The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-07-15
The Tariff.

. of creating sufficient interest in the
subject to cause investigation and dls-
cussion. Entire Originality of thought,
or expression, is not claimed, for the
subject is one about which, so much
has been said and written, that any
thing further, original, can hardly De
said or written. While some OF the
ideas and expressions which may fol-
low are the creation of my own mlnd,
MANY are the product of fer abler heads.
The tariff is a subject which few
persons understand, and one which
more vitally concerns all persons, than
any other economic issue which could
arise before the people. 1t is subject,
the mere mention Of which seems dull
and uninteresting to most persons, but
one which, if fully comprehended and
understood, would he of more interest
and deeper concern to them, than all
other political subjects combined.
Tariff means taG. A protective
tariff, tariff FOR revenue, &c, means
just simply different degrees OF tax
alton.
\ Tariff is tax levied by the govern
S0ent on imported goods. A revenue
riff, or a tariff for revenue only, as it
snore commonly called, is a tax or
levied on imported goods for the
SDsupport Of the government. A tariff
on tea, coffee, and the spices would be
revenue tariff, because these products
are not raised in the United States, and
when imported, the increased prices
paid for them by the consumers, go
into the United States treasury. The
duty on an article, is the rate or per-
centage charged on it when imported.
A protective tariff, is tax not in
tended solely for raising revenue Tor
the government, but is also intended
to prevent or restrict the importation
of foreign goods. The difference be-
tween 4 revenue and protective
tariff, is, that a revenue tariff IS 4 tax
on the consumer of imported goods Tor
the support of the government. and 4
protective tariff, is a tax on the con-
sumer of domestic goods for the sup
port of private manufacturers.
The duty on imported goods is paid
by the consumers of imported goods,
and is not shared by the producers OF
the goods. The duty is advanced by
the importer, who adds it to the price
of the goods, and this duty is paid back
to the importer By those who buy the
goods from him, and finally by the cam
SumerS Of the imported goods.
The protectionistS argue that pro-
tective tariffs are advantageous, that
they add to the general prosperity OF
the country, that they create industries.
give employment to labor, and in
crease the rate of wages. This argu-
ment is false from beginning to end.
Protective tariffs, or protective taxes
as we had just as well call them, are
inimical to the general prosperity of
any country which adopts them. Fro
.tective tariffs, which have behind them
what are called the "vested interests"
of the country, are dangerous to Re-
publican institutions, because they
foster monopolies, and monopolies in
yariahly gravitate towards centrallZa-
tion.
These "veSted interests rule the
country now. if we can believe the as
sertisns of some OF sthe most dlStln-
guished men in the country. Professor
: Sumner of Yale College, asserts, and
the assertion has never been contra
dicted, so far as ] know, much less dis
proved, that the "Bessemer Steel AS
Sociation alone, pays annually over
five millions of dollars to control the
tariff legislation Of the country, and
that the Congress has not yet been
D elected to resist the influence Of this
amount of money" The North Western
Lumber Association, as it styles itself,
boasts, that it is making five millions
of dollars clear, per annum, on account
of the high duty on lumber. Latterly,
every Congress leaves room for Pro-
fessor Summers assertion to be credited
as true. In the 10th Congress forty
one Democrats voted with the protec-
tionists, and defeated the Morrison bill,
and Just the other day, thirty-five
Democrats, again, under the leadership
of the Pennsylvania Republican in
Democratic disguise, S. j. Randall,
voted with the protectionists, and de-
feated even the consideration of an
other very mild featured bill by Mr..
Morrison.
Protection Injuries country in vari-
Gus ways. 1t Injuries it by preventing
profitable trades or exchanges. There
is no use of law to prevent unprollta-
ble trades. Men will soon find out un-
profitable trades of themselves, and
abandon them Of their own accord.
Protective tariffs are intended to
benefit the manufacturers Of the pro-
tected articles, by increasing their pro-
: fits, and of course, it the profits of the
manufacturers Of the protected articles
are increased, the profits Of those en-
gagged in all other trades must he re-
duced as they are compelled to give a
larger part of their earnings for 4 given
quantity of the protected article. Take
an example. For instance, if one hun
dred and fifty pounds of cotton will
! buy. or which is the same thing, eN-
3 change for one ton of iron, under free
2 trade, and a duty of five dollars
per ton be put on iron, thereby raising
he price of iron five dollars per ton,
ader protection, making it say twenty
Gollars per ton, it will then take two
hundred pounds Of cotton to buy ton