Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
THE TARIFF.
It's Influence to Lower the Wages
Of the Working Glasses in
the United States.

Protective tariff. however, is a two
edged blade and the sharper edge is al
ways nearest the user. 1t could easily
be proved that tariff has its i'll effects
upon every citizen of the protected ~
country. But, although this may in
cidentally appear in what we have to
say, our present purpose is to show
how this evil falls with crushing
weight upon those who eat their bread
in the sweat of their face" But it is
not proposed to be limibed, in this dis
cussion, by mere technical terms and
chair splitting distinctions" for,
words are only the counters of wise
men, though the coin of fools''. When,
therefore, we use the term ''laboring
classes we do not mean to exclude
every person. who, though poor, may
have few dollars at interest or other
wise earning a small profit. We do
not mean to exclude any who may have
a small home or little land, or even
the farmer who, with ample lands, de-
pends upon the soil for his earnings
and support. The term ''Iaboring class
es,' is here used in cont radistruction
to that class which includes the great
capitalist, the large manuf acturer, the
railroad king, the banker, the broker,
and the like. If this use OF the
term is objected to as forcing the word
out of it's usual meaning or as making
it too elastic, it may be answered that
anyone, having first clearly defined his
terms, should in any particular dis
cussion, be allowed to use them as de-
fined. The term protective tariff, call
ed also protective duty. and pro lection,
may need definition. Prof. Perry de-
fines it as schedule of taxes Laid on
imported goods with a view to raise
the price of certain home commodities
by cutting off foreign competition in
them" But Prof. Perry is an advo-
cate of free trade, and, as some liberty
in the use Of words has just been
claimed, it would be only fair to allow
our opponents to define both protection
and free trade. From protectionist
organ the philadelphia Americdn, D
bearing date August 7, 1884, we quote
as follows: "a protective duty" has
for it's object to effect the diversion of
a part of the capital and labor of the
people out of the channels in which it
would run otherwise, into channels
favored or created by law" Our op-
ponents have defined their position, we
will now allow them to define also our
own, as given i'll the same protec-
zionist journal: Free trade" it says,
"although much discussed, is seldom
rightly defined. 1t does not mean the
the ar olition of custom houses. Nor
does it mean the substitution of direct
taxation, as a few American disciples
of the school have supposed. 1t means
such an adjustment as will cause no
diversion of capital from any channel
into which it would otherwise flow, in
to any channel opened or favored by
thelegislatiOn which enacts the customs.
y country may collect its entire rev.
enue by duties on imports, and yet be
an entirely free trade country, SO long
as it does not lay those duties in such
way as to lead anyone to undertake
amy employment he would avoid in the
absence Of such duties: thus, the GUS
tom duties levied by England-with d
very few exceptions not consistent
with her professions of being country
which believes in free trade. They
are either duties on articles not pro-
duced in England. OF they are exactly
equivalent to the excise duties levied
on the same articles if made at home
They do not lead anyone to put his
money into the home production, be-
cause they do not discriminate in favor
of the home producer"
For brevity the term tariff will in this
protective tariff unless otherwise indi
Gated. Our field is now fairly before
us. No profession is here made to give
anything like an exhaustive treatment
of the tariffs relation to the laborine
classes. 1t coulds be shown how the
tariff unduly oppresses the poor; how
it causes general depression which
effects the poor; how it makes the
wages of the laboring.classes unsteady
how it makes these wages lever, anC
the lower as the tariff is higher; how
it benefits, at most, only the capitalist
and him but temporarily; how it il
prejudical to the morality and politica
safety of both the poorer and the richer
classes; and how, by inculcating false
nrincinleS ii nrnmntes strikes anf