The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-19

ration. Senator Beck encounters an array Of
official figures and straghtway rushes to the
front with what he conceives to be a basket
full of campaign eggs Tie lesser lights, with
out stopping to verify. take up the cry, and
fairly gloat over the discovery. Presently it
turns out that the eggs are only punctured
shells. The little fellows are not made aware
of this last discovery, but are sent far and
wide to tell of the great nest that has been
found, whilst the leaders content themselves
with believing that they will deceive the peo-
pie, who will not pause to inspect, into the be-
lief that the articles they exhibit are genuine.
But granting, for the moment, that Mr..
fuckers figures are correct, can we not better
afford to pay our home manufacturers 81 per
per cent, than to pay to European manufac-
turers three times that amount. Before our
Bessemer works were built steel rails were
imported at $3.50 per ton. Now they can be
bought at about one-third that amount. In
ternal competition has beep far more effective
in reducing prices than free trade could pos
sibly have been.
Now let us consider Mr.. fuckers blanket
romance. He gravely tells the farmers of
Augusta that the duty on blankets is a tax
upon them for which they receive no compen-
sation whatever His statement of the case
was about this: The foreign manufacturer
sends pair of coarse blankets to the United
States which cost him at the American port
$3.50 When he attempts to land them he is
met by the custom officer with demand for
$3.50 duty. In other words he pays as much
to the government as the blankets cost him
The wholesale dealer purchases from the inn
porter, paying 81 advance on the original cost
and duty. This brings the blanket up to 5000
The retail dealer buys from the wholesale
dealer and pays 81 advance, and then sells to
the consumer at still another dollar advance,
thus making the cost $500, which the con-
sumner has to pay. Now, says Mr.. Tucker, the
man who uses those blankets pays to the gov
eminent $3.50 which comes directly from his
pocket and meyer returns.
Let us examine this statement. The govern
ment not only imposes duty upon blankets,
but also duty of from 10 to II cents per pound
on wool. This duty prevents the wool growers
of Australia and other countries from coming
into direct competition with our home wool
raisers. Our farmers are thus enabled to real
lie from 10 to II cents per pound for their wool
more than they would receive under free trade.
A coarse pair of blankets will weigh about 6
pounds To produce this about 8 pounds of
wool are used, 80 per cent being low est-
mate for the loss in process of manufacture.
Take the lowest duty ON wool and we have 8
pounds of wool at 13 cents making SLY cents, |
which goes directly into the pocket of the
farmer instead of the Golfers OF the govern |
ment This leaves $l.33 of the duty. Now
deduct the profit of the importer 81, ana the
profit of the wholesale dealer 81, (for the retail
dealer can buy direct from the factory when
the home Industries tiourish) and we have $S, |
less $3.17 as against $500, less the duty of
$3.50, or 81 cents cheaper than under Mr.. |
fuckers theory of free trade and that too
with the minimum tariff on wool.
Bat Mr.. fuckers figures are incorrect here
duce figures. Instead of pair of coarse blank |
cts costing So the consumer Can purchase a
fine pair of eight pound blankets at that,
price, whilst coarse blankets, such as Mr.. |
Tucker describes. can be purchased at from |
$3.50 to So per pair Under free trade the
the farmer received about 10 cents per pound |
less for his wool. Thanks to protection the |
price of the manufactured articles has dc |
creased about One-half whilst the raw material
has steadily advanced. II is the enforcement
of the tariff that has rendered sheep growing |
ore of the greatest sources of profit to the |
farmers of the Union, and whilst their focks |
have multiplied with astonishing rapidly, the |
English sheep growing interest has steadily |
declined
The farmers of Augusta cannot hope to COM
pete with those of the West in grain raising.
Their lands are too rugged to submit to an
easy tilage. But there are thousands of acres
which afford fine sheep ranges and can be
utilized in no other way. If they do not want
to see this source of profit wrested from them,
let them put their ballots in the box for strong
protectionst 1t is time they were awakening
to the danger that confronts them. There is
not an intelligent farmer who docs not know
that every single product of his farm now
commands a higher price in proportion to
manufactured goods than it did in the free
trade days of the SOS.
We have not the space to follow Mr.. Tucker
thro his two hours of frce-tradeism. The
points we have commented upon will give our
readers an idea of the arguments he advances
They ought to consign him to private life
There is no district in the South that needs
protection more than that in which Mr. Tucker
lives, and if the people there do their duty to
themselves they will place their present rep
resentative in a position where he will be in
capable of doing them harm hereafter. This
can he done Inv v0finr for Cant T TT Rivnc