Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-07-08
PROTECTION LOGIC.
1T RESEMBLES IN EVASIVENESS THE
IRlSHMAN'S FLEA.

Hon. j. II. Walker, of Massachusetts,,
One of the Tariff Makers.
Hon. ]. 81. Walker, of Massachusetts,,
is a big manufacturer of leather and
boots and shoes. He helped to make the
Mckinley tariff bill, and is regarded as
one Of the stanchest and strongest ofpro-
tectionists. His speech of March 10,
1892, is printed in forty-fve page
pamphlet. On page occurs the follow
ing:
II haveto say that you may search the
speeches that are made in favor of pro-
lection from beginning to end and you
will not find 1 per cent. of error, where
you will find SO per cent. of error in the
statements that are made by those in
favor of free trade as opposed to pro-
tective tariff"
1t is evident that Mr.. Walker knows
what error and logic are, and that he in
tends to sustain the good record of his
brethren On page is this statement:
ut is of no consequence to the manu-
facturers of this country, as manufac-
turers, whether we have free trade or
whether we have protection. We are
Just as we'll satisfied with free trade as
we are with protection"
This will be news to thousands of man.
ufacturers who employ lobbyists at
Washington and who have said that the
Mills bill would have driven half Of
them out of the country. But for fear
of being in error he hedges this state
ment in the following paragraph thus:
"The well being of every city of this
country is bound up with the interest of
the manufacturers in a protective tariff. J"
On page is the following:
"Now, it is conceded by every statis-
tician of this country and every other
that this is the lowest taxed country on
the face of the earth that is counted asa
civilized nation"
And on page 5 this:
II affirm that there is no greater evil
dence of civilization, Christian civiliza-
ton, than taxation; and the volume Of
taxation per capita expresses 1t. Show
me the taxes per capita of any people,
and l can determine by that their adj
yancement in the scale of civilization"
This is hard on the United States-to
be the lowest in civilization because it IS
the lowest taxed country. But this is
truth and logic, and there is no escape
for US. He then defines taxation:
"What does taxation come to in its
last analysis? 1t comes to taking the
property of the rich and dividing it pro
rata for the benefit of every man, wo-
man and child in the community. That
is what taxation comes to at last"
This proves that economists. e., i'm
practical book economists out of con-
gress-are entirely in error, for they all
agree that taxation has always rested
most heavily upon the poor. He then
further elucidates and simplifies his
definition:
"Now, what is taxation? Taxation is
but the government taking part of the
income of the citizen and spending it for
the citizen to better advantage than he
can himself spend it. That is all there
is in taxation"
This is unpleasant information for
some of us who prefer to spend our own
incomes, but there can be no mistake.
Mr.. Walker is we'll versed in statistics
and cannot be in error in this next state
ment:
"More than one-third of the income
from all the property east of the Mis-
sissippi and north of the Ohio is taken in
taxation, and benefcently taken-taken
and returned to the citizens pro rata,
rich and poor alike, after being taken
out of the boards of the rich"
But think what taxes must be paid by
really civilized countries when lpe-third
of the income of this "lowest taxed
country" is taken for taxes, and what
awful blessings we are missing by not
increasing our taxes until the govern
ment invests, say, 90 per cent. of our in
comes for US.
We now reach page G, where Mr..
Walker shows the wonderful instinct
by which taxation, no matter where let
loose, returns to the same spot.
at makes comparatively little differ
ence where you lay your taxes. Lay
them where you will, they will follow
back and ultimately rest on the same
persons and in the same spot. We may
as we'll lay all the taxation of this gov
eminent on wool if we choose as well as
anywhere else. 1t will all rest on the
same spot finally. It's of comparative
ly little Importance where you lay taxes.
1t may take twenty years for them to
adjust themselves to their final point.
1t may take thirty or forty years, but if
you levy taxation anywhere it seeks out
and rests upon the same individuals in
the community who will ultimately
bear the burdens. l think the statistics
will bear me out in this statement"
Let it be remembered that "free trad
ers" make at least ninety-nine times as
many errors as "protectionists," and
that Mr.. Walker is a specialist in his
line.