Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-10-12
Tariff for Revenue aud for Protec-
tion

Having i'll a previous article ex-
planned i'll general terms the differ
ence between a revenue tariff and
protective tariff, | may profitably
follow with all illustration of a
revenue tax that has been changed
by the Mckinley bill into protec-
tive tax, or at least the attempt dis
cussions upon it, | need hardly say
that l refer to the tariff, or tax, on
tin-plate.
Hitherto we have gotten our tin
plate from England, none being
made in this country. During the
last fiscal year we imported 1,000,-
100000 pounds. That tin-plate
delivered at our Eastern seaboard
cities cost about 8 cent per pound,
and the tariff on it was ! cent per
pound, making its first cost to the
first American buyer, the importer,
4 cents a pound. That ] cent a
pound carried into the Treasury
$10,000,0O0. 1t was a revenue tax.
The people paid it and their Gov
eminent received it.
Now, certain men who wanted to
make tin-plate in this country, or
who wanted to compel the people of
this country to use their sheet-iron
instead, came to Washington while
Major Mckinley was making his
tariff bill and said to him: IF you
will double the tariff OH tin-plate--
that is, raise it's price by law anoth-
err cent pound-we will establish
plants and make the tin-plate of
the American people," Major Nc
Kinley, with his associates, believ-
ing it to be a legistimate use of
government. power to raise the
price of certain commodities when
made by home people to be sold to
other home people but not when
sold to foreigners), cheerfully UNI
dertook to crafty their wishes. He
did not dare bring in a bill making
it unlawful for any American citizen
to buy his tin-plate from English
man at 3 cents per pound, and COM
handing him after certain date,
to buy from Niedringhaus ct al. at
5 cents per pound. The proposal
of such law would have kindled
public Indignation. But Major Nc
Kinley went deliberately to work to
accomplish, by indirection, the same
result. He carried through Con-
gress law declaring that any
American user of tin-plate who was
guilty of buying tin-plate from
anybody else than Niedringhaus ct
al. should be fined by the Govern
ment 30 cents on every pound he
thus bought.
We now have our choice, viz, to
buy foreign tin-plate at 3 cents per
pound and pay the Government fine
of % cents, making its first cost to
us So cents per pound, or to buy
direct from Niedringhaus ct al. at
So cents per pound. IL the quality
of the tin-plate is the same, it does
not concern us as consumers from
whom we buy, but as citizens and tax
payers it makes great difference.
The 2.2 cents per pound which the
law has added to the price of the
imported tin-plate goes into the
Treasury and helps to meet the ex-
penses of government. The 90
cents per pound which the Govern
ment has added to the price Of the
tin-plate of Niedringhaus ct al.
goes into their pockets to insure
them large profits or to indemnify
them for carrying OH an unpro6t-
able business. In the one case we
pay taxes to the Government and
get the benefit of them as citizens;
in the other we pay taxes to Med
ringhaus ct al. and get no benefit
of them whatever. A revenue tax
has been changed into a protective
tax. BY doubling public exac-
| ton il has been turned into n private