Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-05
The Tarin and the Professional Man.

LIBEKTI CESTKR. o., Nov. I9, 's9.
"The tariff hasn't hurt me that know of
is what professional man once said 10 ou
hearing. There is nothing more invigora
ting to man than to sitdown to his own fire.
breakfast. table, a luxury which American
Of to-day caunot enjoy.
After a man has provided shelter, furni
ture and clothing, daily food must b.
provided. The cost of food according to tht
tariff schedule is increased on every dollar
worth of sugar on an average &c cts. syruI
35 cts, mOlasses l6 cts, rice in husk 102 cts
cleaned 96 cts, baking products 20 cts., baking
or yeast powders 20 cts, cheese 25 cts, butte
IS cts, coffee, roast or ground 20 cts, spices
ground 3S cts, Aavoring extracts so cts, frui
and vegetables, canned So cts, preserved
35 cts, pickles, preserves and sauces, So cts.
salt 81 cts, vinegar, 81 cts, sardines 80 cts.
salmon preserved 80 cts, other fish preserv.
ed 80 cts, canned meat, poultry and game
35 cts, lard IA cts, raisins and prumes 2L
cts, salt fish in barrels 81 to 90 barrel
olive oil in bottles 81 per gallon, bottles con.
|
have now enumerated about 80 articles
which are very necessary to build
furnish and provide house with furniture
clothing and food. We forbear to add more
lest we be forbid space for publishing. There
are over 1900 articles on the tariff list, articles
on which our people have been paying tar
iff for at least 25 years. Besides the four
classes of articles already mentioned every
family needs and must have a great many
other things constantly or occasionally, such
as soap, candles, starch, paper of various
kinds, books, ETC., every one of which is tar
if taxed.
Has the aforesaid professional man been
''hurt" or not He should remember that for
twenty-six years he has had to pay on every
one of the above named imported' articles
and many other imported articles which he
has bought the whole amount of duty which
we have named in this and previous articles,
together with a prohton the duty
to the importer who first paid the
duty. Then he has had to pay the full
amount of the duty on such home products
as are too limited in quantity to undersell the
foreign product with the tariff added such as
sugar, molasses, syrup and rice Home COM
petition if left to its natural workings, would
in the course of time neutralize the effect of
the tariff. But under the working of the pres
ent system of tariff laws, home competition
has itself been neutralized by the various
unions, leagues, associations and trusts of
different guilds, some over 200 in number,
which have been formed to keep up prices by
pledged adherence to fixed scale and by
running their factories on short time. From
all the above data we think our friend, the
professional man, and every other head of
family supported by labor can Judge how he
has been affected by the tariff. During all
these years, not one cent of the increased
cost which he has paid for home products,
has gone into the public treasury for the pub
lie good, but into the pockets of a compara-
lively few capitalists, producers for whose
war-tariff is outrageously per-
petrated after twenty-five years of reunited
country and profound peace. We cannot
demonstrate more plainly how the consumer
pays the tariff or its equivalent on all ar
ticles consumed, better than to cite one incl
dence. A few years since our neighbor, Mr..
B., and ourself were in Detroit, Michigan,
having few hours of leisure we crossed over
the river into Winsor, Canada, while there
we passed place where agriculture imple-
ments were sold, Mr.. B. stopped and asked
the dealer the price of a plow which stood in
front of building. So far as general ap-
oearance were concerned the plow looked
ike one of the Bryan, Ohio, or Albion, Mich,
olows The Winsor man said he could sell
that plow for $12. After we returned to De-
5roit we happened to pass an establishment
If the same kind, Mr.. B. stopped and asked the
price of genuine Albion, Michigan, plow,
No. IA. The Detroit dealer replied: "That
blow will cost you $17" "Why," said Mr.. B.,
L was offered plow very much like this !
one over in Canada to-day for S12." II
nave no doubt of that" said the Detroit deal
9r, "but it would have cost you Sc to get the
blow throu gh our Custom House." See Had |
Mr.. B. purchased the plow in Canada he
would have been met in Detroit by Custom
House officer and compelled to pay tariff |
If $6 for the privilege of handling his |
blow, for the protection of American indus
ry and our American laboring men. The sc |
would have gone into United States Treasury
o help defray the expenses of the govern
nent. But had Mr.. B. purt hased the plow
If the Detroit dealer, NJ. custom officer |
would have had no business with HIM. and
instead of 'Uncle Sam" getting the extra
,G in the cost of the pillow, Mr.. Detroit deal |
II puts it into his own pocket, as one of the |
blessings of protective tariff, and Mr.. B. |
oots the bill, as he is the consumer of the
,low. If by removing the tariff on any or all !
# the articles which we have enumerated
n this and our former letters, will give us
heaper houses, cheaper furniture, cheaper
agricultural implements, cheaper food and
medicines, together with all of the necessa-
les of life and thereby give the poor man at
east one chance in the great conflict of life.
We are willing to let those articles come in as
heap and free as the great God of justice
will let them. M.
Inform alton For YOu