the party of large landowners, the
so-called Agrarian party, Herr Won
Kardorff, became acquainted with
the writings of Henry G. Carey and
was thenceforth unable to find sal
walton for the land otherwise than
in the protective system. An agita-
tion was begun among the farmers
for agrarian duties; poor harvests
and increased competition on the
part of America helped along the
work. All this, however, would
have scarcely succeeded in changing
Germany's liberal policy had not
Bismarck become a convert to the
theory of the protectionists. He has
himself told US the story of his con-
version. He had formerly left the
commercial policy of the empire to
the care of the president of the i'm
perial chancellery, Herr Delbruck.
After the latter, in 1879, had retired,
Bismarck thought it necessary to
form an opinion of his own on econ
omic matters and went into the
camp of the protectionists. 1t must
be remembered, though, that he
was surrounded by strong protec-
zionist influence and was using for
his observation time of crisis and
an exceptional time. He accord
ingly laid before the Reichstag a
protective tariff, and, by the EN-
plOyment of means at his disposal
and which he knows so we'll how to
use, induced that body to-adopt his
measures. This new tariff was to
bless the whole land and to harm
no one, as all alike were to receive
the blessing of protection. The man
ufacturer was to receive larger
profits, labOrers were to be paid
higher wages, home industry was to
be substituted for the products of
foreign labor, and at the same time
a large revenue was to be obtained
by the government, and the same TO
be used in tightening taxation. An
elaborate plan was arranged for di-
yiding certain surplus of the in
come derived from the custom
houses among the several states.
Further, the Indirect taxation was
TO be borne chiefly by foreigners,
who would be forced to sell cheaper
to retain possession of the German
market. f.asss t...
We will not enter into a consider
alton Of the various contradictions
involved in the above arguments,
but will consider briefly the fruits
which German protecti0nism has so
far produced. AS the laboring pop
tllC lklOOl ~
serves our first attention. Has the
lot of the laboring man improved?
We must answer decidedly, No.
His wages are not higher than they
were a year ago, nor has more en-
ployment been provided for him.
This is a fact so patent as to be
denied by no one. But the laboFing
classes also have to pay higher
prices for the means of subsistence
than before. The pretty theory of
shifting taxes on foreigners has not
worked we'll, The new tariff had
scarcely been ia foFc6 a day when |
prices took a sudden spring upward.
/ will give a computation made by
the Hande.lsblatt, of Bremen, of the |
tax imposed on the laborer by pro-
tectionism. .,..t ..l...
The foundation of the calculation
is the smallest amount upon which
a laboring family can live, accord
ing to official statistics taken in
HanoVeg. The family is sAppQaed |
to consist of q man, wife and two |
children, who have rented one
third of an acre of land; this they |
have planted with potatoes; they |
have a goat, q pig and few hens.
No account is made therefore of
eggs, pork, milk and potatoes. The |
80. d. ,.,,-