The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-08-11
Wonderful Achievements of Protec-
ton.

There are persons who really believe that but fol
our protective tariff the American people would bt
compelled to depend upon the old world for food
clothing and other necessaries of life and that ou
laborers would be driven into the streets as tramps
all work being done by paupers on the other side o
the ocean.
As a specimen we clip the following from the
Sandusky, Ohio Register
The salt production of Michigan in 1850 was only
400 barrels and it sold for 81 SIS per barrel thu
barrel costing twenty cents. Protected by q duty
upon imported salt the quantity Of salt in Michigan
constantly increased while its price continuously
diminished. until in 1887 its product amounted Il
100000 barrels, selling for yeight cents barrel
including the twenty cents which the barrel cost
Two dollars and fifteen cents for a barrel of salt
minus the barrel, against thirty-eight cents. A
home production Of 1000 barrels against home
production of 100000 barrels tells the story"
Who after reading this, will question the wisdom
and necessity of protection?
Taking it for granted that the manufacture of sail
an infant industry in 1861 and that by the ope
ration of the tariff its quantity has increased in p
years from 1000 to 100000 barrels and its cost price
reduced from S215 to thirty-eight cents per barrel
1t would impress one with the belief that it is nc
longer infant, and that we now afford to re-
peal the duty on salt and let the poor man have salt
for his porridge without paying tax upon it. No
danger is to be apprehended that foreigners will
undersel our home producers in the home or foreign
markets. The salt companies can safely add the
amount of the duty to the cost of production and
increase the cost to the consumer for the benefit OF
the monopoly.
Whenever a home manufacturer is in no danger
of being injured by foreign competition why should
tariff tax be continued To the full extent of the
uuty IL is purden on tne consumer 10 enrlch the
salt monopoly 1t will hardly be pretended that the
poor salt boilers get increase of wages in
quenee of the tariff tax We cheaper salt little
and reduce the surplus in the Treasury little by
putting salt on the free list.
The great salt corporations of Syracuse NY send
their salt Boston and other cities the sea- board
pay the freight charges on the railroads and sell
their salt there at less price than at the works
Why? On the sea-board they come in competition
with foreign manufacturers, The duty on salt en-
ebies the COMPANIES to control the market aud add
the tariff tax TO their margin of profit
But is anybody credulous enough TO believe that
Michigan has been brought about by tariff?
The discovery of the nexhaustible supply of salt
water in Michigan in localities where the slabs,
sawdust and refuse lumber, which are worthless for
other purposes can be used in salt boiling, enables
the owners of the plants TO manufacture salt for al
most nothing
Where the raw material costs nothing, and a very
small amount of labor is required TO produce mil
lions of barrels it is superlativey ridiculous TO at
tribute the results to o protective tariff.