The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-17
Protection and Prices,

A local correspondent sends the Louis
Vile Commercial the following, which that
paper takes so seriously that it has kept it
standing for several days:
cannot name or find person who can
name one article manufactured out of a
product of this country by a well-estao-
lished American industry that costs the
consumer as much money as the same
article cost before the duty was imposed
on the imported article. IL any farmer or
other consumer will name the article and
have il published In paper in this state
that advocates free trade or a tariff for
revenue only. and fail to name fifty of
these articles that cost less money than
they cost before or at the time the duty
was imposed, will give the person nam
ing the article s. hat.
This is not such a generous offer as 1t
seems. There is no doubt that there has
been a marked downward tendency in
prices all the world over during the past
thirty years, and that the protective tariff
has not entirely counteracted this tend
ency in the United States. The causes OF
the general decline in prices are numer-
GUS and obvious. The principal
one is invention. The extensive in
PRODUCTION of labor saving machin-
cry has enormously cheapened the
cost of production of most commodities,
with the natural result Of reducing the
prices of such commodities to consumers.
This has not been confined to the United
States, but has been co-extensive with
civilization itself. Many other things
have operated TO the same end. The dis
covery of potentialities in natural forces,
before unsupported, and their effective
utilization the opening up of new coun-
tries the revolution in the worlds system
of transportation, bringing countries and
peoples, once remote, close together,
almost aDnihilating space and distance
and promoting the interchange OF products
which it is the object of protective tariffs
to obstruct; the marvellous increase OF
popular intelligence, with it's more than
equivalent increase in the skill and eff
cheney of labor-these are some of the
more important of the many agencies
which have figured in the cheapening
process.
Now we will give the Kentucky gentle
man an So hat-we go him So better-if
he will name one article OF general use
which has declined in price in the United
States under protective tariff which has
not declined. in an equal or greater de-
gree, in other countries during the same
period. Whatever commodities are
cheaper in this country than they were in
1850 are also cheaper in England and
France and Germany than they were
in 1860. 1t may be laid down too as a
general rule-to which there are no ex-
ceptions unless due to local or temporary
causes the nature OF which is Obvious
that articles OF American production d.
rectly affected by the tariff have not de-
clined in price as much AZ similar articles
OF European production have declined.
In other words the American consumers
of protected articles are paying regularly
higher prices for these articles than
European consumers are paying for SINH
lar articles, whether produced in this
country or abroad. This lie a fact which
cannot be gainsaid, and il effectuslly dis
poses OF the transparent pretense Of the
Kentucky protectionist that the tariff has
reduced prices TO American consumers.
Whatever reductions have taken place
have been in spite OF, and not because of.
protection. They have occurred because
natural laws are stronger than statute
laws They have occurred in the products