Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-01-05
What is itq why is itq And How
ia ITO :.

i
a tariff is defined as a custom duty
collected on articles imported from
another country or nation. This may
be levied for different objects. One of
these may be to afford aid and protec-
tion to those engaged in the production
or manufacture of similar articles, and
by this means enhance the price TO the
extent of the duty imposed, and ail-
other object may be to procure money
for the purpose of defraying the cx-
penses of the government. In either
case it's tax to the extent of the
amount of the duty imposed and is
paid by the final purchaser and con-
sumner. Taxes in whatever form they
may come are to a majority of people a
burden, and the greater directness they
assume the more disliked because APP
parent. In some sections it has been
advocated to abolish all taxes upon
personal property, because so large a
proportion of it escaped. Men who
are considered truthful and honest in
common business matters, when it
comes to giving an honest and true
statement of their personal effects for
the purpose of assessment and cOnse-
quena taxation ARE found to Quibble and
deceive. So the more indirect the
collection is made the less the burden
is felt. But the injustice and inequal-
| ity of the tax may be greater. In levy
| ing duties upon articles of every day
use and necessity, than upon articles of
luxury the poorer class of people pay the
larger amount because they are the
most numerous, and if the larger part
of the customs duties are collected from
articles of this character, then it be-
comes evident that the laboring and
poorer classes of the people pay the
largest proportion of the government
expenses. Justice would seem to re-.
quire that the property of the country
should at least be made to bear its fair
proportion of the cost of maintaining
the government upon which it relies
for protection and its rights in proper
! ty. 1t has been quite popular in the
past to eXtol largely the benefits de-
rived from, a tariff having for its OBJ
ject the protection Of home manufact-
IIres, alleging that wages were thereby
! increased and that the workingman
was therefore greatly benefited. This
though lacks many important elements
before it can stand the test Of being
truly the working mans friend.
These advocates of protection tell us
that it unnecessary in order to protect
our workingmen as against the pauper
| labor of Europe. Then why in the
name of common sense don't they put
the tariff oil the pauper laborer that
comes TO our shores instead of on the
manufactured goods. The fact is the
protection is extended to the manu-
facturer. and our workingmen are left
to compete with all the pauperdom of
the world, and pay the manufacturers
for that high privilege. We, rs
nation, have been inviting the people
of every cline, lame, halt, and blind to
come and make their home with us.
And in the same breath demand that
we shall pay tribute besides. The
protection is all on the side of the
manufacturer instead of the laborer.
The workman performs the same SER
vice of the cats paw in the job, and
the manufacturer represents the mon
key. It's too plain to need expla nation
that the cry raised by protectionists is
in the interest of capital wholly, while
at the same time, employees serve the
right to procure labor where they can
obtain it the cheapest. Then let the
workingmen have. an equal chance; at
least, if he must sell his labor in the
open market and in competition with
the whole world give him the same OPP
portunity in the purchases he has to
make. While entire free trade is not
practicable or to be desired the near
approach that can be made to it, and
at the same time provide for the ex-
penses of the national government,
the better for the nation at large
The best legislation is that which re-
suits in the greatest good to all.
The Lime Kiln Club.