Evening journal., 1888-07-14
FREE TRADE PROPOSITIONS.

A careful reading Of the mass of rub
bish which the free traders and their
organs are now foisting upon patient |
public will disclose two distinct propo-
sitions, and these are being reiterated |
with vehemence that was born OF |
despair. President Cleveland made
these two propositions and they were
the only two in bis now famous mes
sage and the beginning and the end of
the whole costly tariff agitation which
is now going on ia based on them. The
irst of these propositions is that the
protective tariff fosters monopolies
and increases the price OF the product,
and the second, that revenue reduc-
tion will reduce the surplus of money
now encumbering the United States
treasury.
Neither of these propositions are sus-
tanned by the facts, which is charac-
teristic of free trade assertions. The
history of a single item in the schedule
of imports will demonstrate the falsity
of both. In 1860 there were three
mills in this country manufacturing
worsted goods. The Morrill, tariff
placed heavy duty on these Goods
and twenty years later, about 1881,
shere were 5000 looms, worked by
$4,000 persons, converting 100000
pounds of wool annually into 10000
900 yards of cloth. The capital invested
was $20,000,000. Worsted goods sold
10 to 40 Per centnm less per yard than
ghey did in 1860 when nearly all of
ihem were brought here from England.
Thus the protective system by foster
ing had secured an enormous increase
of worsted goods and had thereby
decreased It's price per yard by over
one-third. Goods that cost $3.50 per
yard before the war sold at $1.00 per
yard, and some Of it at 30 cents per
yard, ia 1Ssi-S2.
Four years ago by q ruling Of tho
Secretary Of the Treasury the duty on
worsted goods was reduced about 90
per centum. What was the result?
Did it reduce the amount Of money
flowing into the national treasury?
The treasury reports show that IN 1883,
under the old tariff, we imported
$780, 600 worth Of worsted goods, Of
which little over $3.50, 900 found it's
way into the federal Golfers as duty.
In 1886 under the modified tariff we
imported $5.00O,000 worth of these
goods, Of which about $4,000, 900 was
turned into the United States
treasury. A high tariff resulted
in $500, 900 worth Of importations and
$3.50, 900 in duties while revenue
reform tariff produced $5.000,000
worth Of imports and $2,000,000 in
duties. At the same time the low tariff
shut up one-third Of the American
mills. Nothing short Of free trade
will stop the flow Of money into the
federal treasury and nothing short Of
free trade will appease the mad crowd
that is now threatening our industries.
Again, during 1881 50 SO, we inn
ported 1,2ls, s07 pounds Of raw wool
for knit goods manufacture and we
collected therefrom $i.722 4S3 in
duties. This was heavy tariff. BY
a ruling Of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury in 1884 this heavy tariff was
lowered about 10 per centum. During
1Ss4-s5-S6 we imported 3.48S, ,4SO
pounds of such raw wool and coli
Iected $3,6l7, SEA in duties or over 100
per centum more. In the case Of
worsted goods the low tariff increased
the duties 800 per centum.
II the Mills bill should become a
law it would increass instead Of re-
auce the surplus in the national
treasury. II would increase it enor-
nously until that time when our
people for lack Of employment should
become too poor to buy anything.
Then and not till then would the pro
visions of the Mills bill be effective in
reducing the surplus.