Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-08-15

We will now dismiss the general
"home market argument Of protec
tionists as a demonstrated fraud; and
turn our attention, for a short time,
to that special form of it, included in
the claim, that protection brings the
producer and consumer nearer to-
gethcr saves freight charges, and
provides the farmer with a profitable
market for his garden truck" On
the theory that there is some truth in
this claim, the first obvious criticism
is, that, inasmuch as the burdens of
protection are borne by all the people,
but chiefly by farmers, and seeing that
comparatively few farming commu-
mites possess these alleged adyan-
tages; it is an extremely one-sided
arrangement, as in all other asserted
advantages of protection, SO in this:
the many pay, that the few may be,
profted; and similarly when we en-
dcayor to make these pretended ben
efts co-extensiyc with the burdens
that protection imposes, they vanish
utterly, and general loss is the only
perceptibIe result
Let us reduce these claims to an
honest basis, and confer the supposed
advantages on all who pay for them,
and observe the result. To simplify
the problem, we will employ a few
familiar examples, for the purpose of
illustration. Dodgeyille, we will say
wants some kind of n manufacturing
concern the character of il is imma-
terial; neither does it make any differ
ence whether we have any facilities for
it or not, SO long rs it will bring PEG
Pile here, and pay them wages, so that
they can buy cur farm produce, dry
goods. boots and shoes, groceries, etc,
and build up the city and make good
times. SO we conclude that we will
take wooden mill. To induce cap
italists TO supply us with one, we agree
to have an import duty levied on
wooden goods; that the manufacturer
may raise his price, and compel every
body in the country to pay a higher
price for clothing and blankets than
they paid before. If this transaction
concluded the business we might pos
sibiy realize some benefit from it.
But, unfortunately, all the rest of the
towns in the country are in the same
predicament; they are all pining for
larger measure of prosperity. Mineral
Point needs n cotton factory, and gets
it in the same manner; and we pay
tax upon all cotton goods to provide
and maintain it for them, Lancaster
wants shoe factory; protection pre-
walls there with it, on the same terms,
and our shoes are taxed for its sup
port To give it n satisfactory degree
of prosperity, Platteyille requires a
hardware factory, and procures it in
the same way, and we pay a higher
price IbI al our llliuNtlts lltitSllit
this system expanded SO rs to include
every rural town of any consequence
in the United States, and embrace
every variety of manufactured article
used by the people; and suppose fur
Their that the expense of sustaining
this extensive manufacturing system
is spread eQuitably over all the people.
Then it becomes apparent that the
amount that we would pay TO support
all the other factories in the country
would be Just equal to that sum they
would pay, collectively, to support
ours. This would come to precisely
the same thing as if the people trib-
utary to each manufacturing concern,
maintained it themselves, and paid
the increased price on all its product.
But since many of these institutions
must be placed unfavorably for car
rying on their business, protection
must be high enough to enable the
worst placed ones to live; or else some
miserable communities would be deS-
titute of the blessings of manufact-
uring. Then, practically, we would
have each community supporting its
own manufacturing industry; taxing
itself to make good both its national
and local disadvantages; the latter
estimated on basis of the worst
placed oneS-of its character-iu the
country. Assume then. in accordance
with equity, that each community
bears the cost of its own enterprise:
then each must furnish the men as
well as the means to carry it on, and
none can secure advantages derived
from concentration of labor and cap
ital, taken from the Others. Then it
amounts, practically, to this: that
each community hires certain num-
Der of its own people TO abandon
their former pursuits, and devote
themselves to manufacturing, the
community agreeing to make good to
them any losses they may sustain, by
reason of w;.nt of knowledge, or skill,
or lack of experience, or unsuitable
location, by paying them a price for
their product, sufficiently in advance
of current prices to neutalize all these