The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-09
COMBINATION FOB ExTvRTI0N.

CUm0lN 4AON 1Vo En- AV1 ASN'
Ifanan consumes all that he earns by
labor or in any other manner, he cannot
become wealthy, ami il all men were to do
likewise the world could not grow richer,
so that clearly the wealth in the world Is
composed Of mel profits or savings. AS a
very large number OF men consume all
they produce, the wealth IN the world
must be due 10 that number who have
regulated their mode of living to yield
net profit, and to the accumulation OF their
net profits is due civilization and all Its
consequent benefits. The number OF men
who consumed all they produced lived for
themselves, while the number who lived
so as to save profits, were benefactors to-
their race, IN that their accumulated say
lngs or profits were utilized tor the benefit
of mankind. Had it not been tor &C.
cumuated profits America at this time
would te unknown to the people OF
Europe, for it required an accumulation OF
net profits, to build and furnish the ships
through which Americas and Columbus
made the discovery, Every step In the
progress of man to his present high state
of civillzatlon all manufacturing indus
irirs, railroads, the telegraph, every institu
ton tat contributes to the general vel
fare have been secured through aCcumula'I
ted profits. Now wealth being an accu'I
mutation of net profits, the inquiry at this
time is important, as to what portion OF,
the wealth of the country has been accu-I
mulated through the influence OF high
protective tariff, a tariff has saved to the
nation a net profit that we should have
paid to foreign manufacturers on the goods
that we should have purchased OF them in
case free trade had prevailed, and invest.
CATION will undoubtedly show that this
profit at this time represents a large por.
ton Of the nations wealth. Prior to 1860
our principal lines Of railroad were con
structed with English capital notably the
New York and Erie and Illinois Central
The accumulated profits that we paid
English manufacturers on their goods,
were sent back to build our railroads, from
which they derived profit, so that Eng
fish manufacturers were drawing from Us
not only the profit on the goods which we
purchased Of them, but profit on such
profit when we borrowed it back Of them
to make our public improvements We
10 not need to borrow English capital now
10 make our public improvements, and
why? Evidently for the reason that pro-
ectlve tariff has enabled Us to retain in
our own country the profits we had hereto
ore paid to foreign manufacturers. The
advantages of our manufacturers to pro-
luce goods cheaply are in all regards equal
o foreign manufacturers. 1t Is noticeable ,
act that the products of home manutac.
urers not in combination, are sold at a
lose margin of profit on the cost Of pro-
luctlon Notwithstanding the tariff, which
hould be satisfactory evidence that COM I
,inations and not the tariff are responsible
or the high prices of commodities tor
which repeal of the tariff is sought as a
emedy. This being the case the rational
emedy would be to suppress by legal &C.
ion the combinations and continue the
arif which, without com pinations of T
manufacturers, would be positive benefit
o the nation. Besides there are railroad
md other combinations for the purpose of
'xtortlon that repeal of the tariff would
lot reach and must soon be suppressed by ,
egislatlon. A. LYNCH.