The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-08-05
The Prinoip,. Of the Tarin.

The Principle Of the Tariff.
The best thinkers and writer's and
practical statesman agree that the
principle upon which an honest and
correct government tariff should be
constructed is that undeVeloped in
dustries should be protected and de-
vel0ped industries should not. This
is illustrated by taking the wool and
the tin industry. It is an acknowl-
edged fact that the Massachusetts
manufa cturer of wooden clothing
completes in Canada, England and
elsewhere with foreign manufacturers
and has been competing for fifteen
years. He can sell in Canada and
England for the same price that the
Canadian OF English manufacturers
can. Take for instance. the suit Of
clothes which he puts upon the Cana
dian market for five dollars to. COM
pete with the same make which the
Canadian manufacturers place upon
the market. He sells for FIVE dollars
in Canada and in England and makes
his legitimate profit, but he sells the
same goods and makes in this coun-
try for seven dollars because the tar
if compels the foreign manufacturer
to pay two dollars to bring his suit
into this country for sale. This gives
the Massachusetts manufacturer two
dollars for nothing or in other words
two dollars over and above the legit-
innate profit which he makes in sell
ing in a foreign country. In this
case the tariff law robs the consumer
of this country two dollars for the
benefit of the manufacturer and gives
that manufacturer two dollars for
nothing. In all developed Industries
consumers Of this country can buy
the manufactured article OF American
manufacture, in Canada or England
cheaper than he can buy"it in this
country. This kind OF a law is not
just. 1t makes the consumer pay the
manufacturer not only his legitimate
profit but also a certain sum over
and above that profit. 1t gives him
something for nothing, thus concen-
trating wealth; making the rich.
richer and the poor, poorer, and in
time will place all wealth in the
hands of this class. In this class OF
cases the importer does not pay the
tariff duty, but the consumer does.
The importer puts on his marketable
price the sum he pays the custom
house. As in the case of the suit OF
clothes the foreign manufacturer
could sell in this country for five dol
lars if there were no tariff on that
article, but as the tariff is two dollars,
he sells for seven. The consumer
pays the seven dollars, two OF which
reimburses the importer for the two
dollars he paid to the government
and the remainder he puts in his
pocket.
When a home manufacturer can
compete with a foreign manufacturer
at home or abroad, it is robbery for
the lawt to compel the consumer to
pay more than the price which that
manufacturer sells for elsewhere, and
yet at least one-half of the industries
protected by the Mckinley law are of
this class.
Now take the tin industry. This is
unGeveloped. It cannot compete
with foreign manufacturers, and
therefore cannot develop, cannot
grow and increase without assistance
because it's articles OF manufacture
cannot be sold as cheap as those OF
the foreign manufacturer. If it is
protected by excluding competition
to certain degree the industry will
grow and every addition of growth
is an addition of wealth to the
country.
Upon this subject the platform OF
the democratic and the republican
parties are false and impolitic. The
farmer asserts that the government
has not the power to enact such laws
which is contrary to the views and
admissions nj tho formers of the
constitution and also decisions of the
United States Supreme Court. The
latter does not base it's policy on the
principle above stated but asserts
that it is proper to protect all indus
tries, thus asserting the doctrine that
it is honest to rob the consumer for
the manufacturer. A FARMER.
But the tin platter can put his
produce on the market in competi-
ton with the British manufacturer.
Ed. G. W.
Mr.. Geo. Howard Gibson, of Lin
coin, Nebraska writes us a very kind
letter and encloses new song, writ
ten expressly for our use in Institute
work and authorizes US to issue it