New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-28
THE TARIFF A BLESSING
A CLEAN.CUT STATEMENT OF THE RF.r.
DOCTRINE OF PROTECTION.
SOME COMPLICATED AND PoNDERO7ys o1rrs
TONS. IN THE PUIEsT IDIoM OF THE
@HIGHER CULTURE" OF BOSTON.
CLEARLY AND HAND.
SOMELY ANSWERED.
ErOm rhe

CLEARLY AND HAND
SoMELY ANSWERED.
Urom The Weekly Tibune1
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Mr.. Horr stated substantially April Is in Ire
mont Temple that protection or falls with the
proposition that protection has cheapcned the price
our protected goods respectfully submit in behalf
of the Boston Question Club the following questions for
your thoughtful consideration hope for an early
reply:
/. Why. if it cheapens things, should tariff be put
On and thus cheaper. wheat and other products which
form such large percentage of exports? Is it
desirable for thus cheaper foreigners tho main
bulk of what We have TO sell abroad
2. While claiming. by orr protective tariff. to have
cheapened the price of steel rails glassware. crockery
carpets why Protectionists ask. Kinley like
IN the same breath, for increase of tariff these
sefsame articles, TO compensate them for the greater
decline Of price In free trade England? Is not the
necessity OF increasing protection being under
sold by Free Traders prma face evidence of a greater
decline of their commodity prices than of ours? Is not
the asking of increased rate of protective duty
article an open confession that it's price has de-
clined more rapidly outside than Inside II protected
borders' Else why should we now need higher duties
than In 1860
3. Has not the direct primary intent and eject Of
tariff protection from being undersold generally been
increase the prices of these protected goods Then
unless reacticn greater than its parent action how
can Tile tdriu cHctO Oo
greater than Its primary price-increasng effect
4. Does not this primary dearness proportionally
check consumption and consequent production, thus
Numerically opposing that enlarged scale OF the
worlds production which is undeniaby essential TO
cheapuessl ID. WEBSTER GROH,
President Boston Question Club.
No. GIG Westinghouse, Boston, April Is, 1891.
In answer to this letter from high source
as the Boston Question Club, permit me first TO
restate just what positions 1 did take in the Ire
mont Temple debate, and what also believe TO
lie the positions taken by all ProtectionistS who
have given the subject careful study. The state
ments which l made ut that time, as clearly as
was In my power, were these:
WHAT MIR. HORR SAID IN BOSTON.
l. That there is no civilized nation in the
world that does not levy some kind of tariff
duties and hence there is no such nation known
as a purely freetrade nation. Is that statement
tue or not? What says the Boston Question Club
iIe members Of that club may believe in abso-
r.te free trade; may believe that all custom houses
should be demolished l know nothing rs TO
where they stand upon that question, nor does 1t
mauer in this debate, because that Is not the
position against which | was arguing that night.
What l desire 10 do in the outset Is to see II we
cannot agree. as go along, on certain existing
facts and so In the end eliminate many difficulties
from this discussion
=. l stated that among civilized nations there
are two methods Of levyine tariff duties. one Is
called the free-trade method; the other is deSig-
mated as the protective system. l then stated
,bat under the free-trade plan duties always
levied c. articles which tie Nation levylng them
does not produce and that under the protective
system such articles except luXuFeH) are put
on the free list, and that we levy our duties on I'M
portatons Of those articles which cur Nation does or
can produce cited the case OF Great Britain as tn
instance of Nation which levies It's duties on the free
7 cd Shc collects SlUO,UUO,
900 each year by " tariff duties, and that the
great bulk Of those revenues levied on tea, Conec
and tobacco. Am hight in those statements
further claimed that whenever tariff Is levied on
this frectrade plan chat to say on goods the Ike OF
which are not produced cannot he produced In the
country where the duty Is levied that such duty al
vays increases the cost Of the article 10 the ultimate
consumer; and when levied such articles rs tea
coffee and tobacco, which are In such common use ut
snch duties must be paid mostly by the working people
Of any Nation which levies that kind OF tariff VIII
the Boston Question Club turn Itself into an answering
club and tell me whether that position is correct!
Enaland collects as 1 have stated large tariff
duties on those three articles Who pays those duues
Most clearly the men who consume the tea conee anu
tobacco As In England the poorer people n nDef
ully COO 10 every one rich nabob and as each one Oh
those Door people consumes nearly the game amount
n, those articles that each r1ch person does IL loi
lows that the great bulk Of those duties are corrected
from the laboring classes. Is that TACT
statement WIS, t'kis N''N' 49,"
tectiye system articles the like OF when we oai.
no, nr,iuce are placed the free list, ana thau
pe levy our duties on foreign articles the c u VIM"
We can produce in this country ioF wv P"'r
first 10 obtain revenue; secondly. 10 give ou' wv
,.on,c control OF our markets. ana ttuS roster anu
LuiId MP industries in the United states anu
GOOD wages 70 our wording people. then s'atcu l'
,ch dpues are paid largely by the foreign hahuSc'u'
ops, who are compelled 10 make these pay i"o" ~ 80
IN Get into our markets with their surplus e0, -,
mat such duties seldom added U '"o e''' Va CAV
,o,. N the ultimate consumers. Is that or IS II LOU
truef ,., Lula, ~, tho mo
,o,,v. nlan tend TO build up industries here IN lhe
I-nited states that under that system 'eS "
uurnher of manufacturing Establishments nav" 80,
bnit and run in this country Tor many Se"'9
uovsr woud have been established and man'aie" "'u
/, not been for the protection thus giVeh' - 'N"'
factl -, ;A,e,r,os
N.Y. next position was that. when euch huu9t''c'
are once established they open up field for h'erlo"
Ingenuity set in motion tue spirit oi ia" ,t,o.
ZION and, by large and unintc'ruPeu op 49,
nr the actual cost OF production, bIing ih'o po"o'
the great law Of competition, save inc emu
~ a. Inor,ers and BY all these agencies como'ncu'
,asult in these products being sold 10 inc u'"a Do
srm.rs at a lower price than when THESE so0u' w.
,rocrrsd from abroad, and In all proba0iii'y d. ~
,,ics than they would have been sou luz nA , -
industries been established here IN LIE On'.'.'
no NOT the facts bear me out In that eIaoi'oi' .
then stated that unless in the emo, 'n' ',,,,
n..u,t in cheapening the cost Of goods to the ui'
mate consumers and also in paying labor pe.'er ,d
than II receives in any other countries 'poh "'"
abandon my belief in protecuon' , e,or,d
Summon a,,a os,.d that my free-trsde friends shouid
9. oor,a show hat such protected articles hau
Ssen constantly going down in price since VIC s" a.,
r ,no,ufacture In this country, and that uu''"s al
nt time labor has better paid than IN any ,
ry which levied frectrade tan'i' tIlen III ."a' ro
tley should stop calling the pro.oc'vv .s,, Cor the
~, o shoud admit that it had worked well LOT .no
oss ~ thc United States. now submit 10 INV
member, OF the Boston Question Club whether a''''
.no,solv the positions took in that debate
not pfccIscD uiO PO ,bo ,rice of such pro