Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-09-06
WORDS OF WISDOM.
protectlonists Admit That In Foreign
Countries q Tariff Is Tax-Senator Frye
and the New York Tribune Understand q
Thing or Two About Tariffs.

Countries q Tariff Is Tax-Senator Frye
and the New York Tribune Understand q
Thing or Two About Tariffs.
1t is an amusing thing to see what
damaging admissions our high tariff
statesmen and organs can make when
they get to talking about the effects of
tariffs away off in foreign countries.
One of their queer doctrines is that the
tariff in our country is not tax at all,
and therefore that it does not increase
the cost Of goods or obstruct the course
OF trade
Butget these protectionists to talking
about the effects Of tariffs in foreign
countries, and you will find that they
are men Of ordinary common sense, and
that they understand just as we'll as
anybody else that tariffs are burdens
on the consumer.
Here, now, is Senator Frye, OF Maine.
to whom Blaine sent his two famous
letters on the subject Of reciprocity
with South America. Frye undertook
recently in the Senate to explain what
Blaine wanted to accomplish by those
! ! ssiesiirsfss - - - -
Mr.. Butler, of South Carolina, was en-
gagged in colloquy with the Maine Sem
ator, endeavoring to get from him an
explanation of the extent Of the re-
ciprocity proposed by Blaine
Here is part Of what was said:
Mr. Butler-Then l understand that the
Secretary of State was in favor Of opening
TO-. A..
facturers?
Mr. Frye-Undoubtedly he was In favor Of
some reciprocal relations with the Repub-
lies to the south Of us by which the market
OF the Tn ted States might be extended to
them
Mr. Buter-Then, in short, he was in favor
OF opening foreign markets?
Mr. Frye-ie was in favor Of resorting to
some measure by which the high duties i'm.
posed by the South American Repub les on
products of the United States might be re-
duced AMI removed thus enabling US to
send our goods To those markets.
Reducing and removing their duties,
thus enabling us to send our goods to
these markets."
What does that mean? All! The
tariff is tax-in South America The
that the consumer can not afford to buy
them-in South America, For the duty
is paid by the consumer fnally-in
South America!
Exceedingly strange that tariffs do
not work the same way in North Amer
ical
The New York Tribune is persistently
| blind to the effects of the tariff on the
laboring classes in the United States;
but even the Tribune understands the
effects of the German tariff upon the
welfare of the German laborer. 1t sees
that the tariff there hurts the laborer
every hour and in manifold ways. 1t
sees clearly that in Germany the tariff
is tax taken from the pocket of the
laborer.
Here is the remarkable account which
the Tribune gives of the condition of
the German laborer:
On waking in the morning the German
artisan drinks a cup of coffee, on which the
imperial treasury has levied a duty of 20
pfennig' or about cents per pound The
sugar with which he sweetens 1t has been
tayed at 10 pfennige pound and the bread
at pfennge. On leaving home for work
his wife provides him with a crust Of bread
! ton which the duty is 3 pfennige per pound,
! spreads it with layer of lard duty of
/ rienniSe a poundI. and sprinkes 1t with
salt duty Of pfennige a pound) During
the course OF his mornings work the man
will probably take small glass of brandy
duty OF B pfcnnlge per quartz At noon he
viii return home to dine with his family off
a soup made with flour duty, 5 pfennge
per pound) with slice Of bacon duty, 10
pfennige per pound, or a piece of beef
duty 10 pfennige per pound), or perhaps a
herring duty, pfsnn ige per pece). In the
evening, after his work is over. he
will probably refresh himself with a
glass of beer duty, pfenng per quartz, ac-
companied by piece Of cheese duty, 10
pfennige per pound, a little butter duty,
10 pfennige per pound), and a slice of bread
duty, pfennige per pound. Afterward By
the light of his lamp, on the oil Of which
duty of 6 pfeunige per quart has been paid,
he will smoke his pipe full OF tobacco, taxed
at the rate of rs pfennige per pound, and
Will then retire to sleep, which is apparently
the on y thing that the Imperial Govern
ment has omitted to tax"
The remarkable thing is that in Amer
lea the tariff does not work in that way.
Here the tariff is necessary ito protect
labor and is the only thing that keeps
the American laborer from sinking to
the level of his European brother.
How curious that tariffs do not work
the same way in all countries!