Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-12
A Protective Tariff Taxes One Mar
for the Benefit of Another.

A Protective Tariff Taxes One Mar
for the Benefit of Another.
A protective tariff is imposed for
the purpose of allowing certain Amer.
lean manufacturers to receive q
higher price for the goods they man.
ufacture, than they would if they had
to compete with the manufactures Of
other countries. This protective tariff
tax therefore becomes a bonus that il
paid them for every pound Of iron or
steel they manufacture, every yard OF
silk, cotton or wooden goods they
weave, every blanket they make, and
on the glass, leather goods, chemicals,
furniture and other articles produced
from the protected mills. The owners
of iron, copper. and soft coal mines
are also paid bonus by means Of the
protective taxes.
1t is therefore profitable for the
protectionists to have the present
system retained, and those interested
naturally use all their efforts to pre-
vent reduction of the bonus now
given them.
The claim Of these bounty takers is
that this gift is needed, and that they
are obliged to charge higher prices on
account of the great difference in
wages paid to Americans and those
paid to workmen in foreign countries.
This claim to great extent, has been
proved false. The great mass of the
laborers employed in protected man.
ufactories are foreigners, large num-
bers of whom were imported to fill
the places Of American workmen.
In many of the mines and factories
the workmen do not earn more per
year than do the English workmen.
They work more hours per week, they
toll harder, their lives are more cheer.
less, and their future disheartening.
The immense profits of the protect.
ed manufactures go into the pockets
of a few. The system has created
several thousand millionaires. 1t has
made race of self styled princes who
despise the people who gave them their
wealth.
This tax or bounty is paid by those
who buy the said articles, and the ten
millions of farmers are the ones who
pay the greatest share Of these tariff
tax bounties to manufacturers. Every
farmer has to contribute out Of his
earnings all average Of ~ per cent in
order that manufactures may flourish
and few men accumulate millions.
When these farmers earn dollar by
hard toll and industry, SO per cent of
it is theirs, and the other AZ per cent is
given mostly to help the invest
ments of other men, whose money is
invested in mines and manufactures.
When the farmer has some product
Of his farm to sell, he is obliged to
dispose of it, not at his own price, or
for what it cost him, but at the price
offered him by the person who buysit,
and when the farmer has to purchase
manufactured goods. be, again, has
nothing to do with the price. as it is
fixed by the manufactures.
No protection law will benefit the
farmer. as his surplus wheat, corn,
pork, beef and dairy products have to
be sold in the markets Of the world,
and he has to compete with pauper
labor in Russia, Austria, India, and
Egypt. He has to sell his products in
a free market, and with the proceeds
derived from what he sells, he is oblig-
ed to buy his clothing, farming and
household implements, boots and shoes,
harness, glass, lumber, nails and the
other articles he needs, in protected
market. From the proceeds Of his
crops the farmer has not only to main.
tain himself and family, but he has
also to contribute AZ per cent Of what
he earns in order to assist persons
whose money is invested in mines and
manufactures. Is it therefore any
wonder that so many farmers are
obliged TO mortgage their farms? The
farming business can not be prosperous
under such a system. The farmer
is robbing himself and depriving his
family Of needed comforts SO as to en-
able millionaires to flourish. A large
amount Of this money, taken from the
farmers, is spent in Europe by those
they gave it to, who travel there every
year, buy their goods Of foreigners,
and bring them to this country free Of
duty as personal effects.
The curious part of this system is
that the farmers maintain it willingly.
They vote in large numbers for Con.
Oressmen and Senators who keen nm