The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-06-30

once the question, what is the tariff?
How does 1t tax? 1t is a tax upon
foreign goods imported into this coun-
try. When it is levied for the purpose
OF supporting the government ii is
called tariff for revenue; when il is
levied tor the purpose of helping
man in his business it is called tariff
for protection. So far as it may be a
tariff for revenue | am not disposed to
dispute or controvert the wisdom of
the method which it suggests of raising |
money; although there are some sug-
gestions well worthy of consideration,
some of which ! have already made. |
Another thought is, should not we be !
in better condition to determine what |
ought to be done at Washington with |
your taxes If you knew how much !
taxes you had paid! Why should one
wish to be ignorant OF what one pays
to the government through system of
indirect taxatiOnY | can understand
why kings and emperors should wish
to conceal from the people the taxes
they pay; but it is mystery to me
that our people, who are themselves
the sovereigns, should wish to be de-
ceived as TO the amount they pay to
support the government which is their
own creature. only throw these ont
Gs Suggestions, because recognize the
expediency OF the government To levy
taxes for purposes OF revenue.
But tax tor protection. a tax to
help one man along in his business
that is the tariff to which | am oppOs-
ed. Now, generally, say that the
government has not any right TO sur
render the taxing power to al individ-
ua that he may gather out of his tel-
low-citizens what they have earned.
Surprising a man wants to start the
business of making ploughs. He be-
gins it as began my business OF study
ing law, or yours of being II merchant,
or Won yours of being banker, or you
yours of being farmer. He selects il
under all the conditions as the best one
for him with his opportunities aud cap
ital. Now, when be has engaged III
it, il il be a profitable business, if max
ing ploughs is giving him good returns,
he does not need the protection of the
government. If il is an unprotitahle
one, 1t is good reason why he should
take his money out of his business, but
it is no reason why he should make you
and me pay two prices for our ploughs
in order to make good the losses in y
business into which he has voluntarily
gone When he selected his business
of making ploughs he stood before the
law as all of us stand, and was no more
entitled TO governmental consideration
and protection than we were, And
he should be left as we are left by the
law to achieve our own fortunes, make
our own results, and work out our own
destiny,
But there Is another consideration.
If the protection that the law gives. IN
whatever form, shall come equally to
every American citizen, so that every
person gets his proportiOnate share then
why the necessity OF protection! Be
cause, after all have been protected
alike, each IS standing as to the other
in precisely the same situation as he
stood before. II is as though all were
to get on stills six feet high. They are
high relatively, but each is to the other
just as when he walked on teyTG .f'nt".
And il il is to be unequal protection;
if some are to get something at the ex-
pense of others, then il is u wrong
which the government of the United
DtttCo 10 W thS
from committing.
But how does this protective tariff
operate? 1t puts duty on the foreign
article in order that the American pro-
ducer OF a similar article may be re-
lieved from the competition which the
importation of that article will make.
He says i-"l don't like so many Of
these foreign goods coming into this
country. | have started into my bnsl-
ness-whatever it may be-and would
like to have better market and better
prices, and these foreign goods are
coming in here to annoy me, and am
an American, and my American fellow
citizens are to patrOnize me, and 50
wish that congress would pass y law So
that these foreign goods should not
COME in here TO disturb Inc. and Will
appeal to the patriotism OF Americans.
Shall we not stand by one another!'
II may be that he who is asking this
right to sell goods is living In Port
land, Maine, and the man he wishes to
sell goods to Is living in Minnesota.
There is no neighborly tie between
them, but still he bases his claim on
patriotism, and asks congress to pass
law keeping out foreign articles that
he may have better market, or so
that foreign articles can onl y come III
ut high price that he may b. enabled
to increase the price of the article he
desires to sell. had Il triend say 1"
me not long ago that he didn't SEQ how
he was hurt by the tariff; because, he
said, he didn't know that he had
bought any foreign goods. | answered:
EsI I, Al ,.,.iH snA
the price of domestic goodsf llo ynu
suppose that the man who asks for IL
law to put duty on foreign goods is
satisfied with thatr Aud then gave
him the Illustration which | now give
to you. Supposing all the sugar OF the
world came to America free OF duty,
aud rs result OF the unlimited compe-
tiliOn every hogshead sold for SlOu.
The sugar producer, wanting the
assistance of the government ~ have
suggested, goes to congress and asks
for y 100 percent duty, SO that foreign
sugar shall not come here To annoy
him. Well, congress passes such Il
law. 1t goes INTO operation, and what
is the result? II increases the price "I
the imported sugar 100 per cent. The
importer has to pay 100 per cent on
every hogshead rs it enters the port of
New York, aud the man who pur-
chases il has to pay $500 because hc
must reimburse the Importer. DO
you suppose tho American sugar
producer keeps his price at the original
figure of 800 II hogshead? Certainly
not! lie raises il to $l9j or Sl96, Il
price just under that At which the
foreign sugar can be proiitably import
ed That is the result of the tariff, ~
regards domestic goods. The American
purchaser 0t foreign sugar has to pay
$500 ior every hogshead which before
he got for 800, and the consumer OF
American sasyar has to pay Sl9I or
1896 for thafS which, before, he was
able to buy for 800. In other words,
The operation oi the tariff is to Increase