The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-05-07
PRACTICAL TARIFF STUDY
HOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
CAN FAIL OR WIN.
History Coming Back on the Democratic
farty-McMili Fact-Those RAYS
from HeGSars' Backs-How to Fail
Paragraphs and Illustrations.
Taritf Questions Solved.


| Tariff Questions Solved
i question No II. Why do nearly all the text
books. used by the colleges, and the advanced
schools of this cuuutry on civil t;nyarnrnTt
| teach free trade?
!. The question slightly errs in as
suming too broadly that the COLLEGES and
advanced schools of this country do
nearly all teach anything relating to the
question Of free trade or protection. and
that they teach through textbooks. On
the contrary, very many of the minor
colleges do not teach political economy
at all; most of those which devote much
attention to 1t, teach it entirely throug h
lectures. Many of the professional
economists have no opinion whatever
on the question and dlsaifirm that 1t is
any part of the business Of economic
teachers TO take any ground upon either
the tariff question, the depreciation Of
| silver or any other "burEIng question"
which Is the subject OF party agitation
lhe American Economic AssocIa-
ton is an association dominated by pro-
tesslonal teachers, comprising upward
OF 800 members, which holds annual
meetings and publishes extended DIS
cussions, and the American Academy
OF Social and Political Science and the
American Statistical and Social Science
associations represent the same class,
| but none OF them has, SO far as we know,
ever discussed or published a paper on
the tariff question, on the United States
Bank, or on any currency question
which has become political issue, or
| more than one on the silver question.
=. The polite, discreet and current
policy of American colleges is to profess
neutrality, impartiaity or Indifference
concerning the tariff question. as being
one an aggressive attitude upon which
cannot attract students and may repel
them. These follow in the wake OF the
American Economic Association. If
they use n text book they use Walker s
or Ely's, which aim to be neutral.
| Those who lecture quote the free trade
and protectlonist text books as present
ing adverse positions. The chief ex-
cepIions have been Yale. Harvard, Will
lams and Michigan, where Sumner.
Perry, Dunbar, Laughlin, Taussig and
Adams have agressiyely advocated free
trade, but of late III a more subdued
tone.
). Political economy as taught in
the colleges has been mainly written
and is constantly being rewritten by
men like Stuart Mill, Ricardo, Bastiat,
George, Carey, Amasa Walker and the
men like Adam Smith, whose expert
ence in college has caused them TO write
labored treatises to prove that colleges
are not what they ought to be. As in
the case of Calico, the spectacle maker,
and of Franklin and Edison, the cleo
tricians, it is the world that must teach
the colleges. Really great men first
cross the threshold of a college, if at ail
either to found IL or to teach it, not oft
en- TO learn III it. The business men OF
America are as far ahead of the colleges
III practical political economy, as the
manufactures of America are ahead OF
its philosophers and theoretical chem
lists IN making iron. steel, soap, INK, pa
per or cloth, in refining OIL, construct
ing machinery or utilizing steam, sun
light and electricity. None OF these
could a pure cOllegian do.
Question No. i5. Are not American bicycles
made well rs English bicycles?
The ordinary American road wheel is
better than any other similar wheel in
the world. Some people prefer En-
glish racing wheels; but then some
people always prefer foreign articles to
those of American make. SO far as
strength, durability and beauty are con
Cerncd. the American bicycle cannot be
beaten.
Question No Il. What is the difference be-
tween duty and tariff?
Duty S sum of money required by
the government to be paid on the i'm
pOrtatlon of foreign article. \ tariff
is a list or schedule of duties.
question No IS When The duty exceeds 100
per cent, does the foreigner give US the goods
and pay us for taking them!
Take q yard of calico for example,
which you can buy anywhere III this
country at cents The duty on such
goods Is cents yard that is l25 per
cent. Who paws it Why, no one. 1t
is not paid ut all. Yet if there is in
this country an anglomanlac who IN
sists that similar calico made III Man
chester, Eng, is worth ) cents Il yard
more than that made AT home and inn
ports 1t. he will doubtless pay tie l2j
per cent. duty, and he ought 10. 1t is q
tax on his un-American foollshness.
But II the Manchester manufacturer Is
determined TO sell his calico regularly Y IN
our markets III open competition with
the equally good or better American
products selling at cents ward, then
he must pay the cents yard into the
nited States treasury ana sell the
goods At / cents a yard, thus losing
cent on every Yard. If he does not he
fails in his effort to enter this market
rs matter of fact, the Manchester
manufacturer knows better than tC
adopt such course. He looks else.
where for market for his calico, and
leaves the American people in the un-
disturbed enjoyment of the cheapest
and best calico 10 be found on the face
of the carth.-. iUltfir,m Ec0HoMiSt.
History Coming Back on the Democratic
. Party.
+ The other day the Hon. Robert +
Doan, OF Ohio. created no end Of merrt
ment on the Republican side OF Con
yress, and no little confusion among the
free-trade "rcformers," by quoting
from a Democratic pamphlet circulated