Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-10-19
HOW 1T rs DONE.

An ''Augusta Farmer" writes us that
he can 'hardlY credit" the statement made
editorially in the VINDICAToR, week or
two ago, that protected manufacturers in
this country charge one price-and high
one-to American consumers. and an.
other, and lower one, to foreign consumers.
Nevertheless it is absolutely true; but
what is worse than all. it can be done
legally under the present Tariff Law. 1t
comes under the head of the Rebate Law.
Under that law manufacturer in. say.
Massachusetts gets raw material, we will
call it wool, from abroad. He pays the
duty of say 40 per cent. on it-more or less,
according to class. If he manufactures
clothing from it for an Augusta farmer.
that duty of 40 per cent. remains on it. If
he manufactures it into clothing to sell
outside of the United States, ne goes to
the government and get back the 40 per
cent. duty he paid, less small amount to
cover the custom house expenses 1t is the
same with all raw material. Nc
doubt this statement will be as hard to be-
lieve by our farmer friend as the one that
attracted bis attentlon-that Stanton
hardware merchants had to resort to the
ruse Of getting friends in New York to
buy goods for export and then change
their destination and send them to Staun-
ton-the difference being anywhere from
20 to so per cent. in price If our CORE
spendent inds this too astonishing, let
him turn to the official record. The Ways
and Means Committee of the House of Re
representatives. which was examining into
this subject, had before them on February
2lst. 1884. Mr. Marshall, rope manufac-
turer of New York. Here is his evidence
from the official report:
Mr. Herbert-You are entitled to a rebate
of 80 per cent. on the duty paid on your raw
materials.
Mr.. Marshall-Yes.
Mr.. Herbert-Then you are able to sell
ccrdage to the foreigner cheaper than you can
sell it in your own country?
Mr.. Marshall-Yes, sir.
Mr. Herbert-If duty were taken off the
raw material and if the tariff on the manu-
facturel article was also reduced, would you
be able to sell to your own countrymen at
pretty nearly the same price as you sell to the
foreigner?
Mr.. Marshall-Yes, sir.
Mr.. Herbert That is, you would give the
American consumer a fair chance?
Mr. Marshall-Exactly.
Mr.. Herbert-But as it is now the foreign
consumer is protected by our tariff laws at the
expense of the American consumer?
Mr. Marshall-Yes; I said few years ago
to gentleman (well known by reputation)
who was going to deliver speech on the com
e Al. Al>ok L T
ropes on the docks IN the city of New York
and export 80 tons to China, the American
captain has to pay me more money for the
rope which he buys at the dock in New York
than the English or the German or French
captain has to pay who buys the same rope in
China after paying all the expenses of sending
it there. That is the way that the commerce
of this country is benefited by the tariff.
Now, we suppose our farmer correspon-
dent will understand the operation by
which he is made under the present high
tariff law-which would not exist but for
ing, his rope, saws. axes and other things
of his farm life, than the farmer of South
America or any other foreign country pays
for the same article. In brief. his vote
and bis taxes keep up American factories
for the cheap supply of foreign nations at
has expense.
And what comment is this law on Mr..
Yost's American Manufacturer who has
to pay such high wages that the tariff
must secure him high prices or he cannot
compete with foreign labor Here is the
American Manufacturer making goods
which are sold abroad successfully IN com.
petition with the labor Of the very coun-
tries in which they are sold and where the
very raw material itself is grown. If the
American workingraan is given fair
chance at the outside market of the world,
with free raw material to put him on an
equal footing. he will run any foreign ma.
ton you can name, England not excepted,
oat of the field. and do the manufacturing
for the World. Then will come the day
which began to dawn in 1855 plenty of
work good wa.es, and prosperous, happy
country. This is 6ght for tue emancipa-
tion of the Workman of this Country from
Tariff Bondage, as we'll as for the other
consumers of the land, It is his fight and
he ought to be on the right eide in it.