The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-15
The Tariff and Farmers.

That protective duties are great
burden to all those who are called
upon to pay she prices resulting from
them, is proved in no way more con.
cIusively than the reluctance of pro
tectiouists themselves to pay these
prices. Your protectionist thinks
that it is very good thing for the
farmers, and for til people generally,
to have to pay protective prices, dut
lie nerer likes TO pay them himself. BE
has no scruple IN evadlng the pay
ment OF them, ii he can DO go by any
possibility. He denies by his own
actions. which speak louder than
words, what be ie constantly Affirming
In words. namely, that protection is a
good thing. For example. there lie
in Hampshire County Massachusetts,
button fectory, whose founders and
promoters have always been loud
pEotectionists, proclaiming that they
could not carry on their industry nor
build up thier village, unless the peo-
pie were compelled by law to pay
protective prices. Well; then they
ehould be willing to pay protective
prices themselves for the general
good. But alasl they have not been
williingl Their practical opinion OF
such prices has been precisely the
came as the detested free traders.
Their raw material is foreign cloth OF
a high quality. 1t is subject to
protective duty under the Wool and
Woolens tariff of 1867. Instead OF
paying that duty, and thus proving
themselves sincere in their boasted
proteotionism. they evade it. Thev
have always evsded it. The Cloth is
punched, or slit, or cut. in such a
way. as not to harm it q penny Tor
covering for buttons, bat SO as to en-.
able them to preteud at toe cutaom
house that it is damaged cloth, and SO
may come in without paying the
regular duty! They have hsd many
a controversy with the Government
over this point, but somehow or other
they haye gotten the better of the
government, and continue to avcio
the blessed duty. Here ia testimony
to the benefits Of free trade that is
worth having. Not out of their
mouths, but out of their hearts and
their actions, do We Judge them. 1t
seems, that toe sauce for the agricul-
t1ral goose is not good for the pro.
tectionist gander. This ia not an
isolated instance. and these CALI
leans. Gre not sinners ABOVE all the
gsllileans because they have done tuch
things. The wcollen manufacturers
previous 10 1867 kept persuadlng the
wool.growers not 10 ask for any pro-
tective duty Oh foreign wools. The
former did not wish them 60 pay sr.
ti6cial prices to the latter. But these
got their backs up at last, and de-
msuded protection for themselves,
and threatened the manufacturers,
that, il it were not accorded, they
would move the abolition of the pro-
tective duty on cloth. It was accord
ingly reluctantly accorded in 1867,
and both classes have been in the
slough together for the most part
ever since. A word to the wise is
II the farmers see what
their true interests are in these
premises, let them act accordingly.
A few rustic words in the ears of can
djdstes for Congress in their respec.
tive districts would do the business
efsctusily. and once done it would
stay done. Whether the farmers see
i or not, 1t means fact-ihat they
ate the ass that bears most of the
burden, and eats least OF the hay of
protection. "-Prof. arthur L. Perry.