The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-08-18
THE TARIFF AND DEBTS.
IErom the Chicago TimeH.I


The Times has received short letter
from indianapolis inclosing a printed
card addressed to workingmen. The
writer of the letter says that the re-
publican state committee of Indi ana 10
sending out thousands of similar cards.
He also says that "the argument signed
'Machinest' on the card inclosed
"seems unanswerable," and he wants
to know whether the Times can answer
it. Following is the argument which
seems TO him unanswerable:-
"Free- traders say shat If tree trade
makes wages lower those wages will
buy just as much, as everything else
will be lower in proportion Granted
that this statement is correct, how is it
with what we owe? Now, l, like
thousands of others, have home part
ly paid for, am owing upon it 81. 100.
My weekly dues to the building assOci-
alton are Sc 60 per week. At my
present wages, ~ so per day, can
spare this by close economy; but if, by
means of free trade, my wages fall TO
81 80, how can I live and make those
paymentsP 1t will be impossible, and
l will be compelled TO lose my home
and all | have paid upon it. There
are hundreds of thousands of mechan-
les aud lsboring men in the United
States in the same fix. DO they realize
that when they vote for free trade they
are throwing away all they have paid
on their little homes and their homes
tooP MACHINEsT."
1t is a sufficient answer to this TO say
that it has nothing whatever to do with
any question now before the American
people. AS a campaign document it
raises false issue. Nobody is propOs.
ing free trade, or any sensible ap-
prOach to it. If there was political
party in the country proposing free
trade it would be pertinent to inquire
as TO the effect of free trade upon peo-
pie who owe money as well as upon
other people. But there is no such
party i'll the country, and therefore no
such inquiry has anything to do with
the issue now presented to the Ameri-
can people.
There is party which proposes to
reduce certain taxes on imported goods.
What it actually proposes to do is 10 be
learned from the presidents message
of last December and from the Mills
bill. There is nothing about either
which if carried into practical effect,
would reduce machinist's wages, or
any other mans wages from 81 SO per
day to 81 so, or to 81, or to 80 40 per
day. Should the Mills bill become q
law it is sale TO say that it would not
have the effect TO reduce the wages of
any American mechanic ono cent day.
But II would have the effect to give
him cheaper and better goods, and SO
to enable him to save more with which
to pay for his home.
We have a tariff averaging AZ per
cent. OH dutiable articles. The presi-
dent and his party propose to reduce
the average to about 40 per cent. And
this reduction the advocates of high
tariff call free trade, If the average
| were 100 per cent and somebody should
propose to reduce it to Is per cent
these same high-tariff men would call
that free trade also, and insist that it
would cut down wages 40 or 60 per
cent, and ruin every workingman who
owes anything on his home. A 40 per
cent tariff is a very long way from
| free trade. Those who pretend to be
battling against free trade are making
false pretense. What they are really
battling against is to prevent such q
reduction ot-taxes as would reduce not
only what the workingman, in CON-
mon with others, has TO pay Tor the
! support of government, but also what
he has to contribute TO increase the
wealth OF men who have already grown
rich by the exercise Of the taxing pow
er delegated to them by the govern
ment.
These men resist the proposal to
lower the taxes, not because the effect
would be to reduce wages, for it Is to
their interest that wages should be
lower, but because they fear the effect
would be 10 reduce their profits some
what. What is called protection Is
always Tor the benefit OF those who pay
wages and never for the benefit Of those
who earn wages. The former are
alway the beneficiaries OF tariff taxa
ton and the latter are always the dupes
and victims OF the real benefciaries.
There is ground for a suspicion that
the author of the above argument
signed "Machinist" is political party
machinist, and not machinist of any
other kind. There is ground for the
suspicion that he is one of the kind
whose special business it is to make
people believe that taxes enrich the
men who pay them. Such as he would
probably not succeed so well if the bills
for all the purposes of wOrkingmen
were made out to them in proper form
thus
Goods. 81 90
Taria taxation thereon. ..... A