New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-21
PROTECTION A BLESSING.
IF PRICES ARE HIGH, IT is BECAUSE WAGES
ARE HIGH.

BUT AS A MATTER OF FACT. PRICES ARE NOT
so HIGH AS THEY WOULD BE UNDER
FREE TRADE.
From The Weekly Tribune Sept. TO, 1881.
TO the Editor OF The TIL une.
Sir Tie duties collected OH foreign goods IN the
year 1890 amounted TO the sum Of SS2o,4Io'eoo. AS
this amount is derived chiefly from the laoorng classes
and appropriated for the support of the Government,
there any way in which the Government can DC sup
ported by all the people In equal proportion according
TO the value Of their pro2ertyH For X. u. horr 10
answer. b. D. DAN"ih
Tapsville, Mass, Aug. &c, 1891.
The first mistake made by this correspondent
is his assertion that the money collected from
customs duties in the United States is derlVeu
chiefly from the laboring classes What Puo
such notion as that into his head. The assertion
is far from the facts
The laboring classes pay very little of the
total amount of tariff duties collected IN tnis
country. We levy no duties the imported
pecessaries of life, except in cases where we
ptoduce in this country, in large quantities, the
same kind of goods as those imported. In all
spcb cases the duty on the foreign goods invsri-
ably in the long run, cheapens the price Of the
articles in our own markets and thus enables our
Iaboring classes to buy such goods cheaper than
+bev could have bought them had we not have
built I'D the home industry, and so caused the
competition which always cheapens goods. IN
all such cases. the duties are paid by the foreign
producer. in order that he may get into cur
markets They are never added to the cost pald
bv our consumers. No duties are ever PAID Dy
ANYBODY on goods made in this country
II duty is levied on the free-trade plan, that
is. on articles which we cannot produce IN thls
country, then the duty would always come OUT
Of the consumers II we should levy duty on
+es for instance such a duty would have TO he
added to the cost Of tea, end the money wouio
he collected mostly out of the laboring classes
who consume most of the tea. America cannot
nrodnce tea, and we cannot bring about com
petition therefore in this market between nome
and foreign tea, or drive down the prlce, ana SO
compel the foreign producer to pay the ouV
in order to get into our markets lhere Is 10
tea raised in vbis country, with whlch he
foreign tea must compete; and hence tne III
porter must add the amount OF the outy l" Cne
nrioe. and collect the same from our cohsumere'
Not so. however, with an article winch we Cali
produce in great quantities In this COUNTY, iaAe
common salt. an article of prime necessity, used
even snore universally than tea The price OF SAT-
has been constantly cheapened since America
began to produce it under the tariff laws Of 1861.
Salt is now at the very lowest possible point IN
who make salt. The great bulk of the salt con-
sunoed in this country is made here in the United
States: and any foreign saltmaker who gets INTO
our markets must do so by paying the duty
himself
duty levied on the protective plan is seldom
II ever paid by our people. We do levy simple
rvenne duty on large numbers Of articles but only
on such as are Injuries; and such duties all come
nh If
The moment any one will show a Protectionlst
that any duty comes out of the laboring classes,
on any article. he will be for putting that article
ON the free list. That was the reason we put
sug,r m the free list We were compelled TO
do IL AGAINST the vote of every Free Trader IN
Congress.
beg Mr.. Balch to examine this question care
fully: and he will then learn that protective
tariff is always in favor of the abor1ng classes
never against them. 1t is enacted, among other
things for the purpose of securing good wages
and cheap goods. 1t does both. The wages In
this country are the best which are paid on The
face of the earth and the cost OF all arucles
to ultimate consumers has been cheapeneo Dy
building up industries in the United States ana
making those goods here at home. There is not
q single exception to this rule. This is simple
question of fact, not of theory
Another question asked by this correspondent Is
[" whether there is any way in which the Gov
prnment can be supported by all the people
in equal proportion, according to the value OF
An effort to do this is being maze I'D
most of the States far township, city, county
and State governments are concerned. so far
il is a mere theory Large quantities OF properly
are never put upon the tax rolls. There seems
TO he no way to prevent its escape. There ougnC
70 be: but so far the way has never been as
covered. The result is that local taxes are much
more burdensome than the duties paid to support
the General Government. / doubt if there Will
aver be any considerable number OF people VINO
will seek to raise money for the support OF the
General Government by direct taxation. 30 long
as duties are levied so as to build up and benefit
6nr own people, the present plan should not be
changed. As Nation, we are very prosperous
under the existing system. No other nation in the
world is doing as well as ours. There are more
nanny homes in the United States, according to
nopulation than can be found anywhere else
on the face of the earth. What better test OF
can there be than that? Good wages
good food. good clothes, good schools, good
homes-tbere is little else in material conditions
to he added to make people happy. We have
all those in the United States of America. What
other nation has them as universally as this
country? H. u. HOKR.