Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-07-04
DR.. Karr Talks Tariff.

EDITOR index: Before me lies the circular
containing the speech of our congressman,
Mr.. Peters. May 18th 1883, in the house on the
question of protective tariff. He adopts the
usual method of giving us his ideas through
the fundamentally of the tract and heads it
thus: 1.-The Kansas Farmer Wants More Gus
toners in the United States" Then, after
heaping ridIcue upon the democratic MEM
bers OF the committee which got up the Mills
bill, he proceeds to try to show us that protec-
ton will accomplish the great object desired.
Now what is protection but system of taxes
levied on imports for the purpose of raising
the price of certain commodities produced at
home so the producer get higher home
prices for his products? IL this is not it's pur-
pose then it can have none. Protection can
not extend its advantages beyond national
bounds. 1t cannot follow the products of the
producer across the lines of his country.
Hence, If protection protects or is of any ad-
vantage, II must enable the producer to sell
his wares higher at home than he otherwise
could. Therefore one citizen of protected
country is made to pay tribute to another.
To be sure, this tribute, is not usually, perhaps
never collected by the government authority;
consequently may vary in amount from that
fixed by authority, up or down. Usually up
lection enables the producer to exact more.
Will such system, a system which raises
the prices of products. induce customers to
come to the United States for the benefit of
the Kansas farmers when they can buy the
products cheaper across the water because
protection will not follow away from home2
Friend Peters says, "Oh. but 1t protects the
laborer whom Kansas farmers need at home i'm
tho TTnffad m 4
If the working man gets any benefit through
protection it must be through his employer.
Protection gives nothing at ali to labor, either
direct or indirect. When the laborer goes on a
strike for higher wages he is met by the Pink
ertons. Protection does not prevail, It has
flown. Hence direct protection for labor is n
myth. Indirect protection could only benefit
labor by raising the price of products and since
these pass into other hands, the producer, labor
is not benefited at ali thereby.
Protection can be made or is made 70 henefit
the employer OF labor ana il does not accom-
plIsh this end with all employers 1t can bene-
tit only those engaged i'm an industry that is
represented i'm another country and some of
the products of which would be imported IL IL
were not for the duty levied thereon Ii would
he unreasonable to expect to collect an import
tax on a product of which We produce in
abundance and 70 spare. IL would be Just as
reasonable to endeaYor to protect an industry
not represented in our country, an industry
which was not suited to this climate Couse-
quently the protected industries OF this coun-
try must be circumscribed and limited to a
small minority.
We have to-day I'm the United States about
2O,OOO,OO0 Of laborers out of which IL may be
shown that not more than GOO 900 are engaged
IN industries that are really protected and
these are the Industries represented by large
capitals The farmer gets no protection ms he
Is leo TO believe. but as Grover Cleveland has
shown him in his late message. his protection
Is thing only in name. He takes his grain to
the miller who buys 1t, paying the supposed
protection and Immediately sells him flour
with all expenses added to its cost including
the protection and the protection allowed on
the -four as we'll Hence the farmer pays beth.
Farmers of Barber county. open your eyes to
this humbug and cast your vote in the next
election with party that promises to take
this yoke from your necks.
But let us turn again TO him who has moth
ing to offer on the market but his labor for the
protectionist makes him his great hobby. Sup
pose tax levied on all our people for the pur-
pose of raising money to donate to some in
dustry. tsay the shoe mandatory or the steel
industry; that this industry may pay with this
money higher wages: Will any one say for
moment that laborers will not leave other In
dustries at once and enter tic subsidized in-
dustry nEus VASES are forced down to com
man serei with the unsubsidized Industry ?
Then how can your protection raise wages
or how can IL keep them ups This is a hum
bug Protection raises the price of commodi-
TIES the raise OF the price OF commodities 70.
auces the ability OF eonsuInption. . reduction
OF the consuming power stops the wheels of
me protected factory. The wheels Of the fac