The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-10-10
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md. October 10. 1890.
HOW FARMERS, ARE PLUNDERED IN
THE NAME OF PROTECTION.
Letter from the President of the Deer
Creek Farmers Club.
r,o ro,a

DEAR SIR: read with interest your editorial
articles in The Egis of September 9th and 10Th
treating of the discrimination practiced by some OF
our protected manufacturers against the Alneri
can consumers, especially the farmers. Permit
me to say your course merits the commentator
of every candid and fair.minded citizen. Now
Mr.. Editor, the American farmers, 1t appears are
slow to believe they are being plundered by their
fellow countrymen-legally, OF course.
few months ago read a statement in the Bal
timore Sun to the effect that the American manu-
facturers were selling in the foreign markets
agricultural implements at lower rates than in our
own markets. l could scarcely credit the state
ment although made in the columns of the Sum-
The Snn's figures i'm proof of its statement We're
taken from the advertising columns OF The Engt
neering and Mining Journal This journal is publish
ed to the Extension of Markets for American
Manufacturers the other for the general domes-
Not being content with the information given in
the Sun l wrote to the publishers for the journal.
They kindly sent me copies OF the two editions
tanning price lists of many articles of American
manufacture. with discounts given on nearly every
artice but at the head of the list it was distinctly
stated that the discount was to the export trade
only. The discounts range from 5 per cent. to 20
per cent. Two of the articles in the list really
Wished to obtain-a steel bench wise and platform
scales. The list price of the wise was 81. less dis
count Sl6O platform scales $50, less discount Sl5
name and address of the makers of the articles
wanted, quoting the Journals price. In reply
received the following letter:
81 NEW YORK May LIST, 1890.
&C. r. Stephenson Ldpidunl Nd:
DEAR SIR:' In answer to yours of 2sth April
the prices quoted by you were for export only:
have written the firms who make the goods asking
their discounts for local trade and will write you
again when Ihear from them.
Yours, very truly,
FRANK w. ELLINGTON.
Mr.. ELLINGTON has charge of the department of the
Export Edition.
The next letter contains nothing OF note so do
not give it. He simply sent me manufacturers
price lists same as the higher prices given in the
Journal.
P,a IiefT al fba fol
Corrugated Copper, price 2 cents per square
inch, less 80 per cent discount Tor home trade less
of per cent. TO the foreign buyers.
BY paying 80 per cent. on the wise and 80 per cent
on The scales more than the foreign buyer pays
, could have these articles. a..
was told by gentleman of this county, whose
word would pass unquestioned wherever he is
known that he saw an Oliver Chilled plow COM
plete, sold in Canada for S12. when we pay Sl4 for
the same pillow.
Now, Mr. Editor, is not this conclusive evidence
that the American manufacturer is discriminating
against the American consumer?
Your correspondent in New York attempts an
explanation, but so bad is his cause that he sue
ceeds only in proving that the statements made by
lrue-that such discrimination is the general prac
tlce OF our most highly favored manufacturers
Their Justification can be found only IN our tariff
laws. Their law OF right is the law of might.
His argument in defence of his position is I'M
answeraDle. for it is argument that doesn't argue.
He practically admits two plain facts, viz. Ameri-
can goods are sold to American dealers at one
price and to foreign dealers at lower price
Whether the foreign consumer pays as much as
the American consumer does not enter into the
matter at all. That depends upon how much profit
the foreign dealer wants to make on the article
Perhaps our manufacturers, like Pecksnitf, think
this extra price is due them for their supreme
goodness in letting us have their wares at all.
Your correspondent talks about spot cash. and
crop time" Now we all know what spot cash
and crop time niean-two different rates. but he
he makes them both equal in buying. unless the
American buyers are all crop time buyers and the
Il
sought the two articles through the medium OF the
Engineering and Mining Journal the natural pre-
sumption would be that was spot cash buyer,
but on what terms L wanted to buy was never
asked met ] simply could not get the articles
wanted unless L paid for the privilege of being
protected. Undoubtedly had L been Chinaman
or Spsniard or Mexican instead of tariff
the two articles named at the discount rate. If
these list prices were not intended for the con-
sumner, why did not the advertiser state that the
lower prices were for the wholesale instead OF
''fOr expert only"
II any line of American manufactures are sold in
European market they must compete in price
with the same line of domestic wares of that mar
ket-the product OF "pauper labor" Every one
protectiOnists, that wares of European make are
sold to the European consumer cheaper than wares
OF American make are sold to the American con-
sumer Hence the logical conclusion is that if
American manufactures are sold in the European
markets they are sold at price less than the
hs en t Dea s II s be a 9es
not necessary to keep out foreign goods, for it
certainly costs as much to transport merchandise
from the United States to Europe as from Europe
here.
do not think that even your New York critic
will pretend to say that the manufacturers OF this
country do not charge the American consumers for
their wares price equal to the foreign price with
the American tariff duty added Senator Sher
man certainly suspects this is their practice. or
why did he, in his speech on the passage of the
Mckinley tariff bill, beg the protected manufac-
turers not to advance prices on their products to
the extent the bill enables them to do. wonder
II Senator Sherman ever threw hungry dog
bone and then babe him not gnaw it till every
shred of flesh was stripped from it.
Your patience little longer and am done: The
American Mail aud Export Journal and the ERgi-
neering and Mining journal seem to be each en-
gagged in the same laudable enterprise the extern
sion OF the markets for American maEufac
not be altogether unknown to the former journal.
While The Engineering and Mining journal freely
expresses IT'S belief on this subject OF discrimina
ton The Mail and ETpoTt journal endeavors,
through your New York correspondent, to mislead
public opinion.
In justice to The Engineering and Mining Journal
permit me to quote from the editorial columns of
the issue of March 18th, 1890:
unfortunately the taste for protection grows
with whatit feeds and those who thus enabled
To make large profits are not only unwilling to
linquish any part of the advantages which protec-
ton gives them, but the stronger they become
financially, and the better able they are to COM
pete without public support the better able they
are also to influence legislation in their own be-
half and to perpetuate the bonus which the tax
payers OF the country were willing to contribute
for the establishment OF their business"
SO soon as an Industry has attained the position
where it can more than supply our home market
and has TO send its goods abroad, where they com
pete with those of foreign manufacturers it is evil
dent that they are either giving the foreigners the
benefit of lower rates than they do our people,
or that they are able to get along at home without
any protection from foreign manufacturers.
Very truly yours,
GEO. R. STEPHENSON.
Ldpidum, Nd, oct. G, 1890.