The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-08-06

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they get for their wheat or other
produce, and spend it for necessaries
of life, without paying so per cent.
of it in the shape of protection to the
favored manufacturing interest.
q. What was the wheat crop of
Missouri last year2
A. Something over 100000
bushels.
q. What was it worth?
A. At 70 cents a bushel-$l4,-
100000.
@. Then, if this wheat cannot
purchase as much American goods
by so per cent. as it can of English
goods, here is tax of 100000 ON
Missouri farmers on their last years
wheat crop?
"A. That is what it comes to.
THE CONSUMER PAY THE DUTY
@. You say the American con-
sumner pays the duty on protected
articles, and that this duty increases
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 consumer.
A. The assertion is untrue and
absurd. If it were true it would be
an easy thing to make foreign manu-
facturers pay the whole cost of our
government, and we would all be in
favor of the policy. Besides, the
perfection of protection is prohibit
tion-making the protective duties
so high as to prevent the importation
of foreign articles, entirely. But, If
no goods were imported, there would
be no duties paid at all, and of
course no customs revenue to the
government. But still, the American
people would be paying the cost of
keeping foreign goods out of the
country, in paying exorbitant prices
for goods to the home manufacturers
The home 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 be not
have to pay the duty ON them before
he can get them through the Custom
House.
A. Yes. But be adds this duty
to the price, and the consumer who
buy the goods has to pay it, so that
it falls upon the consumer at last
The protectionists are in the habit
of talking about foreigners sending
their goods to our country and seek
ing a market for them here; whereas
the practice is very different. For
eign manufacturers do not send their
goods here to be sold, but we buy
them when we want them and bring
them, or have brought to this csun.
try. They are the property of our
citizens when they are entered at the
Coustom House, and is an Ameri-
can importer, not a foreign manufac-
turer who really pays the duty on
them.
G. Is it not better, as a rule, to
keep our money at home by buying
from our own manufacturers?
A. Certainly, when our own man
ufacturers sell as cheap as foreign
ers will. But it is pretty hard on an
American citizen to be compelled
by his government year after year,
for more than a quarter of a century,
70 bux, froy,, tho howe ~, N ~, g., ,f,,
and pay, him $I.50 for what he could
get from foreigner for $1.00 The
difference amounts. to good many
hundred-in some cases to a good
many thousand dollars, in the course
of ten years; and while he is doing
this for the Eastern home manufac-
turer thousand miles off, the East
ern manufacturer is doing nothing
for him. 1t is one-sided business
q. But if the Northeastern states
buy Missouri meats and breadstuffs,
ought we not to buy their manufac-
lures?
A. Yes, if 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 could get them abroad.
They charge US so per cent. higher,
and the tariff law forces us to pay
the price. To make the thing even,
the law ought to compel them to pay
Western farmers so per cent. above
the market price for meats and
breadstuffs.
81 900 WORTH OF GOODS FOR 81, 500.
@. When we import goods from
Europe, do we send the money to pay
for themp
A. No. We pay for them in ar
ticles we export-chiefly farm pro-
ducts.
@. Then 81 900 worth of Missouri
wheat will buy 1000 worth of En-
glish goods in Liverpool?
A. Yes.
@. 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 50per cent,-say $500.
@. Then it will take $500 worth
of wheat more, to pay this tariff.
A. Yes.
@. And SO it will take $1,000
worth of Missouri wheat to buy
81, 600 worth of English goods and
get them through the New York
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