The Dawson journal., 1884-05-29
The Tariff Pure and Simple.
Central Ky New.

by the masses of the
people. l don't think so. 1t is one
of those plain propositions that can
be mysti6ed by the minute, but
when we take plain common sense
view OF it upon general principles, it
is TOO plain to he mistaken. be-
lieve l can demon strate it to your
most humble reader. In the first
place "lhe tariff as we talk about
it and discuss it, is a duty put upon
goods, wares and merchandise
brought from some foreign country,
as England, France, Germany, or
any other, to :his country to be sold
that is, when foreigner comes to
this country with his ship load of
hats, and offers them for sale, he is
met by the custom officer Of the
United States at the port of entry
and told that he must pay duty or
tariff on bis hats before be can sell
them here. Very we'll, sir, what is
that tariff! What arc your hats
worth! Three dollars piece, sir:
then You must pay one dollar a piece
to the 9. S. before you can sell them
here, all right then must sell my
hats to your merchants for four dol
lars piece. Very we'll sir, do it but
pay me the 81. The Euglishman
sells his hats for 81 piece and pays
his dollar tariff and has no more
money than if he had sold at SO and
paid no tariff The American mer-
chant buys the hat at 81 and sells it
to the man who wears it at SIS and
makes no more than il he had bought
at So and sold at ST.. The man who
wears the hat has to pay IS for the
hat which he could have bought ut
81 except for the 81 tariff, and it is
none the better by reason of the tariff,
it is just the same hat, tariff or no
tariff. But the man who wears the
hat has lost his dollar because he has
nothing to sell; the hat is worn out,
But what has become of his dollar?
Gone to the government to pay ex-
penses of running the machine, such
4 as paying presidents, congressman,
judges, clerks, a., for their services
Very well, then the man who wore
out the hat paid that much towards
the support of the government
Another man wants hat Of the same
sort to wear ont, but concludes he
will not buy an En- slish hat so as to
save his dollar, and he goes to g
dealer in American hats of the same
sort and it is priced to him at S.
and he asks, how is this? l can buy
an English hat for that sum AM
they have to pay dollar tariff be
fore they can sell; that's true, this i.
| just as good hat and costs me
the same money as the English hs
and no tariff on it either. How is
that? Cant your manufacturer make
hats as cheap as the English manu-
slcturer? Yes of course; but you see
rs the English manufacturer is bounc
to sell hats for 81 on account of the
tariff, the American manufacture
takes advantage of the situation anc
sells his for ST. 1t is true he could
sell his hat for 50 and pay for hi:
work just as well as the Englishnan
but he is not bound to. has no body
to compete with him and he just de-
mands the 81 and we have to pay il,
and then get our 81 profit the same
as the man who deals in the English
hat.
Well, says the wesrer, under.
stand the government gets that extra
dollar on the English hat, but who
gets the extra dollar / am about to
pay you for this hat! Well, sir, the
manufacturer, of course; nobody
else to get it, because bought it
out of the factory, and 80 far as
an concerne |, | would rather pay
him 81 and sell to you at 81 than
to pay him 81 and sell to you at SIS,
make the same money on the hat.
but it takes more money to han 9
them, and then could sell more hats
at 81 than I can So. Very well,
guess can't help it; here is your SIS
! give me the hat.
Now it stands, sir, my neighbor
who bought the English hat has paid
81 tn the government; and 1 have
paid 81 to the American manufac-
turer. Yes, but Mr.. wearer you
must understand that the American
manufacturer pays has hands more