South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-08-26

FRIDAY. AUGUST 90. 1892.
Farmcrsl Read This.
TARIFF PRIMER.
THE SUBJECT MADE PLAIN.
WHAT THE TARIFF rs.
THE CONSUMER PAYS THE
Duly.

I
Duly.
z. You say the American con.
sumner pays the duty on protected
articles, and that this duty increas
es the cost?
| A. Yes.
q. But the advocates of protec.
ton assert that the foreign manu-
facturer pays the duty, and it does
not fall on the American consum-
err.
A. The assertion is untrue and
absurd. If it we're true it would
be an easy thing to make foreign
manufacturers pay the whole cost
OF our government, and we would
all be In favor of the rolicy. Be.
sides, the perfection of protection
is prohibition-making the protec-
tive duties so high as to prevent
the importation of foreign articles,
entirelr. But, if no goods were
imported, there would be no duties
paid at all, and of course no Gus.
toms revenue to the government.
But, still the American people
would be paying the cost of keeping
cheap foreign goods out of the coun-
try, in paying exorbitant prices for
goods to the home manufacturers.
The homo manufacturers would
have an absolute monopoly OF the
home market and they would
charge their own prices.
q. But when a foreigner sends
goods to this country, does he not
have to pay the duty on them be-
fore he can get them through the
Custom House.
A, Yes. But he adds this duty
to the price, and tho consumer
who buys the goods has to pay it,
so that 1T falls upon the consumer
at last. The protectionists are in
the habit OF talking abou foreign
ers sending their goods to our
country and seeking a market for
them here; whereas the practice is
very different. Foreign manufact-
urers do not send their goods here
to be sold, tut We buy them when
We want them or have them brought
to this country. They are the
property OF oar citizens when they
are entered at the Custom House,
and it is an American importer, not
foreign manu- 'actuTer who really
pays the duty on them.
.. Is 1t not better, as rule, to
keep our money at home by buying
from our own manufacturers?
A. Certainly, when our own
manufacturers sell as cheap as for
eigners will. But it is pretty hard
oa an American citizen to be COM
PEELED by his government year after
year, for more than a quarter Of
century, to buy from the home
manufacturer and pay him $3.50
for what he could get from a for
eigner for <1O0. The difference
amounts to good many hundred -
in some cases to good many thous-
and dollars, in the course of ten
years; and while he is doing this
for the Eastern home manufactur-
er thousand miles of, the Esss-
ern manufacturer is doing nothing
for him. 1t is a one-sided bust
ness.
Q. But if the Northeastern
states buy Missouri meats and
breadstuffs. ought we not TO buy
their manufactures?
A. Yes, il we can get them on
equal terms. But while we sell
them meat and breadstuffs cheaper
than they can buy them abroad,
they do not sell US manufactured
goods as cheap as we can get them
abroad. They charge us 80 per
cent. higher, and the tariff law
forces us to pay the price. To
make the thiag even the law orght
to compel them to pay Western
farmers 80 per cent. above the
market price for meats aud bread
stuff.
$1,000 WORTH OF GOODS FOR
$1,000.
Q. When We import goods from
Europe, do we send the money to
pay for them2
A. No. We pay FOR them in ar
ticles we export-chiefly farm pro-
ducts.
Q. Then $1,000 worth OF Mis-
souri, wheat will buy 81 900 worth
Of English goods in Liverpool?
A. Yea.
q. How much will it cost to get
those goods into Missouri mean
how much will the tariff be on that
quantity Of English goods?
A. About so per cent. say $500.
q. Then it will take $500 worth
OF wheat more, to pay this tariff.
A. Yes.
Q. And so it VII take 81 800
worth Of Missouri wheat to buy
81 900 worth of English goods and
get them through the New York
Custom House?
A. 1t will.
2. But suppose the wheat is sold
IN Boston, and the goods bought
IN Boston, how will il be then2
A. just the same, except that in
the former case the $500 duty goes
TO the government and ia the lat
fer To fho 81 araoof4,soff.,, 49,. a..