The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-07-28
rs THE TARIFF TAXATION?

A stereotyped argument of the nppo-
neuts OF our Protective system Is tat
the tariffs, levied upon ARTICLES mp Ii+d
from abroad are lax upon American
CONSUMERS, and that "A reduction OF those
tariffs would be reduction ut the taxes
paid by the people. The proposition, i
however. will not bear investigation.
1t is significant that the great burden
of the cry against the "texatiou' al the /
Tariff comes from the Southern States !
lately In rebellion against the nation
They will remember that one OF the mos
powerful weapons in the hands of the |
North during that struggle was the Tariff |
OF 1861, as 1t also proved To be most
effective blockade against the Sonth, |
which had no manufacturing facilities.
In presence of that supreme danger |
the patriotic people and their representa- |
tives IN Congress did not cry, Let us |
have cheap army blankets. provisions,
and equipments tor the war;" although
the National Treasury was empty and
the credit of the nation almost destroyed. |
On the contrary, thew placed a heavy tax
on the importation OF the very goods
they most needed, but which could be
produced at home They gave American
labor The preference OF The American
market. They set the factories and shops
III operation. They issued an AmeIicar
currency to take the place Of gold, which
fled at the first sound of danger. They
kept the currency in rapid circulation
among the people by buying AT nome
Instead of abroad, and the result was
that as the conflict became purtrac ed
the North, with its busy factories and
workshops, was found equal to all emer
geucies OF equipment OF the army and
prosecution Of The war. and at its close
two thirds OF the entire expense had been
paid. while the South, with Its oppressed
and illiterate labor, its neglected agri
culture and absence of manutact ures. Was
found unable to clothe or equip its sol
diers or even furnish them with sufficient
food.
The policy of Protection saved the
American Union, and the enemies of the
Union have never since ceased To h.wa
the excessive taxation Of the TirIf,
and they now fancy the loug looked for
opportunity has arrived to overthrow The
policy to which 1.-The lost cause SO
largely owes it's defeat.
The purpose of the Protective idea i'll
levying tariffs upon imported mlnuiact-
urers Is not merely to raise revenue tor
the support of Government but to secure
market and SO encourage diversified ill.,
dustry and restrain the competition of
cheap alien labor from flooding the home
markets with foreign made goods, deprIv-
ing home labor of employment, and re
ducing American wages to the foreign
level. IL will be seen by cnmpal lsnn that
1t is unfair aud incorrect to class such
tariffs as "a tax upon American consumers.
The Drinciple underlying the levyiug
of the Protective Tariff is the same as
that governing the levyiug of license
fees upon transient sellers of bankrupt
goods in all the towns of the country.
The regularly established honses doing
permanent business and paying taxes i'll
the community very properly object to
permission being granted to transient
spectators to open stores in competition
with them in order to get rid of their
cheap goods without paying a liberal IL
cense fee for the privilege. Were the
goods to be admitted free it would have
the effect of taking from the home es.
adjustments p.rt of their regular custom
and compelling them to reduce their
prices in order to compete, yet no person
would think of calling those license fees
tax upon the purchaser, although their
effect upon the prices paid is precisely the
same as that of the Tariffs levied upou
the foreign competitor
When manufacturers aud workmen
unite in demanding that the contract sys-
TEN be abolished in the prisons of the
country because the goods can be m ide
aud sold by the prison contractors
cheaper than they Can afford to manufac-
ture the same class of goods, no Que is
found to iusIst that the laws prohibiting
2 ha nnf ha
consumers, although they prevent the re-
duction of prices and wages just the same
as do the Protective Tariffs.
When the farmers of the country
found themselves faced by irregu lar com
petition i'll the manufacture OF au imita-
ton OF butter they secured the enactment
of laws levying special taxes and restric-
tions upon the sale of the competing ar
ticle aud so were enabled to main in the
prices OF the regular product. Still it has
not been charged that those taa es and re-
strictions are Il tax upon the consumers
OF butter, although they had the effect
of preventing :: reduction of its cost and
were therefore just as much of a tax upon
the consumer as the Tariff levied on Bel
GUM glass produced by workmen paid so
cents day when brought to this country
to compete wirn the American article
which represents lap"r paid from So 10 ST
day.
Let US be can ltd and consistent. 1t is
utterly undeLiape that the abolition OF
the Protective feature of the Tariff con-
templated by the Mills bill and the plat
form which endorses it means reduction
of wages, reduction of manufacture, re-
duction of the opportunities of employ.
ment reduction of the markets OF the
farmer reduction of the debtors ability
to meet his obligations. Those who would
profit by it would be the creditor, the
money lender, the sheriff, and those with
fixed incomes. For these cheap labor,
cheap food, cheap clothing may be an I'M
mixed blessing, but the debtor and pro-
duciug classes who constitute the vast
majority of the people would find in them
only increased Indebtedness, uncertain
employment and unrequited toil.-From
the Irish World.