Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-12-31

nall, or rather loGs thAn One.nalf the
price Of American taxed steel rails.
The reduction is understood to be
mainly owing to the introduction by
the English manufacturers of a new
aud less expensive process in the pro.
duction of Bessemer steel. But, the
American Bessemer steel league have
purchased aud hold i'll this country
tho exclusive right TO employ the
same process. Seeing that taxing a
commodity has the surprising effect
of reducing the price and increasing
the production, it seems, then, unac-
countable that American taxed steel
rails should be held at 500 ton while
English untaxed steel rails are sold al
one-half that price (the American
price being the English price, plus
the American tax of 100 per cent. OIL
steel rails). But SO it is; and being
so it allows one of the ten thousand
ways in " hich England is "uslug her
powerful influence to prevent Amer
lea from entering new markets i'll
competition with her," and so also to
prevent Mr.. Roach's ships from do
ing profitable transportation busi-
nessl
Another way in which England Is
using her powerful influence to pre-
vent . revival Of American foreign
commerce is shown in her preference
to'exchauge commodities with those
countries that are willing to trade on
au equal footing. She wants, says
Mr.. Roach. "to exchange her manu-
features for American cotton, corn,
OIL" But this is what Mr.. Roach aud
the "more-tariff" people wish to pre-
vent. What Mr.. Roach wants is an
abundance of profitable freight for
his chips but he has no idea hat the
transportation business he lengs for
would be furnished by q free exchange
Of commodities with other nations.
No; the way to revive American
commerce is to ship American taxed
commodities to foreign markets, but
not to receive the commodities OF
those markets in exchange for them.
That would give Mr.. Roach's ships
plenty of freight for the return voy-
age, aud that would never do; it
would be contrary to the theories OF
the "more-tariff" ecsnomists. No
the primal cause Of q nations wealth
is tho obstruction Of free exchange
by taxation on every exchangeable
commodity. The conditions are that
there shall be ample facilities for the
transportation of the taxed commo.
dities to other countries, but that re.
turn cargoes shall be prevented by
the tax.
Hsw, then. shall the commerce be
made to thrive2 To Mr.. Roach the
answer is not difficult. 1t is the more
tariff philosophers "open sesame" il
all emergencies. 1t is to be done BY
more taxation. Taxation on every
possible thing that enters into the
construction of railroads has giver
the country railroads, says Roach
Taxation Oh every Imaginable com
modify has furnished an ample sup
ply Of things to be transported, say
Roach. So, taxation oil every posi-
BILE thing required in ship building
will give the requisite incentive t,
build ships, and taxation on ever,
exchangeable commodity to exclude tn
commodities Of other nations should
upon that theory, give them pient.
OF frelghts to carry to other nations
But, as the theory seems to fail st thi
point. there appears to Mr.. Roach III
imperative necessity for more taxa
tion, iu order to compensate the ship
which the bensficent emnipotence Q
taxation will produce, for the lack o
cargees. Subsidies-this, Mr.. Roac
perceives, is the reviving panacea fo
our lost cnmmerce. More tariff an
plenty of subsidies-if these snoul
fail to make America the weather.
and wisest of nations, 1t would no
prove that the protectionist philoeo
piers are less wise or more irratioi
al than Guiteau, to whose recent uu
delivered argument to the court tn
argument of Mr.. Roach bears, III
number of particulars. remark abl
resemblance.