Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-30

no pFOtectlon. Inc farming Class, VINO
number about one-half of all the labor
in this country, from 1880 until 1887, in
elusive, exported mostly to Europe their
surplus of 81, ,662 1861. .979, which averaged
n per cent. of all the exports from this
country during those eight years. Now,
If the home market was all that is claim
ed for it, why did it not buy this sur
plus?
Again: How was the price of like
products fixed at home? By the small
amount, say per cent, bought by the
factories? l answer, no. The price OF
all products sold at home is fixed by the
price at which the surplus is sold abroad;
II the farmer can get one cent per busnel
more for grain by exporting it than he
can by selling it at home, he will export
IL. He acts in the unprotected compet-
ing market in selling his products just as
the manufacturer does when he buys
labor or supplies. Each acts for his best
interest. No claim yet presented is more
absurd than the home market argument.
Every producer in the unprotected in
dustries and wage-worker will see at a
glance that this claim is kind of drag
net to catch votes. The Republican
party is posing to-day before the country
as the only political party that is the real
friend of labor. After considering the
effect of the war tariff rates upon labor
in unprotected industries and the effect
upon the consumers of this country, it is
difficult to see how an intelligent, honest
man can vote to perpetuate his own
enslavement. The tax to day on the
revenue of 1890, ,OO0, 900 for the present
year shows per capita itax of $3.50 r
60 900, 900 of people. But the tax is
much more onerous, because the heads
of families of five as a rule have it to
pay, and thus every head of family is
called upon to pay war tax in time of
peace of 1925 every year.
Compare this tax with all other taxes
that you pay and see the difference. Not
one dollar Of this is tax upon personal
or real property subject to tax
in the States; but it is a
tax upon what each person consumes
The producer is put at the mercy of his
foreign rival and his home manufacturer.
For if he buys to the extent of his sur.
plus those necessaries required at home
in the cheaper market abroad-say his
surplus is five hundred million dollars
he is not done paying for them; but il
the goods are an average lot, he must
pay to the United States the average du-
ties, $235 $780, 900, before he can get
them out of the Custom House.
But if he receives gold for his surplus
$500 ,000, 900 and brings that home and
buys in the home market the same lot
of articles from the protected industries
he still pays the enhanced price
raised by the tariff, $235, ,500,0 900, or
about that sum. So he loses in either
case. How does this effect his surplus
If he receives 81 per bushel for grain in
q foreign market and he buys either
there or here or exchanges for goods
needed, he loses about 47.10 per cent. of
his total sales. In other words, he ap.
parently gets 81 per bushel but in fact
gets 52.9 cents per bushel. But the very
impossibility Of furnishing a home
market for our surplus brings out it's
fallacy more clearly illustrate by cot
ton. Our crop last year was about
$3.50. 600, 900; only thirty per cent. of it
used in this country. Our total invest
ment in cotton factories, say $219, ,OOO,-
600, with $4,000 operatives. Now, to
use the present crop the factory business
must be increased to capital of
$500 900, 900, and over 100000 oper-
atives, without the product Of
cotton being increased. 1t has
taken a century to bring the man.
afacturing cotton industries up to this
point At the same rate it will take two
more centuries to reach the point of con-
sumption of our present crop. But nc
larger crop of cotton must be grown.
That great industry must stand still 200
years to give time for home market to
develop. The same reasoning will apply
to our surplus of grain and provisions.
This home Il arket high tariff dodge
has made us look little and narrow
minded, not only among our own people,
but among the people Of other countries.
Our poverty is apparent. Sixty millions
of our people exported last year OF
domestic manufactures about 1876 mil
lions, while Great Britain. with little
more than half our population, exported
over 1900 millions of dollars.
England holds Mexico, Central and
South America as her own market and
sells to them $13 where we sell them one
dollar. The very reverse should be at
tanned by wise craftsmanship on our
part.
The "home market" plea is the rank.
est perversion of true statesmanship
perhaps, ever INDUCED or tolerated by
any civilized people claiming to have
self-government. England lauds the
Republican statesman through their
press Laughing at their folly), but Sc
cretly warns her people to put their
houses and business in order to meet the
great tidal wave of enterprise and COM
mercial power that will dispute her long
enjoyed supremacy in the trade markets
of the world, when the Democratic party
shall bring our nation back to common
sense and give them the world as mar
ket for their marvellous skill, energy,
wealth and enterprise.
OF course, this tax is greater or less as
you may buy woolen, cotton or other
goods. But if you buy an average lot of
dutiable goods, you pay a tax OF $47.1O
on every 500 worth of goods. believe
that if the people of this country could
see and fully realize the injustice and op-
preston visited upon them by this war
tax, they would spring to their feet by
millions and demand its revision and
reduction. When the Democratic party
offered to reduce by the small sum OF
$4.51 on 800 of import duties, the Re-
publican party arouses itself and de-
mands that no relief shall be given; and
that if the people will give them the
power they promise in all seriousness
never to allow their taxes to be less.
The rank outgrowth of this enormous
tax is the destruction of competition, the
restriction of trade and commerce, the