The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-09
WHO PAY THE MOST TARIFF.

The gambler, the dude, the dent monde, and
large class of fashionable people who dress
extravagantly and wear fine jewelry, and make
great display, pay most Of the tariff, and a
great many of them can only be reached by
tariff legislation, as they have no visible prop
erty upon which a tax can be assessed and col.
lected, and the only way to reach them is to
make them pay tariff in the shape of an in
crease of the price upon the goods they buy
In fact a large proportion Of the tariff is paid
by a class of people above referred to. and by
foreign importers who bring such goods to the
American market as are made in this country
where the competition between home producers
and home manufacturers regulates the price
and the foreign nYporter has to pay the tariff
or large part of it, out Of his own pocket to
get into our markets. This is true whenever
the price is fixed by our home competition and
the importation of the article has not increased
the price. Then it costs the purchaser of the
imported article no more than the home market
price, and in thatcase the importer must pay
,the tariff out of his own pocket So that a larg,
part of our tax is paid under the tariff system
for us by foreign importers 10 get into our
market, at prices fixed by our home cQfnpeti-
ton, and not changed by the Importation on
which the foreigner pays the tariff.
THE REAL RIlRDENs OF THE FARMER
The heavy burdens borne by the Southern
planters and farmers are not the result Of tariff
legislation. They result from an unwise system
adopted by our planters of raising one particu-
lar crop or product. 1nstead OF diversifyng
labor and crops, many Of them raise no crop but
cotton.
They purchase their corn, -four hay. pork
bacon and agricultural machinery from the
West. They ought to make it at home and
make less cotton.
But there Is still another cause for their want
Of prosperity, which outweighs the tariff more
than tenfold.
Under our national banking system banks
cannot loan money to our planters and take
lien or mortage on real estate AZ security
Planters have no stocks or bonds to deposit as
security. Consequently they cannot borrow
money in bank. What are they TO do? They
are obliged to purchase supplies TO be used in
making the crop. As they have no other re-
source, they turn 10 the merchant and TX him
to sell them corn, bacon and other necessary
supplies on credit for six or nine months, till
they can make and sell the crop. He agrees
to sell them corn and bacon on six
months time. But he charges u per cent on
the cash price for the corn and bacon on six
months time. In other words. he charges on a
credit for six months dollar bushel for corn
worth 75c. cash, which is % per cent for ST.
months or 30 per cent. for twelve months And
like rates on other necessary supplies This is 20
per cent. per annum the planter pays for the
use Of the money with which to purchase sup.
plies to make the crop. IL Is not the tariff but
the 80 per cent he pays for the use of the money
that ruins the Southern planter This is what
covers the plantations Of our farmers with
mortgages. The tariff Is not the cause. The
high rate Of interest paid for money does the
mischief