The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-11-04

lOTICIS Ol ClShb DUIOS OF ClOIn IOr every
ten yards purchased? How long could
any man do business who gave away
for nothing four-ffths, not Of his profits,
but Of his entire sales?
Taking high and low rates together
there vero imported dutiable goods
which would sell in Europe for $780,
455,11 upon which the average tariG'
tax exceeded 46 por cent Does any
man really believe that the producers Of
these goods did or could give TO Ameri-
cans for absolutely nothing one-half OF
the whole value of their goods? Bear in
mind that the values reported to Tie
custom houses are the prices at which
the foreigners are able to sell their
goods in foreign markets, and that pro-
tectionists are forever insisting that
these values are falsely reported at too
low rate--that is, that the goods could
really be readily sold in Europe for
much more than these prices. If there
is q word Of truth in anything which is
said on the protectionist side, European
manufacturers could readily sell at
home all the goods which they send
here 1T the full prices mt which they are
invoiced to us and more. It follows
that if they pay the tariff taxes, or any
part Of them, they pay our people mil
lions Of dollars for the privilege of sell
ing here at less than they could get for
their goods Il they kept them at home.
viii any man Of sense believe thct Eu-
ropean manufacturers are such fools?
But there are even clearer proofs Of the
absurdity of this doctrine. Glass was
imported to the value in Europe Of $1,-
100000, upon which tariff taxes were
paid to the amount Of $1,146,0O0. These
are among the precise protective du-
ties to which Mr.. Mckinley referred
when he declared that foreigners paid
the taxes. Does he or does any one
else for Il moment believe that Euro
peans not only gave us 81 600, ,000in glass
for nothing, but in addition made us a
present of $50, 900 in cash as a thank Of
fering for our generosity in taking it?
A hundred examples equally conclusive
might be given.
1t is easy to show in another way the
practical impossibility of collecting our
taxes from foreigners to any extent
worth considering, The present tariff
taxes upon articles which are taxed at
all average nearly so per cent. If for
eign manufacturers pay any such tax rs
this-that is, half the home market price
of their goods-it would prove conclu-
sively that their average profit was more
than 100 per cent, or dollar profit on
each dollars worth of goods. Every enc
who knows anything about manufac-
lures knows that no such profit can be
made for any length Of time upon any.
thing except patented or otherwise mo-
nopolized articles. A profit of even 10
per cent. upon the ordinary metal and
textile manufactures, which constitute
the bulk Of our taxed imports, would
draw unlimited capital into such manu-
factures and quickly bring down the
rate of profit. An average profit of 100
per cent. in general manufactures not
hedged around by monopoly continued
year after year is an utter impossibihty.
Yet such an absurdity as this must be
realized if Mr.. McKinley's doctrine has
any foundation in fact.
See what would follow. If European
manufacturers really pay our protective
taxes they have been making this 100
per cent. profit on all their productions
for the last thirty years, except on such
goods rs they have sent to America. As
less than one-tenth part of their produc-
tions have been sent here, the net profits
Of I'prlicl r,ooD,tfoT Tt,,,,ar, o1o,,o ,r,,,11
amount to more than al the wealth Of
England and Germany together.
What, then, is the truth Of the matter.
Do Foreigners never pay any part of our
tariff taxes? Never directly. Sometimes
they send their goods here, expecting
them to sell for enough to cover the
European price and the tax besides, and
sometimes their expectations are disap-
pointed and the result is Il loss. Occa-
sionally they send few things here to
sell for what they will bring, lust as
American manufacturers sometimes
send their goods to auction to sell at
any price. But on neither side Of the
Atlantic DO they continue regularly in
such business. Two or three mistakes
Of this kind shut mp mill very quick
ly, and the business passes into the
hands Of men who calculate better.
Foreign manufacturers mako losses lust
as Americans do. When an American
makes loss everybody calls it loss,
but when q foreigner makes q loss on an
American transaction Mr.. Mckinley
calls it paying American taxes" There
is not the slightest difference between
the two cases.
Another proof OF the chilli9hness Of
this idea that foreign nations can BE
made to pay our taxes may be found il
the fact that Great Britain is the only
important nation which has absolutely
no protective taxes, and which, there
fore, upon the Mckinley theory, does not
collect cent Of its taxes from foreign
nations, while it also exports moro than
any other two nations Of goods which
are heavily taxed by protective" duties
in the countries to which these goods
are sent, Therefore, on the Mckinley
theory, Great Britain pays more taxes
to other nations than any other two ma.
tons in the world, while it collects nc