New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-18
r,prrp WINCH DOES NOT TAX.

democrats arc much worried by the Repub-
,;can declaration that prices OF articles 10 con
sumors have not been raised in consequence
90 tho NOW duties. so that the additional d'ities
rool,v t,v foreigners but do not tax Americans
~ all In their irritation and anxiety our
friends the enemy forget that stiff assertions
A. NOT sorvo instead of facts when there Is
omn,o time for investigation and discussion
I'm 1890 the new tariff having gone INTO ehe,'
rs late as October 6, the air was ME" WI"
falseboods which there was not time 10 ciear
away before the election early IN November.
put this wear there will be four full months OF
;pouirv and debate, while for twenty months
alrcody pcople of both parties have been "a'ch-
inc how rho new tariff works, observing me
n,;cos tbcy nav. and learning facts which make
II hard for campaign liars. IL the Democrats
arc wise they will not rely largely TINS year
mon Misrepresentation about prices.
The issue is one of facts. New and higher
dutcs were imposed by the Mckinley Tariff
mon certain products. But those products
actually cost no more, and III many cases even
less. at retail to-day than they cost before the
new and higher duties were imposed. lhiS Is
the fact rs 70 worstcds. dress goods, and nearly
all woollens that are largely imported II IS me
fact as 10 cutlery. cotton ties. steel lngots ana
beams. and imported products OF lron 1t is
the fact Az to tinwarc, pals. pans, cans and
all utensils made ont Of tin. Other illustrations
If rho same general truth could he mentioned
in great number. but one suilices to test the
principle as well as many.
Within forty eight hours after the new tafili
went into effect agents of foreign houses were
Offering woocn goods in this market, on which
rho duties had been advanced. at exactly the
priccs paid before the advance in duties. The
foreign maker or dealer Immediately reduced
his price exactly as much a. the duty had been
raised. in order to keep American customers
by selling here at the old prices. Who pald
the additional duty in that case? Not the
American consumer. who obtained exactly the
same articles Ut the same price as before. There
is NOT a boy or girl in the land fiji to attend
common school who would not sec at once that
in such case the whole increase of duty was
paid by the foreign manufacturer or dealer, so
that the additional duty taxed foreigners only
and Americans not at all
But before long Americans began 10 supply
many woollcn goods which had not been made
in this country at all These goods werc
offered at exactly the price formerly charged
for similar foreign goods, but on account OF
some superiority in the quality or finish the
home made goods began 20 gain the preference.
I'm some cases the foreign goods were entirely
excluded from the market. and are no longer
imported. In other cases the foreign goods
we're again reduced in price. 50 that they are
sold here for los, money with the new and
hi cher duties paid than they formerly cost with
the oil ard lower duties. The foreigner not
,rlv paid all the additional tax nut part OF the
fax which American consumers had been ac-
c,rstomcd - pay. There is no, 4 man IN the
dIvroods trade who cannot name such IN
stlnccs. in which foreign goods cost less than
before in spite OF higher duties, and other in
stances in which foreign goods have been en-
tircly excluded from the market by American
goods. the latter being sold AT the price former
u paid COR the foreign. 1t is the same way
with may kinds of cutlery. and American
steel beans can now he bought for less money
than was paid before the duties were levied
The entire demand for cotton ties is now sup
piled by American makers, and yet tho price TO
consumers is lower than it ever was before the
duties were increased.
These and thousands of similar facts will be
forced upon the attention OF voters during the
coming months. II Democrats rely upon the
reflitcd theory that the consumer must always
pay the duty, or if they attempt to get through
the camIagn with miSstatemcnts about prices
they will have hard time.