The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-04-05
Low TARIFF.

EDs. OF THE COMET The cOmmu-
nicaiion of Protection" has been
handed me to answer. in such way
that il cannot be disrcgardcd. nm
dertake the task more willingly, how
.eyer. for the reason that there is really
but little in the article to lie answered
II assertions were arguments, il rash
statements had hNen reasoning, l.
would have htsltAt,vl long before en-
cOuntcring SO enthusiastic am antag-
Onist. II may seem strange to linn
that even the people OF East Tcnnes-
see should question the right Of Con-
gress to build up manufactures by
direct tax upon the people. 4 hat
could be sent from Europe and snld in
this country Tor one dollar, hJi, in Or
der to protect a home factory. 4 tariff
is imposed, and this same is, casts "a
one dollar and half lIcre Is H.
rect tax Of half dollar on every man
who buys hat, and it all gOes tn
build up and support home factory.
Ii is like al oi the people OF com
munity individually contributing
small amount to one man, TO enable
him to set up monopoly by which
he can ext0rtion on them ever after
All of the people mist contribute to Il
few men to make them rich. That is
protection. Yet there are some folks
who think it strange that anyone
should protest against the outrage.
They say give the halter fifty cents
more than his hat is worth, and YOU
will enable him to pay bigger wages
to his employees. who can then pay
better prices to farmers for their pro
ducts, and to shoe-makers for their
shoes. That will not do. II the hat
ter is taxed dollar Tor the Shoe-ma-
ker, and the shoemaker is taxed dol
lar for the halter, where is the prOtec-
| ton, where is the sense? Ii is clear
that protective tariff, to be effective,
must be unequal and must discrim-
mate in favor Of one class and against
another. Protection is therefore I'M
just.
He tries TO justify the enormous
difference in the price of ready-made
clothing in London and in New York
by asking why it is the people of the
latter city dress better than those OF
London. The argument, if it is worth
anything, means that New York j,
protected, and is therefore better
dressed and more prosperous. He
would judge Of the prosperity of 9
country by the cut of the people,
clothes. His ideal country would Ii
a land Of protection and of dudes. l
protection makes manufactures. anC
manufactures make prosperous cities
and prosperous cities have the hes
dressed people, then Pittsburgh anC
Lowell with their roaring furnace
and whirling spindleS would be tn
finest dressed cities in the world, an,
! in Paris, the center Of fashion -an'
vice, NC could scc nothing but tn
smoke from manufactures, and her
nothing but tie hum ~ machinery
But ~;he man !. NOT the dress pr,
lection" Eill have to find some bette
argument to uphold a protective tarii
than the fact that in New York ''nursC
maids arc well shod and nicely apron
I'd, AMI working women put up thei
hair lidily" 81 enthusiastic is lie il
support Of his theory that he is almo>
willing to risk his cause upon tn
manner in which q woman puts u
her back hair.
1t may be true that there are thou,
.nds of hungry, half-naked people i
) London, but the same may be said {
New York, Chicago, San Francisco
New Orleans, and all Of our populou
cities, whose alleys and sub-cellars ar
reeking with filth and rags and wretcl
edness. REVENUE ONLY.