St. Landry democrat., 1891-05-16
MKlVLEY'S FREER TRADE

.
In the recent Tribune jubilee" held in
New York, Ma or Mckinley spoke on the
Tariff. In the course of his speech he said
hat the present tariff gives US wider,
'reer trade than we ever enjoyed under
any tariff law" The Tribune, in COM
menting ON this, tries to show that III is
true by showing that under the Mckinley
oil AZ per cent of our imports are free of
duty, while unjer the revenue tariff of
former times not more than one-fourth OF
our imports were free.
But neither the. Tribune nor MIR. Mckln-
ley tells US anything about the rate OF
ariff on those commodities which are
,axed under the two systems. The facts
are that while greater number OF articles
are free, those articles which are taxed
nave such high tariff imposed upon them
that the average rate of taxation is much
greater than under the revenue tariffs OF
former times, and those duties are so
arranged that the heaviest burden falls
upon the lato ing classes.
Suppose, by way of illustration, thai h
city government that has been levying a
uniform tax of ten mills on all propert!
should exempt all large business houses.
carriages and carriage horses. KEEP: ex-
clusively for that purpose. and all pleasure
boats and other articles of luxury, from
taxation, but should at the same time
double or quadruple the rate of taxation
ON all o,hsr property, so that the aggre
gate taxation would be greater than under
the former assessment. Would this be
less taxation? The rich man whose large
business house, carriage, carriage horse
and pleasure yacht were exempt, might
say, my taxes are much less than for
merly, for only have to pay taxes on my
dray horse and cart and few other un-
important THU gs" But how is the cast
with his poor neighbor, whose team and
wagon and COW and pig, which are all the
property he has, ara taxed two, three OF
four times as much a. formerly?
Then there is another point the mujol
did not mention. That is that the tariff
on manv articles is made, purposely, sc
high that the foreign articles are slmos
If not entirely exc uded, and the poor con
gunner must go to the American monopoly
manufacturer and pay his exorbitan
prices, In order that said manufacture
may become millionaire in short time
and be- able to stand lot of "fat frying
to help carry the elections.
| Of course, if great deal of importation
is prevented by the heavy tariff rates up,r
those articles-and the professed obj ct o.
protectionists is to protect home manufac
turers by heavy duties-there would DO ,
great shrinkage in the gross amount of ou
importations, while importation of the arti
cles ON the free list would increase Hence
if under the revenue tariff only onefourtl
of the gross amount of our importation
were free, and the protective tariff, by i'm
posing excessive duties upon the NOR
important of the articles used by tn
common people, should almost if not en-
tirely stop their Importation, and SHOULD
at the same time lessen the duty on tn
rich mans silks and satins and thus en-
courage their importation, while the entir'
importation would be diminished, tn
relative value of the free importation
would be increased.
For install CO, under the revenue tariff, o
800, 600 worth of foreign goods, sonl!
$25, 900 worth were free; but under tn
Mckinley bill there would be only abou
100000 worth imported. while the con
sumer would have to pay the millionaire
manufacturer about 500, GOO to $75 zoo TO
the same goods he once bought for SIC, 0O
under the revenue tariff. OF the $6oG
imported under the Mckinley bill. $2,.2O
would be articles upon which no duty i
paid, an actual increase OF only 5000. bu
relative increase from one.fourth t.
forty :two- hundredths.
Where is the freer trade that actual
drives away commerce? ALREADY one lin
of steamships, formerly engaged in carry
ing the products of the Uuited States an
France in exchange with each other,
advertised for sale, because Of the fallin
off of trade, caused by the Mckinley bill
Freer trade indeed 1t is freer trade fo
the American monopolist, who is now re
lieved of foreign con petition, and has til
power to bleed his poor customers to hi
hearts content 1t is freer trade for til
profess i,nal politician, who has FREE
swing and stronger grip on the aforesai
manufacturers, when he calls for th
Doodle necessary to carry elections or pa
obnoxious laws. But how Is it for til
laboring man and the farmer? The onl
: way we can see anything free to him abot
! this tariff is that it frees his pocket {
; cash, frees him from his home. which
gobbled up, frees him from the luxurit
and comforts of life. Freer trade indeed
Good Town to Die In.