The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-05-13
Reply to "Farmer's Son."

article in reply to Farmers Son" to
state that the average of S57 per head
was paid in duties direct to the govern
ment. Far from it. We purchase very
smally from John Bull, in the South.
The way this amount comes in is this:
An English merchant can sell in New
York a suit of clothes for S12 and make
a reasonable per cent on his investment.
Add the tariff and he cannot sell the
same suit in New York for less than $40.
Now, the American manufacturer comes
just under the line, so as to crowd out
the Englishman, and sells the same suit
for S1S, two dollars cheaper than the
Englishman can and make per cent,
and yet the American gets Sc clear profit
from the purchaser. Not one cent of
this $6 goes to the government, but the
tariff is the direct cause of the purchaser
losing six dollars from his pocket. A
pocket knife that costs farmer 80 cents
could be purchased for 20, were there no
tariff. He gets an American knife, yet
pays 10 cents overcharge. That does not
20 for revenue, but to American manu-.
facturers. On nearly every farmers
dining table can be found English crock
cry. The amount of tariff he pays for
that goes to the government. We, Free
Traders, are simply working to try to get
the tariff rates so low that the enormous
amount that is yearly. being drained
from the West and South to enrich the
Northern States shall be stopped. We
do not want to be taxed to keep North
ern manufactures running We are not
objectiDg to the amount actually paid to
the government for duty on articles ac-
tually imported, but we do enter sol.
emn protest against the system of plum.
dering the whole of the people to enrich
a few.
"Farmer's Son" is one farmer out of a
hundred. 1 do not disagree with one
thing he says, but l wanted to show what
an enormous thing the tariff business is.
Where he can repose under homemade
blankets, there is one hundred that can
not. Now, we do not want them 10 pay
90 per cent. on the blankets they buy,
and of course urge them to follow the
example of farmers Son" if they can.
Let us do the most good that We can. If
"Farmer's Son" can make his own blan-
kets, and pay cash for all he buys, and
not depend on the merchant for it, let US
give him praise for being on the right
road to successful farming, but. let us not
lose sight of the hundreds that can not
do as Farmers Son" does. Let US cor
rect every evil that tends to keep them
down. The tariff is great one, 50 let
US do away with the tariff. OF course,
the whole North will be almost solid
against free trade, but as Prof. Means
Davis says, "it is like SNOWFALL, en-
larges as it goes" We cannot expect to
change things in a moment, but re can
gradually enlighten the people until they
will, by the might of the ballot box,
change them. l am glad Farmers
Son" is in favor of a revision of the
tariff invite him and every one in the
County to send their names to Prof.
Means Davis, Columbia, S. c., and be-
come members of "The Free Trade AS
sociation of South Carolina" AS to the
remedies and means to be used in bring
ing about this reform, have not space
to speak. But I will say that the far
mers of Anderson County annually pay
out thousands upon thousands of dollars
needlessly that would be saved them,
were there no tariff. AS to the exact
amount DO one can say. l followed the
calculations of Mr.. Montyredin, one of
the best posted staticians in England.
This amount is not actually paid to the
government on imported articles, but on
articles of American manufacture, sold
at price artifcially raised by the tariff,
which prevents the competition Of for.
eign merchants. G. 7. B.