The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-02-17
TIE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
Wat II Costs the American Farmer,
Beiny the First Part Of Grabam Ne adams Grca,
Tract ON That Subject.
OUTLINE.

Bciny the first Part Of trabam Ne Adams Great
Tract on That Subject.
OUTLINE.
The protectionist starts with q
gross assumption, which he does
not attic mpt to prove, namely: that
the tremendous natural advantages
OF tho United States are not enough
to sustain manufactures.
He says 1t is necessary to ward
of foreign competition.
In other words, It Is necessary, he
declares, 10 grant the American man
ufacturer the privilege Of extorting
an advance over the market price Of
his goods.
This, therefore, IL the Protective
System, on the showing Of its own
ocates:-American manufact-
ures are not really remunerative !;
they are losing enterprises. But the
Tariff enables the manufacturers to
extort from the American consumer
bonus over the natural price Of the
goods, and so cover his losses and
make a profit.
The direct purpose Of these pages
Is to show
|. That the Protective System u
paid for chiefly by the Farmer.
2. That the Farmer gets nothing
for his money.
Incidentally, they arc intended to
bling out these truths:-
l. That SO far from bcnefltting him.
the Protective System cuts down
the Farmers export trade.
Y. That the millions paid annually by
the Farmer for Protection arc either
wasted in Improbable manufacture
ing efforts. or swept into the Golfers
Of overpaid monopolies.
In the effort for brevity, the author
trusts he has not sacrificed clenrness.
1.-AGRICULTURE PAYS FOR 1T.
The Protective System Is paid
for chiefly by the Farmer.
In taking this simple proposition
Tor starting point. see no reason
Tor obscuring my belief that the far
mcrs are not the greatest losers. The
subscribers toa badly administered
pauper system are not those most to
be commiscrated. They are cheated;
their generosity is played upon; their
money is worse than thrown away
but the real victims are the pau
pers. So in the pauperizing indus
trial system called Protection" the
greatest sufferers arc not the farm.
ers, who pay the heaviest cash con.
trihutions. but the workingmcn EN-.
ployed In the protected industries
to-day paid high, tomorrow paid
not ut nll, always cheated OF theil
due by the high prices OF the neccs
saries and comforts OF life--and
after them, Il great mass Of the man
lfacturers themselves, vainly striv
ing to build up Il steady business OF
the shifting basis OF ConSfessiona
enactments, while tho natural oppor
tunities for American energy. shrcwd
ness and ingenuity are covered VI
or suppressed by tariff burdens.
MoSoPoLIEs AND VICTIMS.
No one, indeed, profits by the pro
tective system, excepting certain
monopolists; as the copper miners
who, with the richest mines in tin
world, force the American citizen
to pay more for American cope
than they charge an Englishman 10
, the same article: or the manufactu
rers OF drugs and chemicals, VIII
levy tribute from the sick and poo
to swell their millions; or the steel
rail men, who extort n bounty from
| the freight payers, in compensation
) for the hardship OF not making rails
or the pretended builders OF iro
ships, who claim continual subsidie
: to maintain a state OF things whic
e has destroyed American shipping
9 and given the American carryin
9 trade to England and Germany. n
0 one profits by the protective system
: excepting such as these. The Va.
i army OF producers and consumer
Q IRE victimized alike. The farmers {
), the West and the planters OF tn
: South are plundered in commo
! with the whole people. But there
b this decided difference: the manufa,
turers lose by their own folly; I'll
: farmers lose by paying for the foil
1 OF their neighbors. The m;.nufactl
! rers have the dancing to thcmsclvc.
but the piper's hat goes all the VA
!, around.