St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-17
HIGH TAXATION.

HIGH TAXATION.
Spacious Arguments by Mi
nority for a Protective Tariff.
III. F. Barker. Cambridge, Law
yer-f favor protection because L am
of the opinion it is better as whole
for the masses. While free trade might,
and undoubtedly would, be beneficial
i'll some localities for some pursuits and
some people, still [ am advised the
rights of large majority demand GER
tain tariff laws, and that this county is
not ripe for free trade. / would not
repeal the internal revenue on liquor
except it were on that to be used for
medical and mechanical purposes;
neither would | repeal the law that
applied to fancy brands of tobacco or
cigars, believing it is more equitable
for luXuries, or those who use them, to
help pay the expenses of the govern
ment. [ would reduce the tariff grad
ually, and as the eXigencieS of the
occasion demand, having due regard for
the best interests of American labor
and industries.
~.
w. f. Lee, Long Prairie, Banker
I favor protection because | believe
we possess all the elements, natural
and political, necessary to adjust the
| several occupations and industries in
which mankind are engaged. one to the
other, so that people occupying any sta
| ton in life will receive a just reward
| for their labor and pay the right price
| for what they must purchase of the
| products of the labor of others. If this
complex question will not adjust itself
when its factors are all influenced by
| the same surroundings, L cannot see
| that the Introduction of a new factor
| with disSimilar surroundings will solve
! it. 1t does seem to me it will destroy
| all the natural adjustment of wages (of
which the free traders talk so much if
we permit the importation of
| foreign products. limited as they
always are to certain lines,
and invariably produced under circum-
stances differing from those surround
| ing our domestic productions. TO take
! the opposite view is to admit that we
are dependent upon the action of for
eigners to equitably adjust our domestic
relations. l do not think free trade is
demanded now, nor is it desirable; its
| adoption would result in robbing our
people of whatever advantage there is
in being Americans. So long as the
tariff remains low enough to allow the
importation of foreign products it will
have to be adjusted from time to time to
regulate the fluctuations caused by such
importations, and if we are to continue
the ''tinkering' policy of trying to reg
ulate' the tariff, / think just now some
''tinkering" and regulating" is needed.
| should prefer to see the natural mar
ket of our country under absolute pro-
lection, or the natural market of the
world under free trade. An artificial
market is the worst market.
~
G. Nj. Colby, Hamilton, Farmer
/ am in favor of protection. For fifty
years, as [ distinctly remember, good
times and hard times among farmers
have Severally followed as protection or
free trade was in vogue. L think free
trade is not demanded now, and that
complete free trade never will be. III
ternal revenue, | think, should not be
| repealed. 1t would benefit only great
combinations of dealers in the articles
| On which revenue is levied. The tariff
Should be reduced, | think, on many
things, so that imports can prevent the
eXtOrtiOnS of combinations called trusts.
George n. Lamphere, MOOrhead,
Editor favor protection because |
| believe it is best as national policy, as
| it stimulates production of manufact-
ured products, which gives profitable
| investment to capital and good wages to
| laborerS. The home competition which
! this engenderS so increases the supply
| that prices are lowered, with the result
| that our own people can buy as cheaply
as if we had free trade, while the ma
| terial wealth is rapidly increased, and
| the money which would otherwise go
| abroad remains at home.- 1t is tax,
| too, which brings in large sums of
money for the support of the govern
ment. and is the least felt by the com
mon people of any known mode of tax
| alton. Free trade is not demanded now,
| and it is mistaken belief that it would
| benefit Northwestern farmers. | would
| remove the tax on all alcohol used in
manufactures, the arts and sciences,
| and reduce the tax OH whisky and
brandy used as a beverage one-half,
with the ultimate purpose of repeating
| the entire system. Mr.. LIS answer as
| to how much he would reduce the tariff
is too lengthy to publish i'll this space.
He fayors what might be called mixed
blessing-partial reduction and partial
| increaSe.-ED.
w. A. Poland, Benson, Editor
We favor protection in order that our
manufacturers, artisans and all laborers
whom it would affect, may have work
at fairly Temunerative compensation,
and not be driven from the field by for
eign articles made by pauper or by
poorly paid labor. We don't think the
best interests of the country demand
free trade at the present time. To the
question, would you repeal the internal
revenue? we answer, no. we think,
however, it could be reduced imseyeral
respects without injury to any interest
of the people. We would reduce the
tariff on many articles, and remove it
from others entirely, until our manu-
facturerS would enjoy an honest compe-
tition with the products of foreign
markets, and the consumers the benefit
of lower prices for the commodities than
now.
John Henry, GAINESVILLE, Editor
| am a protectionist in theory. Free
trade is not demanded at present. In
my opinion its adoption would pros
trate, to large extent, the manufacture
ing industries of the country to the
detriment of American labor and the
final destruction, in large measure, of
American home markets, necessary TO
every prosperous and successful agri-
cultural community. 1 would take the
internal revenue from whisky and to-
bacco, leaving the taxation of those
commodities to the states. L am in
favor of tariff revision. frequently, if
necessary, to accommodate the changed
commercial conditions of the country.
At present the tariff should be reduced
on all articles of necessary consump-
ton where it can be done without sacri-
ficing the interests of American labor.