The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-09-26
QUESTIONS ANSWERS.
THE A, 8, G OF THE TARIFF QUESTION.
The Shorter CAteehl,m Of Republican and D.n-
oeralle Principles on this +.
t..5I Grtal luue. .,,g1
[nY q. ". ATKINSON, ESQ ]

Question. What is meant by the wort
tariff? BE, .T.y' l y Il
Answer. 1t is duty, or tax, levied upor
articles of.mercllnndise shipped from on,
country TO another. For example: l an
n merchant or manufacturer In England
and ship cargo OF my merchandise Il
the United States, I am required TO pay tc
the United States Government tax fixed
and regulated by law upon each article, DO
fore It can be taken from the government
warehouse, ut each port OF entry, where |,
is kept under control oil officers appointed
for tho purpose. Eg a7..
Q. Is protection principle, or Is It II
mere expedient?
A. 1t is a principle, and lis friends have
no apologies to offer Tor It. There is moth.
Ing complicated about it. II is simply the
duty Of nation to encourage its own in.
dustries in preference to those OF other na.
tionaliiies. protcctionists believe and main.
tain that il is for the best interests OF u m.
ton to develop ilsresources, and to encour.
age lis citizens TO engage in diversified
pursuits rather than connne themselves to
one particular line OF industry, and there.
fore be necessarily one.idead and stupid.
This is the theory OF Protection. 1t is not
the instrument by which monopolies are
built up. On the contrary, It is their enc.
my, because it brings about competition in
productive industry, and monopolies can.
not flourish where there is competition.
Nor is it IN instrument by which one SC
ton or class is arrayed against another, for
all alike can, il they are enterprising
enough, establish manufactures and thus
afford employment 10 all classes for the
welfare OF all. The object OF protection Is
to impose tax upon foreign imports, thus
preventingou our own people from bcingtaxed
that one industry might be built up at the
expense Of another. II it is friend to
commerce, because it facilitates it. 1t is
the friend OF labor, because it guarantees it
reasonable pay for its sweat and toll. It is
the Nation'shope, because it makes her in.
dependent OF all other governments Of the
earth.
@. What then, in short, is protection?
A. When the duty, or tax, levied upon
foreign products are so high that u foreign
manufacturer cannotsell his wares in this
country-afler paying the duty-at price
low enough to compete with American
manufacturers, such tariff duty is called
protective tariff, because it protects the
American manufacturer against all foreign
connection.
Q. What is "TariG for Revenue
Only ?"
A. 1t isa duty levied upon foreign i'm.
ports for the purpose OF raising revenue to
pay the expenses ofthe government. This
expression-a tariff for revenue only-is
deceptive In free trade locality it can
be interpreted 10 mean free trade, while in
manufacturing localities its friends can and
do claim for it that it has all the necessary
elements OF protection. In my opinion
there is but little protection in strictly
revenue tariff. This kind OF n tariff neces-
sarily implies that foreign articles must be
imported, for, unless they are imported no
revenue can be raised; and it is also plain
fact that nothing will he imported unless
the rate Of duty is fixed low enough to in
vlte its importation. Congressman Rus.
sell, Of Massachusetts, explains this particu-
ar point most clearly. Therefore, says he,
"a tariff cannot serve on single article the
double purpose Of revenue and protection,
except in the beginning or establishment
oil its manufacture here, while the capacity
OF our ,wo Ks is insufficient to meet the
home demand, and therefore the product
must in part be imported, or in times OF
extreme high prices here or abnormally
low prices abroad. To protect, the duty
must be at point 10 check or decrease im-
portation when prices are low here; il it is
devised exclusively to produce 4 revenue it
must be at point. to promote importa.
ton" - so.
Q. Is it not true that any kind OF tariff
IprUttcisi
.. Yes. ANY rate of duty, however
small, will afford protection OF some kind;
but tile difference between Il Protective anu
a Revenue Tariff, Us have sought to ex.
plain above, is, one is intended to be kent
high enough ut NIL times to protect our
manufacturers, 1rhich yields l,ropOriionaiely
small rerenue as il i. proportiondisly hiyi,
while n revenue tariff is, only designe ed 10
raise retZ:,ue, and will therefore Weld n
very smill sum OF money, unless all
duties are placed low enough TO encour.
age importation. Such tariff rs this,
therefore, would be entirely inadequate to
protect American manufacturers and
American labor, ms against the experience
and skill OF English manufacturers and
the pauper prices paid to English liborers,
Q. What would be the result OF the
adoption Of the theory OF "a tariff for rev.
enue only?" ~. ~
A. The majority OF our mills, mines
and manufactures would have to stop their
operations, or the prices paid for, labor
and raw materials, in this country, would
have to be put down TO the same prices
paid in England aud other competitive
countries. 10 y!}t;'g .s.GittS%i5 = iisI
@. Ii our mills, &C.. were to close, what
would be the result?
4. The three and a.half million laborers
WHO are now, employed iu the manufacture
| ibS SSNpiSiiHiEHtp w tiiS SutGu EluA-3
would be thrown out OF employment, arl
our government, instead Of continuing, rs
it. now is, one OF the foremost manu-
featuring nationalties on the !. globe,
would be forced 10 return 10
farming, % in former years and
thus produce the original mate:
rial for older and better established gov
ernmepts to manufacture for rs, < ~
Is G. Under low tariff, what was the con-
dition Of affairs in. the United States!
A. We were nation OF farmers, and
manufactured comparatively nothing. We
purchased our manufactured articles from
The old governments Of Europe. The flow
Of money was therefore constantly irpm w,
and never towards us, AND business in con,
sequence was always dull, and times were
hard. tis trpe that the purchasing value
OF money In those days Was much ;grcatee
than it is now; but few persons, however.