The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-08-24
Injustice of tho Tariff.

The defenders of the present tariff
insist that those who ask for tariff to
produce revenue instead of tariff to
build up monopoly, are advocating a
policy which would be ruinous to the
laberer, the mechanic and the farmer;
dence before the Tariff Commission at
Long Branch, shows that this pretense
is unfounded. Referring to the tariff
on cotton goods, d. McKeever, of New
York, said:
AT present the rates work very in
juriously on the lower grades of goods,
such as are used by the families of
mechanics, wOrkingn,en and farmers. These
goods pay what is equal to an ad va
lorem duty of so to 100 per cent,
whereas the fine grade of goods which
these classes cannot afford to touch, do not
pay more than 40 To 50 per cent"
Another item of evidence which was
presented before the Commission on
the same day, is thus illustrated by the
New York World:
1--WE feel kind of obligation to
Mr.. M. S. Kerrigan, chairman of the
executive committee of the Morocco
Leather Manufacturers National EX-
change who yesterday unconscinu3ly
let the cat of class interest out of the
bag of American morocco. Twenty
FIVE per cent is what the comparative
ly modest Mr.. Kerrigan demands in
the way of protection upon his product.
Let us see. MIR. Kerrigan says there
are 125 morocco factories in this coun-
try, that they employ 10000 hands,
that SiO,060,DG3 OF capital is invested
in them, and that their annual output
is of the value of $50, 900, 000. The pro-
duet for which this price is paid annu-
ally could of course be got, in the ab-
sence OF protective tariff, for IS per
cent. less, or for So, ,750, 900, the differ
ence OF 81, $50, 900 being the saving
which would be effected to the pur-
chasers OF morocco. In point of fact
the saving would be greater by the di-
minished price of such morocco as is
now imported; but let that pass. The
Interest which could be got for the
$40, 100000 of capital invested in me-
rocco manufactures, at 4 per cent,
would amount to 100000. Suppose
that the laborers engaged in the busi-
ness, skilled and unskilled, men and
boys together, receive an annual aver
age wage of $3.50 each, which is prob
ably above the mark ? According TO
Mr.. Kerrigan there are Il, 900 of them,
II, ,O00x550-S6, 600, 900. Suppose the
people of the United States vote $780,
900 year direct from the Treasury 10
the manufacturers as interest to their
capital, and Sc 800, COO to the operatives
in lieu of their wages? That would
make exactly $7,000,000 But the cost
of keeping them at work making mo-
rocco is 81, $50, 900. The people of the
United States would therefore save ex-
actiy S250,0O0 a year by paying the
morocco manufacturers and operatives
their wages not to make morocco, in
stead of paying them indirectly by
tariff subsidies to make morocco
Thus it will be seen that the duties
which the morocco manufacturers ask
ON their productions amounts to more
than would be required to pay the
wages of all their wOrkmen, together
with four per cent. interest on all the
capital invested. And this is speci-
men of tariff in the interest of monop
oily as opposed to a tariff in the inter
est of the people.