Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-11-01

But large amount of sugar was grown
in our own country. 1t was not enough
10 supply our wants, nor anything like
it. We may therefore take il as con-
ceded that whenever we are compelled
TO import from abroad the larger part of
our necessary supply of any article, our
own people pay the tariff tax upon that
article. All the tariff taxes upon tin
plates, earthenware, sugar, linen, most
fruits, most furs, carpet, woods and
many other articles, chiefly or entirely
made abroad, amounting in 1891 to
over 10000, 900, were therefore GER
tainly paid by our own people.
Ii will be said that foreigners pay by
giving the American importers goods of
sufficient value to repay the duties. Let
Us see if this can be so. Woolen goods
were imported which sold in Europe for
s4s, 235, 400. upon which tariff tax was
paid here Of so per cent. That means a
tax Of eight yards of cloth upon every
ten imported. Does any man outside OF
lunatic asylum believe that European
manufacturers would goon year after
year making o present to American Inn
porters of eight yards Of cloth for every
ten yards purchased? How long could
any man do business who gave away
for nothing four-fifths, not of his profits,
but of his entire sales:
Taking high and low rates together.
there We're imported dutiable goods
which would sell in Europe for $780,
455,1 upon which the average tariff
tax exceeded 46 per 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 the
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 a word of truth in anything which is
said ON the protectionist side, European
manufacturers could readily sell 80
home all the goods which they send
here at the full prices at which they are
invoiced to us and more. 1t 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 if they kept them at home
Will any man of sense believe that 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 ST.
100000, upon which tariff taxes We're
paid to the amount of 81 ,148,0O 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 a moment believe that Euro
peans not only gave us 81 900, coo in glass
for nothing, but in addition made us q
present of $50 900 in cash as thank Of
fering for our generosity in taking III
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 as
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 OF
each dollars worth of goods. Every one
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 impossibility
Yet such an absurdity as this mnst 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 as they have sent to America. As
| less than one-fenth part of their produc-
tions have been sent here, the net profits
| of English manufacturers alone would
amount to more than all 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 loss. Occa-
sionally they send few things here to
sell for what they will bring, just 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 whQ calculate better.
| Foreign manufacturers make losses just
as Americans do. When an American
makes loss everybody calls it loss,
but when foreigner makes loss on an
| American transaction Mr.. Mckinley
calls it paying American taxes" There
is not the slightest difference between
n. -