The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-09-19
Mcdonald ON the rarIo.
Boston Herald.

Senator McDonald's views on the tariff are
OF the soundest We do not remember @ re-
cent utierance Of any public man on this great
subject more intelligent and reasonable. He
starts night by saying that the tariff is ques-
ton of revenue. Before the War nobody pre-
tended that it was anything else. Protection
lists of the ante -bellum period only asked that
taxes laid for revenue should be o laid rs TO
encourage homo industry. Since the War q
new class of prOtectionists have arisen. Their
theory is that taxes should be levied and col
l. cied for the prime object of protecting"
domestic manufactures In carving out that
theory, we are now collecting Federal taxes
amounting 10 nearly 500, 600 goo a year,
though $500 600 600 is more than enough 70 sat
isfy the requirements OF the &c neral Govern
Inent. There is another point which can not
be too much emphasized. The duty collect
cd on foreign goods is O tax paid by the CON
sumner. 10 comes out of our own people. Ii is
gains what the consumer loses. What are
the facts? The protect onist argument is
that the thrill increases the wages OF Ameri
can workiDguen, and the fact that wages
here are higher than abroad is constantly
quoted. Why do we not hear that the wages
of free trade England are higher than in any
protected" country OF Europe? The real
fact is that the tariff does not affect wsges at
all. They are fixed by the law OF supply and
demand, by the abundance OF opportunities
for the wOfkingmen TO better themselves
All that the tariff primarily does for
abOr is 10 decrease the purchasing
power OF the wages it re-
ceiyes. Beyond that are other conseq
which follow the effect of the tariff on pro-
duction. As Mr.. Mcdonald says, free trade is
the most favorable condition for commerce.
Our chief commercial advantage is free trade
amorg so, COO coo people in our own country.
We should be better of still il We had free
trade with all the world. The fact that wa
ges are cheaper in other coun'
tries than in this would be
all in our favor with free trade. SO much the
point 10 the effect of the tariff in building up
manufacturing enterprises here. The result
rs favorable to them fer time. They pay
large dividends, getting labor at as low rates
as possible. Men like Governor Butler have
made enormous profits on particular
protected Notwithstanding for in
stance-while paying the lowest wages. But
in the course of time so many people are
tempted to 60 into business which yields
large profits that home com petition brings
down the prices of products, glut follows,
and many are ruined. The weakest so to the
wsil-there is a suspension OF labor-wages
fail. All suffe T, bat workingmen most OF all.
We hear a great deal about overproduction
IN these dsys. It is the natural result of
artificial encouragement Of production.
Without such artificial stimulants we should
have a steady, healthy growth, as we had
from $50 to 1850, and We should have the
wOrldlfor mar ket for our surplus at any
time, instead of being shut up within our
own DO nndaries. Mcdonald is right. Free
trsde is the best condition. We can not at
present have absolute free trade, but we can
have a tariff for revenue only, and net for
the sake of protection without regard TO the
reveI ue required.