Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-09-26


its selling price. 1t is impossible to
avoid this direct consequence, lmma-
terial upon what theory the duty is
levied. Those who denounce what
they call a protective tariff because it
increases the price which mus, be paid
by the consumer urge an obircuon
which, II good at ali, is equally appll-
cable to revenue tariff. It's impos-
sible to have any tariff without this tor
a direct result. The oaly way 10 a, old
the result is 10 abandon the whole
tariff system, 10 open our ports free to
all the commerce OF the world, and
adopt direct taxation as the exclusive
method of raising a revenue for the
support of Government.
Bearing in mind these two observa.
tons, We come then to a practical
question, which can be wisely answered
only by broad survey of facts. A
given amount OF revenue being neces-
sary, how shall tariff designed to fur
nish ii be imposed, upon what article,
and at what rate or rates of duty Z
Shall it be imposed upon all articles of
foreign merchandise, and at the same
rare, III proportion to value or weight
or shall there be a discrimination
made in selecting the arti les and fix.
ing the rate; as, if so, according to
what rule or rules2 Tine articles upon
which tariff duties may be levied are OF
two general classes-first, those which
are producible in this country, and,
secondly, those which are non-produci-
bic. Shall there be no discrimination
made between them 2 Take as an ex-
ample of the non-producible class, the
article OF tea. We cannot supply it,
with or without tariff, and must
hence import 1t. Every dollar levied
upon TINS article simply enhances its
price to the consumer, without furnish
ing the least facility or motive to un-
dertake the home production of tea.
1t would, therefore, seem to be a plain
dictate of common sense that the Gov
eminent should either place tea on
the free list, or make the duty on. tea
as light as possible in consistency with
its fiscal necessities. The article is
one of general consumption, and the
cheaper it can be made to the people
the better for all interests.
Take, an an example of the produ.
chile class, the article of irons We
have the ore IN this country, and the
coal to smelt it, and there is an i'm
mense demand for iron but the diff
Guilty we encounter in its home pro-
duction lies in the fact that foreign
iron. unless it pays duty, can be pro-
duced and brought to this market, and
sold at so cheap rate as to exclde the
production of domestic iron. Now,
shall the Government. in levying its
tariff for revenue, pay no attention to
this fact? Shall Ii put iron on the free
list, and thus, by the laws of trade,
stop Its production in this country Or
shall it make foreign iron pay rate oi
duty that, while yielding a revenue,
will also encourage the production Of
of domestic iron and foster all the in
dustrles connected Herewith.
Here is the whole question of protec-
ton in the compass Of a nutshell. 1t
being true that Government resorts to
to tariff duties for the purposes of revel
nue.; also that the direct effect OF al
of all such duties is to enhance the
price paid by the consumer, and furth-
er true that the articles upon which
these duties are levied arrange them
selves into the two classes above nam.
ed; then, IT. distributing the duties
among these articles so as to raise the
necessary sum, the Government will
act wisely in seeking to make its tariff
tributary to the encouragement of its
own domestic industries. In so doing
it has revenue tariff in the amount
collected, and a protective tariff in re-
spect to those articles of home produc.
ton which, without it could not, in its
own market compete with the foreign
product on of the same article. The
consumer is not taxed a penny more
that he would If the tariff were not thus
protective, since all the revenue COL
lected, lmmaterlal now the duties are
distributed, must be added to the cost
price of the articles upon which 1t is
levied The importer pays it in the
first instance, but 1t finally goes to the
consuming class. The fact that tariff
is protective. while yielding a revenue,
SIMPLIFY supplies TWO good reasons for
its existence, instead of one.
The Democratic theory is that all
tariff duties should be leveled 'for
revenue only" without any regard to
principle of protection of American in
dustry. The Republican theory is that
while these duties are levied for reve-
hue as ode of their reasons, they
should also be adjusted as to make
them protective whenever and where
ever protection is needed. This, in
practical result, make very wide DIFF
terence between the two parties, and
forms one among many reasons why
the people should not trust the Demo-
cratic party with the control of the
Government. The theory OF that party
If put in practice, would be fatal to
many branches OF American industry,
unless wages were reduced to the pau