St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-04-18
WHAT The PEOPLE LOSE BY
PROTECTIVE TARIFFS.

The true theory of a free government is
that every citizen should contrib ate
towards the support of the government
in proportion to the relative protection
each receives from the government.
This rule would place the burdens OF
taxation largely if not entirely, upon the
citizens, in proportion to their property
possessions.
The system of protective tariffs, on the
other hand, places the burden of taxation
upon the mass of the poorer people of the
nation. while the rich manufacturer is
almost wholly exempt from taxation, ex-
cept as he is subjected to an occasional
"fat frying in order to raise corruption
fund for the purposes of carrying elections
and c, rrupting congressman and senators,
in the interest of monopoly.
That this is practically true, will be
seen, by q moments reflection, by any
candid mind.
The great bulk of the revenues, under
the system of tariffs, is derived from the
duties on imports.
This is paid by the consumers. Now
the poor man with his large family, must
pay as much of this duty as the millionaire
with his small family. II any one will
take the trouble to look at the Mckinley
tariff, he will see that instead of discrimi-
mating in favor of the poor man, it does
the opposite The duty on those articles
used chiefly by the laboring classes has
been greatly increased, and on those
articles chiefly used by the rich, it has
| been either reduced, or but slightly in
| creased.
Take, for example, wooden goods used
by tbs common people, the duty has been
increased by the Mckinley bill as follows:
"Wool or worsted yarn value not over 80
| cents per h. increased from 10c per ID.
and 35 per cent to 374c per ID. and 35 per
cent, and other wooIens in like proportion.
Then take silk goods, used chiefly by
the rich, such as laces. cmbroideries and
all wearing apparel, the duty is increased
| from so to 80 per cent.
Thus the poor man must have duty of
| about 100 per cent on the value of his
| wooden and worsted clothing, while the
rich man only pays 60 per cent on his silks
and satns.
This is only one example of many, in
which the present tariff places the great
burden on the poor man to the relief of
of the rich man.
The fact is that for the last 25 or 30
years the farmers and laborers of our
nation have been legally and systemat
ically robbed, for the benefit of the mill
owners of the nation.
Prof. A. l.. Perry, professor of political
economy in Williams College, has recently
made careful estimate of the amounts
taken from the consumers of this nation,
during twenty years, by the tariff system.
He says:
''In 1888 made calculation, approx
mate, of how much Americans had paid ia
current prices of protected goods yearly
from 1862 to 1881, inclusive. | went on
certain hypotheses that would be granted
by anybody familiar with .he facts, aud
going through that line of calculation the
result showed the people paid $632, 0OO,-
600 in every one of those twenty years
an aggregate of over $4,000, 900 900 in
the extra price. That was the motive to
lift prices of domestic wares by shutting
off competition of other countries. l tried
another process, and the result came out
nearly the same from Independent data
anmely, $685., 900, 600 year in artificial
prices paid on the necessaries of life l
believe G made this world on everlasting
ines oforder. Each should do that which
he is able to do best and exchange the re-
suits of his own foresight aud efforts
against thu results of the foresight and
foreign trade for the American people or
it never would be prohibited. (Applause.)
If our protec:iopist friends can furnish
Just as good domestic goods at just as
cheap rate, they are on the ground and
that, they would not run to congress
with their lobbyists to get law passed to
prohibit foreign trade. The fact that
there is this Chinese WALL proves that
Gods plan is best, that every man shall
follow his own bent and sell the product
in the best market and get his pay"
Where does this money go? Doubtless
a large part Of it has gone to swell the
enormous fortunes of our millionaire
monopolists; but another part has been
lost. Indeed we may we'll say, that the
$12, 900, 600, 900 has been lost to the nation:
for by concentrating capital in this way,
and thus building up monied aristocracy,
it becomes curse, instead of blessing,
to the people.
Will the American people continue to
submit tamely to the exactions made by
the tariff laws7 We think not.
The whole system is doomed. Nov. 1890
was the preliminary skirmish the Water
loo of the monopolists will follow in Nov.
1899. The s'robber tariff" will be over
thrown; and prosperity will follow, for
all our people.
How the Fox Escaped.