Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-24
PROTECTION THE HANDMADE OF PROS
PERITY.


Congressman Burrows, of MIchi.
gan, the only new Republican mem.
Der of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, has always been recognized
as q warm advocate of protection
10 American industries, but his
tariff views have for obvious rea.
sons become Of more than usual in.
terest at the present time.
81 belieye,D said Mr.. Burrows re-
Gently, in an interview, "that a pro.
tective tariff is for the best Interest
of all the people, and | am unalter-
ably opposed to free trade for this
country. The highest prosperity
of the agriculturist demands a pro.
tecilye tariff. What the farmer
wants is market for his surplus
products. It is for his advantage
10 have that market as near his
farm as possible, and such a mark
ct is secured only by building up
diversified industries to consume
the farmers surplus. If we we're
purely an agricultural people we
would be the poorest country on
the globe A protective tariff builds
up these diversified industries, and
TO such an extent that the farmer
today, leaving ont cotton and to.
baccO, sells 90 per cent Of his snr-
plus product to our own people,
Any policy which, wolld disturb
our manufactures and thus drive
the consumers to the farm and
make them producers wOnld be in
furious to the agricultural interests.
Then, to the farmer, the home
market is a steady one on which he
can rely from wear to year, so that
when he sows he knows when he
may sell, while if he relied on the
foreign market his surplus would
be taxed one year and left on his
hands the next.
"The statement of the President
in his recent message that the duty
on an imported article enhances its
cost by so much to the consumer Is
never true except when the article
is one exclusively Of foreign pro-
ductiOn. If the article on which
duty is levied is also one of dOmes-
tic production it is always true that
the cost of the article is thereby re-
duced, tor the simple reason that
the price of an article is never de.
termned by the amount of duty
on 1t, but by the great law of sup
ply and demand. Ii duty impOs.
ed on ali article results 10 increas.
ing the production Of the home ar.
ticle the direct and inevitable ten.
dency is to bring down the price.
"The free trader cannot name a
single article of domestic manu-
facture that is the result of a we'll
established industry which cannot
be purchased to-day cheaper under
the protective tariff than in the
days of free trade. And there is
not an article in the farmers home,
or on his farm, upon which duty
is imposed that is not furnished to
him cheaper than it wOuld be furn-
ished uuder free trade.
"Of course | favor putting on
the free list all articles purely OF
foreign production which are not
or cannot be produced in this cOlIn.
try, bat when an imported article
comes in competition with an artI.
Gle which is or can be produced in
this country believe in imposing
such restraints on the imported
article az will tend to build up the
domestic industry, encourage the
investment of our capital, and give
employment TO our labor.
GAS to wool, am unalterably
opposed to putting it on the tree
list or reducing the duty one pen
ny. On the contrary, | believe the
best interests of the people demand
that the duty should be raised 10
what it was under the act Of 1867.
1t is humlliating to nation Of Co.
600, 900 people to have to depend
on anybody for the clothing on the
backs OF its citizens. The wool in
dustry exists today IN every coun-
ty In the United States, except
thirty.seven, and, if it can be en-
cOuraged. there is no reason under
the sun why we cannot produce all
the wool necessary for our home
manufacture. If the policy of the
President, outlined in his message,
we're carried out have no ques-
ton but that it would drive our
$4,000, 900 of sheep to the slaugh.
ter house, and finally result in an
increased price Of wool and its
fabrics.
GAS 10 lumber, salt, copper, and
iron, those important industries in
my state, | shall not knowingly
adopt any course tending to Grip.
Pile them or reduce US to a state of
dependence upon any foreign coun
try. There should he no question
as to salt, which has grown in
Michigan under protection from
product of 1000 barrels in 1860 70
to 100000 barrels in 1887. And
it is a complete refutatlOn of the
Presidents assumption, that the
duty adds to the cost, that the /
price of salt has gone down in that |
time from $1.80 per barrel to GO
cents per barrel in the Saginaw
Valley, barrel and all.
"The barrel costs by wholesale |
90 cents, and that leaves the price
of $50 pounds of salt only 81 cents.
But look at the matter beyond its
Michigan aspect, with a broad view,
for what benefits tho country at
large benefits each State and indi-
vidua.
1HCIC 10 ~ puColiOu oub Iu"O oS
the present rate of taxation "a sur
plus will follow at the end of the
year 1889. There IS no difference
of opinion as to the necessity OF so
mOderatlng our tax laws as to avoid
such result, and | shall favor any
system which will surely reduce
the surplus to the needs of the gov
eminent, honestly, wisely,and patri.
otically administered. But | shall
not knowingly support any meas.
ure which In my Judgment will
tend to cripple American indus.
tries or pauperize American Ia
Dor"