Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-10
How the Tariff Favors Foreigners.

The Engineering and Mining Journal in
the last issue inauguraies new department
in the Interests Of the e1tension Of the mark
ets-for American manufacturers" which is
! Of intense and absorbing interest TO our
farmers and for other victims of the present
tariff system. The Journal has secured the
services Of gentlemen thoroughly scquainted
with the export trade and with foreign mark
ets," and with their help il is proposed TO in
duce the foreigners to buy products of Ameri-
can labor. This is altogether commendable.
The Sun has ever taught that commerce is
good thing, and advocated production for the
foreign market. If our m anufacturers were
not protected by an almost prohibitive tariff
they would, we have held, do larger business
selling abroad as well as at home, and con-
tenting themselves with smaller but steadier
profit. would be compelled to relax somewhat
the throttling grip they have at present upon
their victims in the home market. That they
are abusing the control of the home market
secured to them by the tariff Is abundantly
shown by the Journals list of discounts
upon articles sold TO foreigners. In thirty
nine columns of illustrated advertisements
articles for sale abroad are enumerated, and
prices are given both for this market and for
the foreign market. A shocking difference
appears between what we pay for articles
among US and what the foreigners pay for the
same articles. The American farmer will be
concerned to know that upon the drill, for
which he pays 50 there is Discount for ex-
port only" of 30 per cent, reducing the price
ia L. - ha ~
"for export only" is given on cultivators,
plows, hay-forks, manure forks and hoes On
rakes the foreigner must content himself
with an advantage over the American Of only
25 per cent. For rake, for example costing
| the American $32 the foreigner will pay as
much as $24. But when it comes to braced
steel garden rakes or lawn rakes the foreigner
gets 70 per cent. off the price the American
pays. That's to say rakes that cost our John
Smith 81 apiece are sold by our manufactur-
ers to the Mexican, Frenchman or German
| for 30 cents. Our farmer has to sell his grain
| to the protected manufacturer at prices fixed
| in the foreign market. II he could buy of
the protected manufacturer at prices at which
the latter sells to the foreigner he would get
on these articles the discounts named. Wag-
ons and carts, 3316 per cent. whifetrees 45;
windmills, %; mattocks and grub hoes, 60;
spades and shovels, 50; screws 80; screvdriv-
ers, rs; scales so: pumps 70; post hole drivers
40; oil paints 50; brads 60; nails 671f; tacks
721S; lawn-mowers, 60; milk pans %; wiring
ers 40; lamps 20; barn door hinges so; cutters
30; spoons 60; scissors GO; shears 70; cutlery
%; bellows so; axel grease 25; hatchets 80;
axes 80. What do these figures mean as re-
CARDS the protected manufacturer? That he
is making these articles at such profit that he
can knock Of, on an average half his price in
selling to the foreigners and still be adding
to his wealth. The tariff enables him by
shutting out foreign made wares, to exact
from his fellow-citizens profits that are ex-
cessive to the extent of the discounts cited
above. He sells abroad at fair price be-
cause there he meets competition and must
content himself with fair profit, but here
being protected" by law from competition
he takes from the community in addition to a
fair profit, about all that the tariff allows
him. He does not lower his price to the
American under stress of competition with
other manufacturers, but combines with
them and by means of combine" trust or
other like device, keeps his price up to the
highest possible notch. The Discount for
export only" here cited have positive value
for the unprotected citizen, that is to say, for
nine -tenths of the community. They show
how much he is paying for necessary articles,
thanks to class legislation. They show, also,
the wicked injustice of the protective system
which enables the manufacturer to sell high
to the man at home that votes him protec-
ton, and low to the man abroad, that pays no
tax in his behalf.--Baltimore Sun.