The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-03-08
THE HIGH TARIFF AND TRUSTS.

| THE HIGH TARIFF AND TRUSTS.
The constant iteration and reitera
tion of the assertion by the high tarii'
advocates that the tariff has nothing
! to do with trusts, finally upset the
patience of ID. c. Peck, of Bridgeport
Conn, who is provoked into telling
how the tariff worked on one industry
at least, that he knows all about, to-
wit, the wall paper industry. Ten
years ago, says Mr.. Peck, the manu-
facturers of wallpaper formed a com
bination and advanced the prices of
their products very largely, and pre-
scribed fine Of 81 900 as the penalty
for selling below the combination
prices. But any Of them was at liberty
to sell his product in Europe for any
price he pleased. The consequence
was that American wall paper was sold
in England for about half the price
that was exacted from Americans.
This combination held together
about seven years, when ii broke up,
many new plants having been estab-
lishcd, the prices went away down.
The existing plants can produce
twice as much wall paper as can be
disposed Of in the American market.
But the manufacturers, instead OF
seeking foreign markets for their sur
plus, are talking about another COM
bine to fleece the American public, re-
pcating the old game of exacting
twice as much from Americans as
from foreigners.
OF course IL Is the tariff on wall
paper that enables the manufacturers
to play this game, for ii shuts out for
elgn competition untilthcy have added
the full amount Of the tax to the price
of their goods. The fact that they
have all along been able to sell in
Europe in competition with European
manufacturers and their ''Iauper
labor" proves conclusively that they
could make fair profit without any
tariff protection. The tariff has simply
enabled them to exact from their own
countrymen twice rs much as their
goods are worth, while selling TO for
eigncrs at fair prices 1t has enriched
them at the expense OF the American
consumers, including farmers. Mr..
Peck says that during the dozen years
the combine lasted it pluckcd Ameri-
can consumers to the extent Of at least
5000, 600
This is only one Of many insta ces.
adds the Chicago Times, in which the
tariff operated to enrich the few at
the expense Of the many. In the case
of copper, for instance, it is notorious
that for many years the producers sold
to foreigners cheaper than they did to
Americans. Do the millions thus
wrung from Americans who are forced
to earn their living without govern
ment aid 30 to improve the condition
Of workingmcn? Another fact stated
by Mr.. Peck Will shed light on that
question. Speaking of pauperism in
bridgeport, he says; "ln 1860 the
books of the selectmen show that one
pauper was aided by the town to
every forty-one of the population; in
1880 one in every fourteen of the entire
population. And still the demand of
the republican leaders is more tariff"
BE it observed that in 1860 it had what
the protectionists are pleased to call
"A 'free-trade tariff" 1t lacked good
deal of being that, but it was tariff
less than half as high as that we now
have, and good deal lower than that
formulated In the Mills bill. 1t
doesn't look as though high tariff had
helped workingmen much in the man
ufacturing state of Connecticut.