The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-24
The Bliss of IGNORANCE.

The Bliss of Ignorance.
Mr.. A. W. Campbell, in his recent
entertaining letter in tho INTELIIaENcER
from Naples, spoke OF the Italian tariff,
which led him to state n well known
principle OF national economy and to
give somo illustrations in point drawn
from tho tariff OF Italy. Hero is what
Mr.. Campbell said on this point:
And here, let me remark, that high tariff,
such rs Italy has, need not DO to my. material
extent whatever n protective tariff. Italy, you
may we'll say, has "a thrill for revenue only" as
sugar, or Is cents on coffee, IS cents on ten, 0.
cents on pepper IS cents per gallon on potr0-
loum. etc, ure oppressiycly levied, rs YOU sec,
on popular necessities that she does not produce
Tho excuse for such cHactions Is, OF course. her
immense necessities growing out OF her huge
army and navy. 1t costs a population OF thirty
millions something to support IN army of n
quarter Of q million on peace footing and to be
the fourth naval power, In Europe. And these
people are poor.
Hero was chance for tho Register to
learn something on tho important sub
ject OF national economy, butthat news
paper prefers to remain in the wilder
ness Of ignorance and to make public
exhibition Of its marvellous state OF in
tellectual poverty. Like tho practiced
teacher that he is, Mr.. Campbell has in
few words shown so clearly what a tar
if for revenue is that u newspaper wri-
+ ter, though unthinking and, unread on
the subject, need not err therein.
There is as much difference between a
tariff for revenue only and a tariff for
protection as there is between chalk and
cheese. 1t should be clear to an under
standing as mean as tho Registers that
the duties named by Mr.. Campbell are
levied, as, he says they arc, for revenue
only" for they are duties on commodi-,
ties which the people Of Italy consume
us part OF their daily fare, which they
will have as long as they can buy any
thing, and which are not produced in
Italy. Here all the conditions OF tariff
for revenue only arc mot, and the duties
arc not Ito any material extent what
ever protective"
II Italy were engaged in the produc-
ton OF sugar, tea, coffee, pepper and
petroleum, or ii she were making IN
effort to produce these commodities,
the duties would be protective. This
would DO plain enough.
Contrast the Italian system with our
own and the point is still clearer. Tho
necessaries. OF life above mentioned on
which Italy places duties SO high come
into this country free OF duty. Why?
Our duties are levied on the protective
principle. We put them on competing
products and on luxurics, Oh articles
which we do produce or can and wish to
produce, and on articles which the peo-
pie can easily do without
We lave no duty OH sugar, tea, coffee
and pepper, which VIC do not produce.
Petroleum. cuts no figure in the qucs-
ton, for that VIC export largely and i'm
port none. Since ours is not tariff
for revenue only we do not put duties
on sugar, tea, coffee and unground
spices. Ours being Il tariff for protcc-
ton and revenue We lay duties on man
uiacturcs OF iron and steel, china and
glassware, woods and woolcns and othcr
S,n hot -
may BIO established and protected
against tho'world, that such manuiac-
turing communities as ours may live,
and that tho people, by reason OF the
home industries, may have cheaper
manufactures than otherwise they
/ could hopo to have.
We are encouraged by all experience
to pcrscverc in this limo to tho end that
cur country may be as FREQ and indie
pendent industriallyas it is politically,
that tho American farmer may havo the
best OF all markets for his crops and the
best OF all markets Tor supplying his
wants, that our industrial workers NAV
have the best Of all markets for their
labor.
When the Register remarks, "whilc
there may be cause for the high tariff
Of Italy thoro is certainly mono in this
country" it shows beyond dispute that
it does not understand tho question it
is trying to discuss, especially that it
does not approhend the broad distinc-
ton, laid down fin every elementary
treatise on the tariff question, between
n tariff for revenue only and protec-
tive tariff.
The essential difference between Mr..
A. W. Campbell: and the Register is, that
Mr.. Campbell knows what he is talking
about and the Register. does not know
{ what it is frothing about. Wo do not