Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-17
A SEN s1BLE NAN, WHO KNOWS.

Mr.. Hewitt is entirely correct when
he says that tho influence of this tariff.
Tor good or evil. is generally greatly
exaggerated; that wages are not regule.
ted by protection or Tree trade, and that
prosperity is independent OF the tariff.
While Is Is true that wiges are higher
in the United States than ia England: Il
is equally true that they are higher Ia
EngIa than In continental countries
that maintain high tariffs. While Il Ia
true that people emigrate In large uum.
bers from England and Ireland to the
United States. 1t is also true that they
emigrate hither in still larger bsrs
from Germany. While 1T Is true that
we are now enjoying period OF unsx-
ampled commercial prosperity under
high tariff. it is also true that from 1875
to 1879 we experienced period Of de-
preston no less severe, and OF much
longer duration than any period OF de-
preston that had preceded it. To
every one who Is Wiling to look At the
facts, these thlngs show that the pros
perity Of the country depends on other
things than the highness or the lowaess
OF customs duties.
What, then, is 1t that the tariff does
In what way does It affect the busine
o' the countrv?,, It IS a tax; low and
judlcious tariff is rs unobiuctionabls q
Tax Us any that can be COLLECTED. The
present tariff is objected 10 because Il Is
an unreasonably high tax and an unjust.
ly burd:nsome tax. The. tariff doesn't
strike at the foundations Of co,umsrcial
prosperity, ike an uns0und circulating
M 'dnini, but it is a burden on cOmsiier.
rl,l prosperity, like any other tax. That
commerce ut times Progresses rapidly
In spite OF the burden does not prove char
the burden does no exist. No iree.trader
propo-cs to abolish the tariff, any more
than he proposes to abolish all taxation.
So lar "s, ihe tariff yields q revenue to
the government, no free.trader objects
to 1t; 8" tar as it yields large one to
individual IN ,nut ,ctures. the Fl &c trader
does o.jec, to it as unjust quite as 1t
would be il the city council levied "A tax
on the people of Chicago, and paid the
proceeds oi it TO half dozen largo man.
concerns in this city. All
steel rails used in the United States cost
S2S ton more Than they would were il
II t Tor the duty. But the duty only on
the imported rails goes to the govern
ment. In the last fiscal year there were
imported POI $40 net tons of steel rails.
On which the government collected A
iuty OF So. .439 250. But the same 1923
gross ton was added to the price Of
Zach OF the million tons, more or less.
nste IN the United States, and the peo.
Die OF the United States paid 1t, some
s2S, 10000 IN all. in round numbers. to
he manufacturers. The iree-trader OBJ
ects to system OF taxation whereby
$50 600. 900 Is taken from the people OF
he country In order to get 81 600 900 in.
o the national treasury. How profit
lie it is to the bsnefciaries to b we the
'ation taxed Tor their benefit IS shown
" Mr.. Hewitt, himself steel rail man.
iaoturer, when he says he knows u
Fl raj mill that with capital at
2 ,OO0, ,OOO,clearod a profit of S.. 900, 900
Il o"e year. Having induced congress
) exclude foreign competition the rail-
iakers prevent home competition cby
laking pool, or limiting prices aud
reduction by agreement. Now, why
hould The nation be taxed To enable the
lakers OF steel rails 10 make cent. per
en.p