South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-09-13

1CStet Csssficutc1 as WHISKY 10 nor
Uoald thc removal OF The tariff tx, ihs, Is
protective, eaee'e the toreiga producer TO
Sell largely in our markets.
people generally cling tensci oas.y a.
their nadonsl drinks, and will not readily
exchanges the kinds Of liqnor. The bands OF
l9sor 10 which they are accustomed fo-
'csesga liquors At the same or evea less PR.
ces. Moreover I, lie beyond doubt that we
can produce most OF our spiri,uous liquors
cheaper than they can be made any here
else 10 the world.
Tns GAS AND LOCAL rsrsrs.
The gas. street ruilwsy aud similar lcos
trusts fall rath or under tie head OF uaturai
monopolies, and offer little difficulties, ~
RULE TO the municipal governmeas nnder
which :hey attempt 10 operate. Each city,
hy Ia inspection laws, its supervision ald
ccntrc! ofsorvice aud rates, cxa pro set It's
residents from imposition. in extreme ca.
ses II "a Justified IN dislodsing monopoly
by even assuming to discharge the service
ITSELF or where c particular service in its
own nature psrtakes of the nature of n mo
nopoly, the let alone policy, which is the
ordinary cuty OF the State, is rs disastrous
to the rights OF those whom the State 10
bound to protect as its Interpretation ia 9th.
ar cases 20 foster monopoly. But this 10, in
my Judgment, the last re nedy 10 be thought
OF, aud justihabie only when others fail.
Still, il permits us to dismiss these loea,
trusts from further consideration.
rHK TARIFF Tue GREAT MOTHER or rRusTs.
The existing tariff imposes tax averay-
ing nearly fifty per cent. on all the dntisnle
goods brought to this country, which 10
macy cases, az in refined sugar and cotton
bagging, we have already seen. % entirely
prohibitory. Indeed, IL is avoweGly an CT
trcme protective tariff that is 70 say, i,s
duties are not laid to bring money in;o the
treasury, but for the very purpose OF keep.
ing ont foreign products that might com
pete With products made at home. 1t is,
therefore. the purting mother Of trusts. AL
nost aoy higaly'prolected' article, where
production may be centralized, like that OF
refined sugar, In a moderate number o, es-
tabliohments can be made the basis Of q
trust as readily ne sugar. Now the hard
condition OF the consumer is that the very
purposes for which these ;ariG taxes are laid
require that they shall be laid on tho plain
neoessaries Of life. 1t Is q familiar maxim,
that Protection. to be available, must be
got out OF the belly and back OF the grea.
mass Of the people Tits. therefore. chiefly
in The highly taxed commodities that sup.
ply hts primary wants. and which he cam
not, therefore, forego, that the citizen il
finding himself levied upon today by the
trusts
THE PROTECTION OF HAMILTON AND
CLAY.
The theory Of the protective tariff
OF Alexander Hamilton, end after
wards or Dir. Clay. was that it gave
aprema,uge aud temporary assistance
to young industries 10 get on their
feet earlier than they could of their
own strength if subjected 20 foreign
competition. AID Mr.. hamilton ex-
press!y opposed excessive rates "a
lending to monopoly. and said that If
after a reasonable time any Industry
still! needed prote cii0n, i. was proof
that there we're natural inpedimeuts
to ito bnildius up in This country,
aud IL shou!d he abandoned. In cur
centennial year tarrff rates arc six or
seven times higher than Mr. Uem;i.
ton first arranged them in the iGfon-
cy Of the country and IN the begin
ming of manufactures. Moreover,
there is not an instance In al thst
hundred years OF any Industry once
admitted into tie government hoeDi-
tai that has not ct once become O.
professional old sollier,' and forever
0fterwarl whiuad with terror or
sbrieked witt rage at the suggestion
that it should again face active COM
petition in he ranks. And by both
Mr. Hamilton and MIR. Clay pro.ec-
ton was granted on the Fundamental
condition that those engaged in the
tostered industries would honestly
compete among themselves so as to
give the consumer, whose taxes sup.
ported them the benefit Of their
cheapes: production, in order that lie
might he relieved as soon ns possible
of the burden of carrying them.
TIE PROTECTION OF TODAY.
But the theory Of those who defend
the existing rates Is not that OF Ham,
iiton or Clay, but of Henry Carey, to
whom protection meant not n tempo.
rsry aid to home industries unit they
could get firmly on their feet, but a
permanent and complete prohibition
of foreign produces tic like of which
could be produced in this coun.
try. He believed aud taught that IL
would be beneficial TO us TO tave the
oceans whieh encompass US turned
into a sea OF fire.
If my venerable friend, Judge Kel-
lev, who has done me the honor to
write INC that lie is reading these pa
pers, happens to peruse this para,
graph, be will not object, ] believe, 20
my saying tGat both bis tccching as
d statesman end his practical work 40
a lawyer IN framing our tariffs since
1861 have been in accord with the
doctrines Of Mr.. Carey.
TARIFF CAUSES ever PRODUCTION.
But the tariff is otherwise respon-
STOLE for trusts. The high bounties
II offers in many Industries csuse an
extraordinary rush into them on tue
part OF those who are tempted by the
promise Of greater profits than can DO
made in industries pursued under
normal condi ions. This rush leads.
sooner or later, TO excessive produce
ioD, end then, 10 escape tho loss
threatened by al ove.siocked mar
ket, resort ia bod 10 some kind Of
coordination 10 maintain prices and
10 control supply.
Tbs circle is, FIRST. excessive gimu.
Istioni next. excessive production.
md lastly combinations against The
consumer. ! know il IL enormously
lenicd Ivy defenders Of cur ter II lhai
2 : 81 argooito v.,fh H. 49,. - -.