Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-02-16

world, and their workingmen became
so numerous that English products
could not feed them. Then, of course,
the time was ripe for partial free trade
to supply the home demand for food as
cheaply as possible. English free trade
is shown to be wisely conservative
policy of leveling down the barriers
against products, which England can
not wholly supply, and breaking down
the barriers which other countries
erect to protect their own young and
feeble industries from British invasion.
Mr.. Edmunds proves from statistics
that tariff duties are not wholly borne
by the consumer, but are in large part
borne by the foreign producer or manu-
facturer. The prices of teas and coifees,
with and without the impost duties, in
some instances the highest when there
were no duties, well illustrates this
point. =,
The free trader usually meets the
point that the underselling of home
products and wares will close home
manufactures and throw many work
ing men out of employment, by coolly
pointing to the untitled farm lands OF
the west and laconically saying, GO
west" Mr.. Edmunds easily closes this
illogical way out of the free traders dl-
lemma. lie says:
IF they 1.-THE discharged workingmenl
knew how to do this go to farming
and could this farm products would
then largely increase, but where would
be the market for these increased farm
products? The home market among
the manufacturing classes would have
been diminished while the farm pro-
ducts would have increased, and the
farm labOrer, whether owner or hired,
would find for the results OF his labor a
market already overstocked; and there
would be general failure of all who
were not already independent, and, for
such. a pure stagnation; for there are
now produced more farm products than
can be sold at much profit in all mar
kets, both domestic and foreign. How
could such course increase the pros
perity of the whole people,
There are in round numbers, 5000,
900 people in this country engaged in
agriculture; 5,OOO,(uJ engaged i'll pro
feSsiOnal or personal service, or, as the
census puts it. lawyers, doctors and
hired help:" 2,n0GO engaged in trade
and transportation; 4,DUD engaged
in manufactures and mechanical indus
tries; q total of 100000 workers.
These totals represent 3O,0o000 depend
ent OH agriculture and 100000 de-
pendent OH manufacturing and me-
chanical pursuits. Taking these figures
as his text, the senator breaches this
simple but effective sermon:
"If, then. by importing more of the
products of foreign labor, we diminish
the consumption of the products OF
home labor, we would shorten not only
the total wages upon which lt,Unw
of our people subsiSt, but also the earn
ings upon which 3OOOO.OOO Of food, etc.
their wants from the wages earned ii
manufacturing and mechanics, depend.
senator Edmunds boldly approaches
the financial question with which dem
ocracy is timidly wreStlipg' namely
the surplus" He deprecateS, as mucf
| as Mr.. WattcrsOn. the present excess o.
revenue: but declares that that excess
has no philosophical relation to the ques
ton ot protection and free trade. TN
| der either system, the revenue can bi
reduced TO nothing: under the first, b,
prohibitory duties: under the second, b.
putting everything on the free list.
This portion of the senator's article l
40 timely and throws so mnch light up
Ola wi,ui many find dark subject, tina
we will follow his argument a littl
further. lie says:
The present state of things, there
fore furnishes no proof that any pro
duct whatever of the United States
oyerproteCted. or that the income de
rived from customs Is excessive
From custom duties alone. even in tn
, present prosperous condition of tn
country. the revenues would be scan
for carrying on Literally the operation
Of the government. If the interni
taxes a,G to be retained and diminr
/ ton of the revenues attempted by low
ering the customs duties, is there 1T
, great probability that such lowering {
duties will lead to an increased impO
tation, aud thus TO an accumulation c
as great total revenue as now
this be not So then it is evident tn;
the present high tariff furnishes no L,
straint upon importation, and the mos
. of the evils imagined to flow from
9 cannot exist"
After again showing the direful col
. sequences which Mr. WatterSou mus
have foreseen when he cautions legisl;
: tors against the 'preclpitate substitl
D ton of a tariff for revenue only" NJ
Edmunds points out the better way
diminish the revenues. namely to abO
ish the WHOM internal revenue systel
a relic Of the war and ihdefensfLle
time Of peace.) The one exception !
: would make would be the national ban
= tax. which he would continue. Tn
would reduce the income Of govern
ment to, and perhaps below, the poir
= of government S necessities.
| This plan of Senator Edmund's woul
leave to.congress only the question of s
, readjustiug the tariff as to make i
burdens fall highest upon those who al
!, least able to sustain them and its pr
l lection the better to protect our grow
/ ing industries till such time as the
, shall be strong enough to successful
. compete with English manufactures
I the markets of the world a consun
. nation greatly desired by every Amer
1 can.