Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-13
He Proves Too Much.

In reply to the argument that the protec-
tive tariff adds the whole amount of the duty
to the cost of goods to consumers, the Trib-
tsne published table showing the prices of
steel rails in this country since 1870, COM
pared with what the importers cost would
have been In each year, According to this
table, the cost Of imported rails in 1870 would
have been $S3.9S per ton, while the actual
price in this market was $106.75 per ton.
The following year the price in this market
fell, while the price in England advanced, so
that rails could be bought in this country at
just about the cost in England with duty and
expenses added. By 1874, the price here had
fallen to $94.25, or $14 below the importers
cost in that year, and the decline has con-
tinued till at the present time rails can be
produced here at the same price as in Eng
land, $35 per ton.
These figures would certainly be con-
elusive answer to any claim that the price of
American made goods would always be equal
to the cost of the same goods imported and
duty paid, but no person who is at all posted
would think of putting forward such a claim.
II would be contradicted not only by facts but
by the very logic Of the free traders, which
maintains that each country can produce some
kind of goods more cheaply than other coun-
tries, and should devote it's energies to thein-
dustries which it can carry on to the best ad-
vantage, exchanging its surplus products of
these industries with other nations for the
goods which these can produce to the best ad-
vantage. .,.r s...
It so happens that America now possesses
greater advantages for the manufacture of
steel rails than England does. and can pro-
duce them cheaper even though American
operatives receive higher wages.
What is claimed is that the tariff adds to
the price of imported goods and Of all do
mestic goods to the extent to which it pro-
tects the manufacturers from foreign. COM
petition. The Tribune's figures show that
the duty on steel rails is not now needed to
protect American manufacturers against
English competition inasmuch is the price
here is as low as that in England and the cost
Of importing the rails would be a sufficient
bar to competition from that quarter if there
we're no tariff. a..' ..-...... ..,..
Butin publishing this table the Tribune
has utterly demolished the position taken by
its own party daring the campaign of 1888,
when it characterized the effort Of Demo
cratic members of Con gress to reduce the
duty of about ST per ton on steel rails and
other duties equally obnoxious to common
sense, an attempt to introduce English
free trade, and accused the people who ad-
yocated the change of being in the pay of
the Cohen Club. It was base slander with
out the slightest foundation in fact, and no
shadow OF evidence was ever offered to prove
it. ..-....f ....... b.. .;..fg .
If theRepublican party was really seeking
to advance the interests of workingmen and
not only those of the wealthy manu- facturers
by its protective tariff, it could give evidence
of that fact by Offering to steel rail manufac-
turers, and to all others that have got their
establishments well under way and in good
working order, protection TO the full extent
Of the difference between the cost Of wages
in this country and the wages paid for the
same work in any competing country. Il is
absurd to put on a duty almost il not quite
squal to the whole amountof wages paid out
In producing any article and to speak of that
duty as a protection to the working men.
Yet this is done in some cases, and in some
of these, we believe, the operatives in this
country receive very little more pay for the
same amount Of work than those in England.
IN. Y. Witness. 49,