The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
A FARMER ON THE TARIFF.
Practical Illustrations of the Workings of
the Present System.


To THE EDIToR-Sir: Republicans say
that the farmers are benefited by the tar
iff on our wheat, corn, potatoes, and all
that we produce. can't see it that way.
They say that the importer pays the duty,
and not the consumer. think the con-
sumner pays freight, tariff, profit, storage,
and ALL
Thomas H. Dudley said in his Chicago
speech that India wheat could be put
down at London for 20 cents, and at New
York for 20 cents, without the duty, and
95 cents with the duty. He adds the 20
cents tariff.
What will the 20-cent duty benefit the
farmer as long as he has l50,000,000
bushels surplus? We must send it to
London and sell it in competition with
India wheat at 20 cents; then how can
the tariff of 20 cents per bushel affect
the price IN America. 1t can not,
unless wheat is imported to this
country in quantity sufficient to affect the
price. That cannot be as long as we have
a surplus to go abroad. But In case we had
half-crop in this country, every laborer,
lnCCDdllc anu NOulO OC AOACCO W
buy twenty-five bushels to feed his family
and then he would be compelled to pay
tax of 20 cents per bushel. How
would this benefit him? We would pay
20 cents more in consequence OF the
duty per bushel.
II the importer paid the duty it would
be this way: He pays 20 cents at London
and cents freight to New York. At that
point it is 70 cents. He pays the dutv,
which is 20 cents. Subtract the freight
and duty, % cents from 20 cents, and he
will put his wheat down at New York for
10 cents per bushel; if he adds the duty
and freight, 90 cents. He ships it to Waye-
town; the freight and his profit is %
cents, which makes it worth Sl.20.
The consumer must pay all expense or do
without Every cent adheres TO the COM
modify from the time it leaves India until
it gets to the consumer. Then imported
wheat at Waynetown is worth Sl.20. /
have fifty bushels of wheat more than
want. My neighbor S. wants to buy
twenty-five bushels. They say to me,
What is your wheat WORTH" Would l
say 20 cents less than the imported wheat
No; would say Sl.20, the market price at
Waynetown.
Republicans will say that am protected
by getting 20 cents per bushel OF my
neighbours money. ] have farm and
can produce wheat. My neighbor has no
farm and can't produce wheat, but must
buy at the market price; therefore the
tariff fixes the price on domestic wheat.
How much will my neighbor pay me on
the twenty-five bushels of wheat? Just
s.. This they call protection" They
are republicans, and will labor for this
system of taxation.
What is true in wheat in this case is
true as to everything else that isimported.
The consumer pays the duty, and the cor
responding article produced in this coun-
try brings as much as the foreign article
with the duty added, or within few cents
oft. Mr.. Mckinley, in his famous speech
in congress, says so. He gives the price
of the golden medal blanket and says the
price is S4.53; the cost to make it is Sl.05;
the duty $3.50, which is S455. The
difference is two cents. Supposing it cost
the same to make the blanket in England,
it is plain that our domestic manufacturer
adds the duty to the price of his blanket,
less two cents.
7. III. Duley says he can manufacture
nine-tenths of the articles manufactured
in this country as cheap as they can In
England. Why, then, do they need pro-
lection? The Toledo Blade SAYS the same
and names boots and shoes, calicos, hats,
caps and some wooden goods exported to
England and sold on their free-trade soil
as cheap or cheaper than their own and
quite as good. Where Is the danger then
of destroying our import manufactures or
lowering the wages OF the operatives by
reducing the tariff? Mr.. Blair said the
manufacturers can take care OF themselves.
So they can. We have paid them the
duty on their products until they can
stand alone. 1t is time to wean them.
Mr.. Ben Harrison talks about protected
labor. He admits we can make boots
and shoes, hats and caps. and many other
things as cheaply as England at present
wages, but he says to take off the tariff
will reduce their wages to the level of the
English laborer. Ii we can make a pair
OF shoes, such as the plain people wear, as
cheap as English shoemakers can, can
they send their shoes here, pay the
freight and insurance and undersell us
If they do, they will do it at loss.
Mr.. I. III. Duley says we export steel
rails to England. He says the freight on
ton OF rails is S2.40-English rails are
worth S20-thus we sell our steel rails
there at $50 and realize $3.50. He says
the same rail is worth S33 here, Just Sl5.5O
more than they get in England. Why
don't they let consumers here have them
for $3.50? This they call protection. Our
boots and shoes sell at one price here and
another in England Ben Harrison s
plain people pay more for shoes than the
plain people in England for the same shoe
and this he calls home protection" The
present tariff system says take from the
poor and give to the rich.
G. BUNNELL.
Waynetown, Ind, Sept. IS.