Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-12-03

every proper way. They afford en-
| rl"ymrnt to many millions uf capital
and many Thousands OF lahorcr>, and
their products contribute largely To-
the wealth and comfort of the people
hut they are not by any means the
| only American industries. In the
households Of the poor, in the fields
and forests, IN the mines ana ltcturic,,
in the stores and shops, on the rail
roads and canals and rivers, on the
high Scas-cvcrywhcre there are Amer
lean industries struggling with the
MIGHTY FORCES OF NATURE,
And subduing, combining, utilizing
the elements oi the earth and the air :
and any view of our industrial system
| which fails to comprehend all these
necessarily leads tr partial and crrun-
cous conclusions. Taking that broad
view OF these varying industries which
comprchcnds the smallest rs we'll as
the greatest, instead OF part only, it
is impossible to understand, how their
growth and prosperity can be PRO
motcd by taxation in any form.
1t is not difficult to see how a svs-
TEN which prevents competition, and
therefore increases prices, may enable
an individual who has capital invested
i'll a particular industry to realize pro-
fits instead of suffering losses, hut il is
manifest that this must always be done
at the expense of the consumers of his
products, who are also, as general
rule, engaged in industrial pursuits.
In every such case, the actual losses
are precisely the same as if competition
had not been prevented and prices
had not been increased; but instead
OF being borne by the individual who
carries on the business, they fall upon
the purchasers of his products, and
they are paid out Of the earnings in
other industries. The other industries,
therefore, not only make good his
losses, but pay him Il profit besides
thus giving him bonus for investing
his capital and wasting his skill and
labor in an improbable business.
That taxation forprotcctiyc purposes
has resulted so far in the continuous
waste of capital and labor in this coun-
try is conclusivcly shown by the pre-
sent condition Of the so-called protect
ed industries, and by the history of our
legislation on this subject The early
advocates of the system proposed it
only as II temporary cxpedient to aid
i'll the permanent establishment OF
certain industries, and insisted that
after few years of dependence upon
the bounty of the Government and
people, they would be strong enough
to stand alone and compete success
fully with their rivals, not only in the
home market, but in all others. I'M
der the influence of this argument the
FIRST PROTECTIVE TARIFF
Was enacted in 1916, and yet, after
seventy years have passed, many OF
the same industries which then asked
temporary assistance only are now de-
manding more than double the rates
of duty then deemed sufficient, and
| their accredited committees and or
gans unanimously declare that unless
these enormous bounties shall be in
definitely continued the industries
must cease to exist. According to
their own showing, the policy inau-
gurated nearly three-quarters Of cen
tury ago for the purpose OF rendering
them Independent and self-sustaining
has had exactly the opposite effect.
Its constant tendency has been, and is
now, to imparc their ability to compete
with the products OF similar industries
elsewhere, and to make them more
and more dependent upon bounties
and special legislation for support. 1t
has added largely to the cost of produc-
ton by increasing the price of machin-
cry and materials and the ncccssarics
Of life; it has confined the products of
the so-callcd protected industries to
the home market exclusively, so that
the amount of production must be reg
ulatcd by the domestic demand alone,
and operation must be suspended
when that demand is satisfied; it has
Obstructcd international exchanges,
thus partially excluding the products
of our other industries from profitable
markets abroad, diminishing their
earnings, and arresting their growth
and prosperity; it has provoked other
| governments to resort to retaliatory
measures, discriminating against our
products and trade in their own ports
and markets, and giving preference to
the products and trade of our most
formidable rivals; and here at home
10y encouraging capital and labor to
rely upon legislation for profits rather
than their own capacity, it has greatly
impaired that spirit of independence
and enterprise which is absolutely in
dispcnsable to the successful prosecu-
ton of business in this age OF improve
ment and progress. These are only IA
few of the evils which the existing sys-
tenn of taxation has
INFLICTED UPON THE COUNTRY.
Many valuable industries which
would have flourished without it, have
been tortured to death by its unequal