The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-09-14
Low TARIFF AND HIGH.


for his surplus abroad.
Low TARIFF AND HIGH.
In a speech made by the President of
the recent Republican convention in
this district, it was said that free trade
would reduce the price of the farmers
products. In addition to the answers to
this absurd statement which l have al
ready suggested, 1 desire to call atten-
tiOn to the price of the farmers pro-
ducts in what may be called the low
tariff era of American liberty. A low
tariff was enacted in 1916, and the rates
we're still further reduced in 1857, so
that from that time until the breaking
out of the war we had tariff for reVe-
nue. only, with a close approach to free
trade. According to the theory of pro-
tectiOnists the farmers prices should
have been low in that period and high
when the present tariff was enacted. l
have made comparison of the prices
of the principal agricultural products
for the four years preceding 1899, under
a low tariff, with the price of the same
products for the four years preceding
1879, under high tariff, and with this
result The average price of wool be-
fore 1859 was thirty-ive cents per pound,
and before 1879, thirty four cents. This,
too, my friends, after an average duty
of Al per cent. had been placed in 1861
on foreign WOOls. The average price of
, wheat before 1859 was $1.52 per bushel,
and before 1879 $1.25 per bushel; of corn
before 1859, 81 cents per bushel, and be-
fore 1879, 80 cents; of oats before 1859,
Al cents per bushel, and before 1879, 81
cents; of butter before 1859, 2015 cents
per pound, and before 1879, 18 cents; of
lard before 1859, IL cents per pound, and
before 1879, cents. In every instance
the farmer received better prices when
the tariff was low than when it was
high. fOTbear to make any comments
on these facts. l only ask the pTOtec-
zionist to explain why the farmers
price has grown smaller under the poll
cy of protective tariff.
COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURE-AMERICAN
INDUSTRIES.
In excuse for the injury which it is
often admitted that a protective tariff
inflicts upon commerce and agriculture,
it is said that manufacture is encOur-
aged, and that a development is there
fore made of American industries. 1t
is difficult to see why commerce and ag-
riculture are not also American indus
tries, and why they should be injured
| for the benefit of other classes of busi-
| ness. Even if protection did benefit
manufacturing, it can never justify in
! Turing those of other callings, and any
| benefit which is done the one by harm
| to the other is ineXcuSable robbery.
But, my friends, prefer to show that
manufacturing generally which is sup
posed to be most benefited by a protec-
| tive tariff is really injured by it. 1 ad-
nit that, in many instances, large for
tunes have been made out of the tariff,
particularly in Pennsylvania and some
of the New England States. But this
was years ago. l believe that to-day
the very system is doing them more
harm than good.
PROTECTION AN INJURY.
1t must be remembered that there are
two classes of manufacturing to be
chrOnicled in this discussion. First
those who are engaged in the making of
articles which are protected by the pat
ent laws, and secondly, those who man.
ufacture with the protection of the tar
| iff alone. The first class has mOnop-
oily in the manufacture of the articles
they make. Through the ingenuity of
| are made, for which they obtain pat
ent from the United States, and OF
which they obtain the exclusive right OF
manufacturing, for seventeen years. In
| most instances they can charge what
they please for their goods. The price
is not determined by the ordinary laws
of competition, because they, in many
| instances, can nave no competition. Inc
prices are fixed to great extent by the
manufacturers. 1t may be that some
| foreigner will manufacture the patented
article abroad and bring 1t to this
country, in which case it may enter into
competition with the article here, and
have more influence in determining
prices. But this can be avoided by the
patentee having at the same time taken
out patent in England or other coun-
try, which, in important patents, is usu-
ally done, so as to give the American
manufacturer q real monopoly of the
market. In all such cases the only
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