Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-08-30
TARIFF AND TAX.
False Statements of the Free Trade Paper
Refuted-Good Reading for Farmers.

False Statements of the free Trade Papers
Refuted-Good Reading for Farmers.
The Chicago Inter ocean. in reply to
a studied and able effort on the part OF
the New York Herald to persuade the
farmers of the Northwestern States that
they were taxed by the tariff for the
purpose of protecting home manufac-
lures: "There is no tax levied for pro-
tective purposes. Not cent of the tax
for any such purpose. The Herald Jug
giles with the word tax as if it were the
equivalent Of duty.
To this the Herald makes reioinder:
We have only 20 warn our Western un-
protected friends-the great mass OF the
farmers, mechanics and laborers in the
great West rs well as IN other parts-not
10 be deuded. A tariff duty is tax By
levying it the government gets revenue.
In this there are two falsities: I. "Om
Western unprotected friends" Now the
Inter ocean insists that neither the Her
old nor any other existing entity has any
"Westeru unprotected friends" The
9gis of tariff covers the whole Nation;
1t protects the farmer, the laborer, and
the manufactured.
.. Every source from which a govern
ment 'gets revenue is not necessarily
"a tax" He who contributes nothing
to any specific source Of revenue can not
Justly be said to be taxed 10 swell that
source of revenue. IL is of the essence
of taxation, as administered in all free
countries at any rate, chat all subjects
shall contribute to its volume in pro-
portion TO the means of each; taxation
is universal as to adult male population,
though not bearing equally in degree
upon all adult males. Free traders
ought not TO object to any theory adj
yanced by Adam Smith, and to that
economist we are indebted for this
sound enunciation Of an equitable prin-
giple of taxation.
But if every source from which the
government gets its revenue were "a
tax, then licenses on stills, on sales Of
tobacco and whisky would be taxes-a
proposition zoo violent for consideration.
But, admitting it 20 be sound, for argu-
ment sake, in what way would those
who do not use whisky, tobacco or the
products of stills be affected by what
the Herald is pleased TO term "taxes?'
Clearly not at all. Which brings the
whole discussion back to the original as
sertion of the Inter ocean. that the
operation of the tariff is not that Of
a tax. It is just thrashlng out old wheat
TO restate the as yet unrefuted protec-
ZIONIST doctrine: mo protective duty
was ever laid upon single article, the
home manufacture Of which grew to
large proportions under it,, without the
price being cheapened-the duty thus
operating as boon instead of a tax"
All this is plain enough. But the Her.
aid and all other free traders tell the
farmer that though he does not pay duty
20 the cus,om-house on his purchase of
home made goods, he does pay the
amount of duty levied on the foreign
article TO the American manufacturer,
who, as they say, adds the tariff impost
to the cost of his wares. This has been
disproved time and again, The duty on
imported cotton prints is 5 cents per
yard; but the price of American prints
of equal quality to English is often low
or than cents per yard, and very seldom
more than one cent above it, A mower
which sells in England at from $50 to
800 is sold here at from $50 to $95 That
violent FREQ trader, Consul SchoenoH,
wrote, as late as August Il, 1886: "So
far as clothing and dry goods in general
are concerned, | find that cotton goods
are fully as cheap in the United States
as here. lie was writing from Eng
land. Then, after speaking of the lower
price of the finer and tailor-made articles
of clothing in England, he continued,
"The difference in the price of ready
made goods is not SO great. In
workmanship and finish l find CORE
spending articles stunerior in the Unit j
States. The truth Is that II the Amerl-
can farmer or workman would consent
TO wear the same class of goods as his
. k,UUlI,l gDnppupr lac. cOQll ClnthN hlnl-