Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-11-22
IN WHOSE POCkETp

|
A very common argument brought for
ward by the protectionists in support OF
their system, is that when goods are
bought from the home producer, or
when wages are paid to the home
laborer, you keep the money at home,
and therefore the Nation suffers no loss.
The money has not left the country,
they say, and we are just as we'll of as
we were before
They do not see that their so-called
argument proves far too much. They
do not see that there is any force in it,
their robbery is not an evil, for robber
does not take bis booty out OF the coun-
try, he stays at homo and enjoys his
stealings. This is the Legitimate con-
clusion to which the argument leads.
Indeed one OF the leading protection or
gans of the United States has just had
the brutal frankness to carry the "argu-
ment' to precisely this-ex trome. @
This newspaper is the New York
Press, founded to spread the protection
heresy, and presided over by that arch
protectionist Robert p. Porter, until he
was appointed to make q muss OF the
census In a recent issue OF this organ
there are two editorials which bear upon
the protective tariff. One editorial
argues that, although the labor cost of
making an article in the United States
be double what it is in England, still it
pays tho country at large better to
make the article here; for in that case
the money paid is not lost to the coun-
try, 'for it is just as much part of the
wealth of the country in one mans
hands as in another's"
The second article is remarkable. as
showing how the editor does not hest
tate to apply this argument even to
downright robbery. He writes an ed
itorial on ''Hoarded Currency in the
Country" beginning with this sentence
"Robbers who entered an Ohio farmers
house in the dead of night made him
give up his gold watch and $500 in gold
at the point Of pistol" The editor
comments upon this fact at some length,
raises the question whether our farm
ers, who have been thinking them
selves so poor may not have $780,
900, 600 hidden away in old
stockings tin cups, china teapots
and other odd receptacles," and
then comes to the conclusion that "a
few robber raids like that in Ohio will
send their money back into bank vaults
where it can be utilized as medium Of
exchange" "and the editor adds: THAT
would be public gain, and new proof
that it is an i'll wind that blows nobody
good"
Most astounding! Robbery is pub
lie gain" 1t is easy now to see how
the protectionist mind takes so natu-
rally to the idea that the tariff is not to
be condemned on the mere ground that
it gives one mans money to another
man. A wealthy merchant who is a
protectonist has recently made this
statement: "a can easily see how the
tariff helps one man at another's ex-
pense; can watch the tariff dollar as it
leaves the consumers pocket, and can
trace it all along down the line till it
reaches the pocketof the manufacturers.
But | sec no moral wrong in that"
What is to be said of such men as this
merchant and the editor of the Press?
If they think that robbery is not wrong
can you convince them thatit is wrong?
j they say rose is not sweet can you
prove to them that it is sweet?
But there is one thing that can be
done. Let the tariff once rob them,
let it do SO in such way that they
can calculate the robbery in hard cash,
and they will very quickly change their
views about tariff morals. A case Of
this kind occurred recently in New
York. An oculist of that city returned
from Europe bringing with him a 500
microscope, which he very much needed
in his work, and which is not made at
all by American manufacturers. The
tariff fee which the United States Gov
ernment took out of his pocket as a
penalty for bringing in this useful in
strument was Sl75. The oculst had
been a protectionist all his life, had
doubtless thought that transferring
money from one mans pocket to the
pockets of another man was not wrong;
but when it transferred money from his
pocket to the tune of Sl7j the scales
fell from his eyes and he saw great
light He no longer believes in pro-
lection and has voted for Democratic
Congressman for the first time in his
life, That is the only way such
peoples eyes can be opened.
| D,,. 1anlr 30 l,A Ga, NJ,
who was robbed, what is the matter
with the editors reasoning facilities,
when he calls that robbery public
gain?" His error lies in overlooking
the nature of money as the representa-
tive of the labor performed by its hold
er. Suppose that farmer was wool
raiser and had received this $500 as the
prce of 1. 900 pounds of wool All the
labor that went into the production OF
this wool is absolutely lost when his
$500 was taken by the robbers. 1t will
not do to argue that the country has
the wool all the same, and therefore
the farmers labor was not lost for the
wool no longer represents the farmers
labor but the labor of the manufacturer,
who bought it. Before tho purchase
the manufacturer held this $500 as the
return for labor which he and his mer
had put into the manufacturer of 60l
yards of cloth; but after tho purchase
he holds 1000 pounds of wool as the re
ward of that labor. The wool must nov
no longer be considered in reference Il
the farmer who produced it. for he ha
the value OF it in money; but it must b,
considered solely in reference to th,
J labor Of the manufacturer and his men
for 1t now represents to them the prod
uct of their labor.
But how does the matter srand as be
q tween the farmer and the robbers? Tn
4 farmer received 1000 pounds of woo
which goes into tho general wealth o
~ the country; but the robbers have con
!. tributed nothing to tho general wealtl
4 In order to come into possession OF th
$500; have been idlers, have been max
ing the country poorer by eating 1t
/. bread in idleness To make tho circui
a OF exchange complete let us suppos,
that the robbers buy two horses will
this $500; then the account OF the thre,
. parties would stand as follows:
Tho nufacturer's account; Contri
buted to National wealth, 900 yard
cloth. Received in payment LOO
pounds wool,
The farmers account: Contributed
1000 pounds wool. Received in pay