The Osceola times., 1883-06-30
KING or NUMBSKllLL LAND.
This Monarch's Peculiar Way OF LookiI 4
After His People.

Life.
The King of Numbskull Land was one
OF the wisest of monarchs.
The Numbskulls had been in the habit
of sending their grain to the Land of
Nod. receiving in exchange therefor
shoes, wagons and farming tools. The
men who made shoes in Numbskull
Land told the King that they were being
ruined by cheap foreign labor. So the
good King put heavy tax on all foreign
shoes and leather. Then the shce-
makers of Numbskull Land waxed rich;
but those who worked for them were not
able to buy the shoes they made.
II was thought TO be shame that
Numbskull Land should not manufacture
lis own wagons; so the good King put
heavy tax on foreign wagons and the
materials of which wagons were made.
Then the men who made wagons grew
rich. and good part of the grain OF the
farmers went to pay for getting 1t TO mar
ket.
To further protect the infant indus
| tries of Numbskull Land, the good King
put heavy tax on foreign farmers tools.
| Then the manufacturers of farmers tools
waxed rich, and the farmers mortgaged
their farms to pay for implements to
work them.
The King had been made TO believe
that these would cause his treasury to
overflow with coin but it happened than
no shoes or wagons or tools came from
the Land of Nod to be taxed, and his ac-
count of cash showed an alarming scare
ity of ducats. He could still tax the
people, and he proceeded to do SO. But
his tax-collectors came back empty
handed, saying that the people had given
all they had to the men who made shoes
and wagons and tools, and had nothing
with which to pay the tax.
Though the King had little money he
wanted carriage, but the price aston
ished him when he ordered one.
II used to get better carriage" ne
said. "for less than half the money in
the Land of Nod
"True, o King" replied the manufac-
turer of wagons, "but to the cost OF man.
ufacturing and our regular profit we
must add the tax, and interest on the
tax. and commission on the tax, and rat
tage on the tax, and all that. But you
have the satisfaction of knowing that
You are protecting our infant industries
That is great consolation" said the
King, "and will gladly 60 afoot; but |
must get some new boots"
When he was measured for pair of
boots he was astonished at the price. IL
used to get them for third of the mon.
ey in the Land of Nod" said he.
"True, o King" replied the shoemaker,
"but you must pay an extra price for the
privilege of protecting our infant indus
tries"
"That is rather hard,' said the King,
"but / will gladly 90 barefoot for the sake
of protecting those infant industries"
Then strange thing happened. The
makers of shoes and wagons and tools
had great stocks of goods on hand, and
they began to 20 into bankruptcy. Great
King" they said, eve are suffering from
over-production, politico-economical
disease for which We are not responsible.
Your people are unable TO buy our goods
because we are not fully protected. Give
us more protection, or the infant indus
tries must collapse"
at seems to me-" replied the good
King, as he scratched his head, that
there is some mistake here. The people
are poor, and | am poor, and you are the
only ones who have made any profit by
this protection, and now even you are
getting poor. The infant industries have
had a good chance to grow, at the ex-
pense of the rest Of us, and they ought to
be big enough to go alone. So shall
throw open the gate and let them tod
! die"