The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-08-27

producers abrosd, and the consumer.
here and the producers at home, and
can perhaps best state that in shor,
form by reading few paragraphs
winch have used on another occasion
IN another place in expires sing my
views on this subject
An American consumer desires an
article which the foreign seller can with
reasonable profit place in the port of
New York on this side of the custom
house for So, but the home producer
cannot sell the same article and make
! talr profit for less than $6. In this
case a duty of 81 puts the American
ana foreign sellers in fair com
Ietltlon, prevents monopoly, gives the
american consumer the advantage of
cholca OF sources of supply, thus insur-
ing low prices, enables the American
capitalist to make a fair profit OH his
Investment and pay proper wages to
the American laborer. and the foreign
seller possess some American product
Tor his return cargo, thus stimulating
some other American Industry and IN.
creaSlng our commerce After awhile
the American industry under the stim,
uluSo or competition invents improved
| machinery or utilizes improved meth.
ouS OF transportation or exchange, and
Is enabled to put mis- article on the mar
ket at leSSentd value, and the for
elgner, in order not to lose foothold
In the American market, Is compelled
| to do so likewise to the benefit of the
consumer"
Whenever the tariff Is so adjusted
that the true difference Of cost IN pro-
ductlon abroad and the production at
home is represented by the duty the
consumer has no right to complain, be.
cause he has the competition between
the Two III fair market. When make
that observation l make it with this
qualifications: | mean on things that
are produced normally in this country.
don't think that tin comes under that
| clause at all, or articles of that kind
Whlch we cannot produce with any
facility, but l mean those articles which
we may in the ordinary operation of
manufacture produce i'm this country.
1T Is to the advantage of us as consum
erS IN the long run to have the duty
put on that basis. TO illustrate that
let me read further, and here is my idea
OF what IS called Il tariff for protection
ana the way In which it operates
THE SIN OF PROTECTION.
suppose In the instance where the
and the duty, and the American pro.
1ucer cannot proitably sell it for less
than S6, that the duty were placed at
%, there you see the article brought
ordinarily at fair profit into the port
or New York at 50, with the duty of
So would cost 81. The American bro
ducer can produce it prctitably at S6.
Inc American consumer is no longer
able to buy from the foreign producer,
and the American producer, instead of
being content with the ST, which gives
him fair profit charges $S6 80, making
an excessive profit and enjoying a mon
since the duty excludes thefoIeigr
product at 50 and 50 duty, which woul,
make 81, and rs the foreign producer
does not send his goods here there is ne
return cargo OF American product SEN
abroad. For a short period the Ameri
can monopoiist makes excessive profits
put this attracts capital to the same
held, then follows over production, and
nome competition reduces the price to
S6. and below $6 perhaps, but as soon
| as prices go down from the surfeit of
Che market the capitalist begins to call
on wage workers for d corresponding re-
ductlon IN wages, for capital does not
part with excessive profits if it can
SHIT the loss to the labOrer. The result
is the formation Of combinations or
trusts to keep up prices at the expense
or the consumers and the crushing out
OF competitors who decline to enter the
combine"
TIE TARIFF THE PARENT OF TRUSTS,
lhlS Is the second stage in which the
tarl11 presents itself in the workings of
our tariff system. We have seen il
this country that industries excessively
protected produces such enormous re-
turns that they become over. stocked.
Then comes the trust in order to COM
blne these industries and keep up
prices, and the protective tariff is real
~ the parent of this system of trusts.
son the other hand, another feature.
suppose that the article which the Ior.
| tlgntr can ship to our shores for 50 is
admitted free, and drives out the home
product, which cannot be prOlitably
made for less than SG, the result is that
Jhe nome labor quits all over the field
ana capital is taken away from those
industries and lahOrerS sent somewhere
else; either this or starvation wages.
The consumer after the struggle gets
lower prices, but after the conflict ends
becomes dependent on English produ-
GERS, who take ADVANTAGE of the dis
lance and monopoly to corner prices.
lneIe IL opportunity Tor leturn CargOeS
OF American products where there is
Il stimulus of commerce, which is not
he case in such a tariff. Both the pro-
ttctive and the free trade tariff fail
sholt OF advantages afforded by tariff
for revenue
TIE FOREIGN AND HOME MARKETS.
AS you see with lhe teeming produce
ton of European factories, wherever
the English and the continental manu-
iacturer finds fair field for his wares
he is going to carry them, and whrn-
ever the tariff does not oyerSlrp the
true difference of cost Of produces, ior Of
standard articles and articles of neces
slty here and abroad, then foreign artl-
cleS are coming in and we as cOnSum
ers OF these wares have the full advau-
tage OF the foreign market and of the
home market. The foreigner brings
his goods here and the home man can
make them and meet him On equal
terms, having always the advantage of
proximity, which is great adv intage,
not sufficient, however. to exclude the
foreigner; and that tariff under the rev
enne principle will necessarily tring
the best revenue to the country. When
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