Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-10-20

cr1mlnateS IN FAVOR OF the American cltlzen- A
revenue tariff invites the product OF foreign
labor and foreign capital TO occupy our markets
tree and unrestrained In competition with the
product Of our own labor and capital pro,ec-
tive tariff invites the product Of foreign labor
and foreign capital, which are necessary = the
wants of our people (Which we cannot produce
20 untaxed to the people, but insists that every
foreign product which is produced at home, or
can be successfully, In quantities capable OF sup
ever necessary to maintain suitable rewards to
our labor, bear duty which shall not be so high
as to prohibit importations, but at such rate as
will pr duce the necessary revenues and at tho
same time not destroy but encourage American
production It says to the world producers: IT
you want to share with the citizens Oh the Uniteo
States their home market you must ray for the
privilege of doing it. Your product shall not
enter in free and unrestrained composition with
the product of our own people, but shall be de-
scriminated against to such an extent as TO FULLY
protect and defend our own
GEoRGIA's GREAT coMMoNER," ALEXANDER H
STEPHENS CITED AS PRoTEcTIoNIsT
The Hos. Alexander Stephens, distinguished
citizen of your state and endeared to the
people Of the south, stated on June q, 1882, n
the house OF representatives the theory so well
that beg to quote him:
THE best way to raise revenue is by duties
upon imports. They bear less heavily on the
taxpayers, and, as legislators, that IS what we
should look to- In levying duties on imports
you can at the same time make foreign produc-
ers pay for the use of your markets, and in that
and s ad taue ps9
general proposition that the consumer pays all
the duty imposed upon commodities brought
from other countries. This is question that can
not now argue In most instances, where the
duties are judiciously laid they are borne partly
by the consumer and partly by the importer.
ITO allow congress thus to raise revenue by
duties upon imports one of the main objects
in establishing the federal constitution of 1877.
This system Of internal revenue taxation by ex-
else and stamp duties was not favored by the
fathers of the republic in times Of peace. l
speak plainly, and say that it was looked upon
then as not Only Of British origin but there was
to it In the American mind. There was never
any legislation more abhorrent to the people of
thus country, even in their colonial condition,
than what was known as the infamous stamp
act"
on WHOM THE BURDENS OF IMPORT DUTIES FALL.
1t is alleged as serious objection to protective
duties that the tax, whatever 1t may be- increases
the cost of the foreign as well as the domestic
products to the extent of such tax duty, and
that it is wholly paid by the consumer. This OBJ
lection would be worthy of serious consideration
if 1t were true but as has been demonstrated over
and over again, it is without foundation In fact.
competition at home the duty is rarely paid by
the consumer. 1t is paid from the profits of the
manufacturer, or divided between him and the
merchant or the importer, and diminisnes their
profits to that extent. Duty or no duty, without
home competition the consumer would fare worse
than he fares now. There is not in the long line
of staple products consumed by the people a
single one which has not been cheapened by COM
petition at home, made possible by protective
duties, There is not an article that enters into
the every day of the family which is pro-
duced In the United States that has not been
made cheaper and more accessible as the result
of home production and development, which was
the protective system. While this is true of pro-
tective tariffs, exactly the opposite is true of
revenue tariffs They are always paid by the con-
sumer A duty put upon foreign product the
like Of which is not produced at home, and which
enters our markets free from home competition,
the cost to the American consumer is exactly the
0ng with "a w
may be- much or little. Surprising, for example,
there was tax upon tea and coffee There being
States and therefore no competition here the
cost to the American public would be the cost
abroad, and the duty added. We imported last
year 526 4S 900 pounds of coffee duty of 10 cents
pound would have produced to the government
over ST., 0O00 coo, which would have been paid by
the ~ 900 families of this country, consumers
of this article. Eighty mill n five hundred
and eighty -four thousand pounds of tea were i'm
ported last year. At 10 cents pound $4,000
and upwards would have gone into the treasury,
every dollar of which would have been paid by
our own people. Take sugar. as another example.
We produced last year in this country about per
cent. of what our people consumed. The duty
collected from imported sugar amounted to $685.
100000. The domestic production was so incon-
siderable as compared with the domestic con
sumption to have had little, if any, apprecable
effect upon the price to the consumer, and there
fore this sum was almost wholly paid by our own
citizens, and the cost of sugar, to the American
consumer, because of the inadequate home sup
ply, is practically the foreign price, duty added,
the domestic production being so small contrasted
with the domestic demand that it in no wise con-
trolled or influenced the price.
The price to us is fixed by the 90 per cent.
which comes from abroad, plus the amount of the
| duty collected at the custom house. 1t would
have been otherwise if the bulk of our consump-
ton produced at home. If you take any
! American production which is large enough to
supply the domestic demand, the effect is differ
ent. Then the foreign production must undersell
the home production in order to get foothold in
this market and therefore the foreign producer
is willing to surrender the whole duty, or a con-
siderable part of it, consenting to less profits for
the sake of extending his market, with the hope
| of ultimately destroying home competition. The
real question, therefore is whether in raising
money to supply the government needs we should
have thoughtful concern of the industrial inter
eStS of the people we represent or, discarding
every other consideration, shall adjust duties
upon the revenue principle to secure revenue and
revenue only. The money must be raised, and in
raising it the protectionst is mindful of the in
terests of our own people The tariff reformer is
own. can not understand why any patriotic
| citizen should prefer revenue tariff to protec-
| tive tariff l can not understand why so long as
taxation must be resorted to land that viii be the
] case so long as governments exist it should not
| be raised upon the foreign article which COM
petes with the domestic article, and thus dscrim-
mate in favor of our own against the foreign,
rather than to admit to equality in our markers
untaxed, and upon equal terms with our own
] producers, the products of our foreign rivals.
| THE PRINCIPLE OF sELF-PRoTEcTIoN APPLIED AND
ILLUSTRATED.
The protective system but invokes the highest
law of nature, that of self preservation. There
| is every reason, founded on justice, why the
| American producer should in every constitutional
way be favored against the foreign producer
whose products compete with his. This is our
| natural market. We have made it. We have
made it after a century of struggle. We have
made it at the cost of capital and brain and
| muscle. We have preserved it against foreign
wars and domestic conflicts at great sacrifice of
men and money The foreign producer has con-
tributed nothing to the country. Whatever in
| q I'm axp has hapn against mo- md IN
our detriment He has nothing in common with
He is without the jurisdiction of our laws. He
empt from all civil Obligations in every part Of
| the republic, We can make no requisition upon
him, either In peace or in war. Our mode OF
send to our markets We can demand Of him
that his merchandise shall make contribution to
our treasury If he would enjoy the use of or
markets. We can make him scrve us IN no other
way. .llt
In the case of a revenue tariff, as have pointed
out, his product never bears the burden What
| ever we put upon 1t is borne by our own people,
and in no wise shared by him This principle Of
caring for our own is founded upon the highest
authority, human and divine. 1t commences with
the family, extends up through the community
to the state, end at last to the nation. There is
city in the country in any section that does not
invoke this principle in the administration of
municipal government for the protection and en-
couragement of Its own citizens.
|
the land. If he would expose his wares upon the
streets of Atlanta at public auction 1 doubt not
the city government compels him to pay a tax
for the privilege of doing it and that tax is added
to the ordinary revenues Of the city to assist in
meeting its obligations Now, why is this donef
| Upon exactly the same principle that we tax the
foreign competing product under system OF pro-
lection. 1t is done to protect and defend the
resident merchants of your city, who are with
you always, within your jurisdiction, subject to
your laws contributing to the wealth and prog
ress of your CITY, paying taxes to adorn and beau
| tify it, paying taxes to support your public
| schools and make public improvements. The it
inerant yender has no such rttation to your COM
munty. He is no part of your political organism
| He comes and goes; he is not taxpayer; he
shares in none of the burden, of your people; he
| is free trader, who looks upon your market as
much his and as open to him as to your own
tradespeople. Your city government taxes him
to diminish the burdens borne by your citizens
| This is protection, simple and pure, and is the
exact character, of that which we would apply to
| foreign nations Seeking our markets Our fathers
recognized this principle 1t was emphasized in
the second act ever passed by the congress of the
| United States. The ringing words of that dec
| laration for industrial independence wish might
| find q Judgment in every American heart:
| t'WhereaS ii is necessary for the support ct the