The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-05-26

sense theory OF the merchant, who
8 'eks to send his goods to the most
distant parts, and draw their trade tn
hlm.has any application To nations, and
are considerations worth NOTING, even
this assumption is open tO question.
I'd. The next assumption is that the
general prosperity of the country is to
be traced directly to the system
The pcrtinacity with which this claim
is made, has secured its general accrp-
ance, in some quarters ,as true. Indeed,
this tax, by the people, OF themselves
tor every restriction on trade, having
for its object the curtailm2nt of com
merce and raising, artitiCiaIlv, the
prices OF commodities needed by the
people, is IA tax-that certain classes
may reap the benefit of the system, is
even claimed as the prime cause of
national prosperity. Ii the United
States were to impose a tax of 10 per
cent. on the gross expenditures of the
people, for the avowCd purpose OF
paying the officers and employees of the
government better wages, and enable
them to build fine residences; if, tor
ever dollar the citizen spent, it demand
ed 10 per cent, such u system would
be regarded as an intolerable burden
Yet, when the government imposes,
not for itself, but for the private man
ufacturer, and for the avowed purpose
of protection" 0hat is,enabling him to
charges lfor that. otherwise could
be bought for 80 cents) far more than
10 per cent, it is seriously asserted and
believed to be a blessing. The system
takes from the masses and sends into
certain chQnnnlS thnGn
gathered into few hands and further
invested, gives to these branches great
wealth and apparent prosperity. But
the question remains whether the sys-
TEN has benefited the whole country?
The mistake is in assuming these tacOT-
Ell classes 10 be The country.
That under such system a country
is prosperous is no evidence in favor OF
the systcm-it is only evidence of n
rich country. ''No other countries
could support so great disorder, as
the strongest bodies only can live and
enjoy health under an umwholsOme
regimen; SD that nations only that, in
every sort of industry, have the great
est natural and acquired advantages,
can subsist and prosper under such
taxes. Holland is the country in
Europe in which they abound most &,
and which, from peculiar clrcum-
stances, continues to prosper, not by
means OF them, as has been most
absurdly supposed, but in spite of
thcm."-[ Adam Smith.
A tariff is Il tax; a tax is II burden,
and the greater the burden under
which the country prospers, the more
convincing the evidence thus afforded
of the productiveness of the soil and
industry of the people. II is no eritencc
the burden is u benefit. That Il horse
travels well with load might as well
be distributed to the load, whereas all
eaflunderstahd the load is hiudrance,
aaid the animal travels in spite OF, and
nuirbecause of, the burden.
oi u is doubtless true that certain banks
'in the country could pay, say 20 per
seeilt. OF their net profits TO aid certain
Ilsfshches of trade (say the merchants }
lih their respective localities; i'll conse-
9h6nce, these branches of trade would,
Eo8aoubt, greatly prosper (they would
lhGo2protected'O; better stocks could
hsHA1rled, finer storehouses and dwell
imSsoeould he erected. No one, how.
eyf<p ,lwould think of citing such II state
ofzfffairs and the results OF such palpable
injn3lice as evidence, either Of the wis
dom of the system, or rs the cause OF
iEho1bAuk's prosperity, though 0ffnrdinG
4A=aeaeiuslve test of stability and solven-
9cy 0fgthe bank. Or, put the supposi.
iai0tbfhus: On certain articles in gen
iarab use there is tax of 10 per cent
IoREEtiant above revenue basis, laid 10
l9ir0feet the homo manufacturer. Now,
sif eiEe aand and general business OF the
Beo4sntry produces certain amount
Eiw h}BE goes into such articles as above
manufactured at home, 10 per cent. OF
tkbtsfamOunt goes AZ q bonus, or gift, 10
hff1D Hfs II ufacturer, and this 10 per cent.
IisseQnivaent To tax of that amount.
ldsleirecipient of the tax Is benefited
bgxHiiy but the people are poorer, and
ptlfiRi "a q case, even II true, rs Insisted
licaiiv I.rotectionists as the stay oil their
Hluts sy ystem-that it goes to enrich the
neuatry and back III the pockets OF the
people; for when i; returns to the peO-
pisi they must gre an cqHtUa}ent, but
whenlthey parted with it they received
tadthis,g IN return. And this is a losing
{ badness Oh the part OF all tho people
i6syaa the employees in such factorics) g,
thoash, doubtless, profitable to the
maahafacturer. But the denial OF these
FVeselsiInple truths the whole protective
aststem. aud the monopoly created
lIflIsreby, 10 sought to be sustained.
ais a.Rhe president assumes 06 intttO, i'll
ttsis message, that an industry IN Il
isinnniry does no earthly good to anyone
ieEposat to the owner or owners of each
establishment in which such industry
,ieGonducted
1I The president does not assume ub
iyhitto. or at all, any such deduction
A6pether intelligent advocate OF reform
isfRhbids. 1t il assumed, however, and
tAesassumption would be difficult of
stemtAtion, that II, for instance, wheat
taf earn tot which we have Il surplusl ;,
i%brth in Chicago or New York 500
ieQ0,be transported TO Liverpool (wher2
l4iieys have a deticiD and will there
kbtiHg $l05 600, above carriage, which
sum IL there Invested in goods(of which
| they have u surplus and we deliciD +,
worth in New York or Chicago $ll0,-
900. after paying fair revenue and
costs of carriage, that the owner of the
cargo and the whole country has gain
ed ju 10, 600 by the transaction. ~
before, there was located III Chicago or
| New York, commodities worth $780,
600; the exchange has placed in its
stead others worth $4,000. If, how
ever, the revenue laws he such as to
give the home manufacturer the mo-
nOpOly, and thus prevent the exchange,
we not only fail to add the 10000 t.
the aggregate wealth OF the country,
but we furthermore destroy the market
for the SlG0 900 worth OF corn or wheat
of which we have surplusl and Tins
produce what il known 2s oVer-pro-
dUctiQn Ga thing that eau never occur
when trade is permitted to regulate
itself by tho supply and demanO.
This production Injuries the far
mer, who is unable to buy of the me-
chant, who in turn crippes the other
traders, all as the result oi forcing com
mcrce iu;p unnatural channcls and
compelling one part of the community
TO become tributary TO another that the
latter may have monopoly.
If, on the other hand, as claimed
through the process Of ''prolection, -
one industry is built up; il, for instance,
. ,eoblc factory supplamted by large
one, We! il the latter is created from the
enhanced priceof manufactured articles
which "protective" tarin enables the
manufactures 10 charge, he is benefited,
81 made richer, to that extent. That
no one questions. But just To the exact
amount he is benefited or made richer,
the people, from whoa hc receives
this bonus which Is his "protection,"
ate made poorer. II is but transfer