Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-10

The ratio of increase of our produc-
tions exceeds the increase of our popu-
lation in given time; hence. we must
export the surplus either in crude form
or manufactured. Can we do this un-
der a governmental policy of protec-
ton? Nations, like individuals, buy
manufactured articles where they are
cheapest, and that country that sells
the cheapest will control the markets
TO the extent of the products offered.
a few evenings ago an advocate of
this tariff policy of prohibiting the pro-
ducts of our farmers from finding
market abroad 10y building IAN Amer
lean wall around this country so high
that all trade should be cut oft from
abroad, and condoned the fate OF the
pioneers of Illinois who lived on ''ierked
venison and dried pumpkins" and
graphically described the true happiness
and prosperity enjoyed by our farmers
to-day. He taught us that prosperity
was upon us. aud that the ''dugout' had
disappeared-that comfortable homes
well carpeted, buggies or carriages for
our pleasure or convenience, newspa-
pers, books. schools and churches and
plenty to eat and wear are the benifi-
cent results of protection to the farm
ers. We have been able to read and
think, and observe for some years and
thrown not unfrequently among the
tlllers of the soil; yet we have SO far
failed to discern that excessive taxation
is beneficial to the farmers. But we
have observed the sad and delected
countenaDce of the taxpayer as he am
bles up to the tax gatherer and meekly
inquiries the amount of his tax; and we
have'tolloW ed him into the retail store,
whittier he went TO purchase the nee
essaries of life and observed the chagrin
that overspead his face when the fact
confronted him that the local taxin
power was not all; but the fangs of
congressional taxation were fastened
upon almost every article required for
home use and consumption; and imbed-
ded deepest in those most necessarily
required.
VIII this champion of protection rise
and tell us the aggregate amount of
farm mortgages in Kansas. and give
the reasons for the same? Will he tell
US that high taxation enriches us, and
causes over $4,000. 600 in farm mort
| cages in our county, and whether This
| Indebtedness has not done more to-
ward displaclng the 'dugOut" and sub
| shutting better domiciles and richer
! furniture; and Will cause the farmers
30 work longer and harder" if their
mortgages are liquidated and the inter-
est promptly paid, than all the benif-
cent results flowing from protection
Why has our merchants marine fall
! len from 73 per cent. in 1853, under
revenue tariff, to less than II per cent.
under high protective tariff? Is it
| because we have nothing to ship
abroad? No. This American wall of
| protection" has closed our ports against
| foreign commerce and forced the car
rying trade into foreign vessels while
ours are laid up for repairs. Ont OF
$500. 1000, 600 trade with China in 1856,
we got S20,O00,000. Owing to our prox-
| unity to the countries to the south. we
should control the trade, but we do not
| England has three times as much COM
mercial intercourse with those countries
as we have. Have we no raw mater
| ial within our borders? And no indus
| triouS and skilled lab0rers in our midst?
| Great Britain sends her ships into our
| ports, buys our cotton, returns home
with it, manufactures it in to fabrics,
| passes by us with a sneer, under sells
us in Mexico, Central and South Amer
| lea. and even passes around the Horn"
| enters the Pacific majestlcally and Sc
cures the commercial traffic of the Pa
cific Islands. Tell us why?
| Which DaVS the duty on the lmDOrtpu
article, the importer or the consumer.
| The attempt, though labored, has been
! To demonstrate that the importer paid
The duty, and the cost of the article TO
| the consumer was the same as though
no duty had been added. Now let us
see. In the statement imports and du-
| ties for the fiscal year 1887, we find the
| the following among others that duty
eCceed the foreign value:
ARTICLES. VALUES DUTIES.
Shelled peanuts 80. 9 Al.
Cigars 3,3OI.177. 3,563,29S.
| Large plate glass 557, 96S o53,36s.
| Castor oil 6l9 LOS
Certain steel ingots, etc. 9,743. s,s62.
Now, if the foreign importer had paid
the duties on all these articles he would
have given US the peanuts valued at
$50. and made us present OF 81. for
taking them off his hands. lie would
have not only given us $3,30l III worth
of cigars, but would have given us
1892, III to get us to smoke them. We
got dose of castor oil worth S6l9 and
got $50 for swallowing it. This liberal
importer not only gave us 81. worth of
Rum oil, but threw in So. with which
TO buy whisky when the Republicans
make 1T free. Fine fellows-these inn
pOrters. Since 1875 we have sold them
| about 81, SOC, 600, 900 in merchandise
more than they have sold to us. Ii we
had been taxed AZ per cent, as they
have been, they would have got from US
more than we did from then-nearly
| 752 900, 600. But they have not, aud we
! feel grateful. We believe that an ex-
animation of this question will demon
strate the total absurdity of this posi-
ton. 1t has been contended that a
| high protective system guarantees good
wages and prosperity to the American
laborers and maintains the same at a
| high standard. If protection makes
high wages. why is 1t that this system
! operates so unevenly i'm the various
states in similar industries? The aver
| age wages per annum of the laborerS in
the state of Maine is S257; Massachusetts
1861: Rhode Island $3.50; Vermont $500,
for each laborer. Ii congressional tar
| iii legislation makes high wages, why
! does it operate so unevenly in the diff
ferent states? Great Britain pays cot
ton spinners per day, Sl.57; Massachu-
sets, per day for similar work, S1.25;
| Vermont Sl.l5. In the manufacture of
! agricultural implements, a blacksmith
| gets - per cent. more in Illinois than
in Indiana; a foreman gets 30 per cent.
more in Pennsylvania than in New
! York; a painter gets 40 per cent. more
in Pennsylvania than in Maine In the
boot and shoe industry, a buffer gets
$3.50 per day in Pennsylvania and Sl.40
per day in New York; while button
hole maker, if a woman. gets. in Penn
sylyania. Ts cents per day, and in New
| York S1.0s.