Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-26
Easy Tariff Lessons.

baHg AaFlH llcssohs.
The Pittsburg Post summarizes the
following facts from Z. T. Wilson's
"ProtectiOnists cateehism," and the les
sons can be readily understood:
What the monopoly and trust tariff
people on this side OF the water call
"British trade" is simply a tariff for
revenue. Great Britain collects at her
custom houses about 100000, 900 per
year, r,Hwhile our highest revenue from
customs during the civil war was only
Sl02, ,000, 900, and British free trade"
has only been in existence since 1850.
From the Norman conquest (l066) to
1850, the policy of protection was in
force. From 1850 to 1860 was an era OF
transition.
A comparison of these two periods of
low and high tariffs is instructive.
The greatest wealth of Great Britain
per capita, in the period from 1906 to
1850, nearly 800 years, was SS25. From
1900 to 1910 it declined from 1926 to
$3.50. In 1877, after II years of strict
ly revenue tariff. and 10 years of transit
tiOn from one system to the other, her
wealth was 81 $50 per capita, an increase
of $3.50, or so per cent. over 1910.
From 1850 to 1850, decade when a
tariff for revenue only prevailed, the
increase of wealth in the United States
averaged $235 for each inhabitant. In
no decade in our history has the in
crease of wealth been so great in proper
tion to population. This increase was
greater than Great Britain experienced
in 200 years of protection.
| TTnHor tho nnaratiOn of
tariff New South Wales has accumu-
lated wealth, which averages 81 ,205 for
each inhabtant. From I840 to 1877 the
3S5 per capita. The Average wealth
per capita of the United States in 1880,
after 20 years of high protection, and in
spite of the enormous gains by immigra-
tiOn, was only $40.
Protection is said to be beneficial to
the workingman, and British free
trade" ruinous to his interests. How far
this IS borne out by statistics may be
seen from the following figures: The
average wealth of the rich people OF
Great Britain has declined $4,000 pei
head since 1910, but their number has
also trebled. The average wealth of the
middle class has declined 50, ITO in the
same time, but their number ha:
doubled. The average wealth of the
poor increased from 1920 in 1840 tG
$3.50 in 1879, without any perceptiblt
increase in number. Whence came th,
increase in the numbers of the rich anC
the middle classes? These classes wert
recruited from the ranks of those be
meath them in point of wealth. Many
of the middle class Joined the ranks o
the rich, and many ofthe poor accumu
lated property enough to be ranked
with the middle class or rich.
Thus it appears that under "Britist
free trade" England collects annual,
from her custom houses nearly as mucl
as the United States collected at tn
highest point during the war; that un
der British free trade" wealth in sew
enteen years increased more than $50
per capita in England; that the creates
increase in wealth per capita in tn
United States was between 1850 ant
1860, when tariff for revenue pre-
vailed;" that in New South Wales an
in Scotland, under a revenue tariff, tn
average wealth per capita is more tina
one-fourth greater than twenty years G
protection enabled us to reach in tn
United States; that under british FIRE
trade" the average wealth of rich pee
pie has declined, but their number ha
trebled; the average wealth of til
middle classes has declined, but the
number has doubled, while the averae
possessions of the poorer classes hay
increased without any increase in the
numbers. In view of these facts, wit
the lessons they teach, it is certainl