The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-11-04
PLAIN TALKS FOR PLAIN PEG.
PLE--THE TARIFF.
From a Reformer's Standpoint.
OLD FOGY.
No. 4,

Nc. 4.
Politicians have led the people to
believe that political economy is an
abstruse science. The truth IS, it is a
policy of economy relating to nations
it is family economy on a national
scale.
All families need a revenue, and
the head of the family is supp SD TO
formulate a plan which will provide
for it. s., TOO, with the nation. The
Congress of the United States is
made, under our Constitution, the
head to devise ways and means for a
revenue.
All parties act on this principle.
The tariff bill introduced oy Mr..
Mills, reduced the tariff from Al per
cen to Al per cent, while the McKln
lev bill raises it to 50 per cent. Both
parties ad nit That tariff is for revenue;
but the Republican party desire a
tariff 80 high that the revenue TO the
government will be light, while the
Democratic party desires the tariff
low so that the revenue will be large,
and thus do away with internal reve
nue. tax, or at least in part The
Democrats desire it low so that goods
manufactured will be cheaper, thereby
increasing the power of a dollar to
purchase. The Republicans want The
tariff high so that all goods manufac
tured will be manufactured here tlus
employing more labor than now.
We hold that oar tariff laws need
adjusting. That on Tie necassaries Of
life the tariff is o high, while on the
luxuries it is too low, we assert.
Low tariff draws the goli aud silver
from our country. So does he bal
Ian e of trade when against US, and
foreign capital invested mere has the
same effect
Protection to American labor and
products; or, to better the co-dlLion
of LABOR and increase the price OF
products, is the professed desire of all
of the so called statesmen Of our
country. Too often personal interes,
controls and tle good Of the country
is not considered.
Having given, impartially, the
views held by both parties, we come
now to correct principles and from
them make such deductions a we be-
lieve will be for the good Of all
The fathers held: That the poor
should have equal opportunities with
the rich. That the greatest good to
the greatest number IS the correct
principle Of government. The weak
and deserving to be protected and
aided.
A general acceptance Of these prin
ciples led to the establishment Of
ho nes for orphans, for the infrm and
INDECENT, to public schools, etc, which
is Sta . paternalIsm, and TO home
stead and presumption laws and a
standing army in times Of peace.
which Is national paternalism.
Hamilton and Clay held that tariff
should De protective and thus aid the
laborer by securing continuous en-,
ployment and higher VIZ e
Joan Davis and Secretary Walker
held that a low tariff would secure
large revenues. Our surplus products
would be exchanged for what could
be purchased more cheaply than we
could manufacture, and that pubic
improvements would disburse the
funds and thus give labor constant
employment.
Others like Calhoun and Webster
spoke for and against protective tariff
just as their peoples interest led
them.
Changed conditions make the sam
per CENT. high or lon relatively.
The Democratic party has for years
been broken up on the tariff question.
A Randall Democrat would be a r2bid
proLectionist In the South. Many
Western Republicans are much nearer
free trade than the average Pennsyl-
vania Democrat. A protective tariff
means all the way from 40 to 81 per
cent. average duty, while the so called
free traders run from 35 to 45, de
pending upon lacotion AMI business.
The Democratic party, it is said,
opposes the protection idea, yet sugar,
rice, oranges, lemons and peanuts are
included at the urgent request of the
"free traders" raising these products.
The Republican party shou.s Itself
hoarse over protection to ma~nufactur-
ers and laborers, yet it admits pre-
cious gems, works of art, ETC., for less
than half what it charged for many
oF tho noooOCor rico Of Hro r. 1ocIr.-
to protect labor, and straightway em
phys in it's factories Huns and Van
dals, GOths and BarbarIans, thus fore
ing American labor to work for the
very same figures the SO called pauper
labor of the old world receives.
1t has been proven by the u. S.
Labor Commission and u. statistics
that labor in unprotected industries
does not receive any greater pay than