The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1892-01-15
TARIFF REFORM.

9th the president and the secretary d
tho treasury are at great pains, In thes re
osnt communications TO congress, TO avs urt
the people that the Mckinley bill Ia 4. lfill
ing NIL the prophesies Of its authors and
nightly advancing the prosperity G. the
country. The president dwells with much
satisfaction on the recent increase In our
Foreign commerce as TO suggest the belief
that he thinks Il was the tariff bill that gave
IN the prodigious crops Of the past season
and at the same time blighted the haryests
Of Europe NO "a 10 insure us rcady markets
at paying prices for our unusual surplus.
But the secretary Of the treasury is still
boder and does not hesitate TO declare:
| A comparison Of the prices Of the goods
imported respectively under the old and
new tariffs where rates have been increased
viii demonstrate that the tariff IL tax mp
on the foreign competition in our markets,
IN the sale Of such articles ~ are extensively
produced here, and that the duties nre in
fact thus deducted from the foreign market
value and are paid by ths foreigner as ii tax
for the privilege Of selling his goods here nj
prices Fixed by our own people competing
among themselves in our own market.
Before adopting, into an official report
this commonplace Of the stump orator.
which John Quincy Adams years ago de-
clared TO be eontrary 10 the first principles
Of commonsense. Secretary Foster should
have turned 10 the twenty-ffth section
the very bill he IL seeking 10 yindicate.
that section provides for the repayment Of
30 per cent Of the duties paid on imported
materials used in this country In making
articles for expectation. and according TO
Major Mckinney own statement applies Us
well 10 wool and other materials extensive.
ly produced here" as 10 things not produced
in this country. If the secretary's PROPOSE
ton is true, he is constantly helping the
American importer. 10 practice fraud on
the government by refunding 10 him out Of
the treasury 90 pcr cent Of tbs duties which
the importer never paid. but which were
paid by the foreigner who sold him the
goods.
Further. il the secretary had turned, say
10 paragraph 395 Of the Mckinley bill, he
would have found that IL imposes on
womens and ehiidren's WOODEN dress goods
weighing lees than four ounces per square
yard duty Of l2 cents per square yard and
80 per cent advalorem. The foreign mar
kct value Of theae goods Ia 20 cents per yard
The tax under the Mckinley bin is % cents
per yard. an increase of 3 cents per yard
from former rates. Now these goods arc
extensively produced in this country. and
also extensively imported. and according 10
Secretary Foster. the duty Of 20 cents per
yard is deducted from the foreign market
value. which il % cents per yard, and is
not paid hy tho American consumer; bat by
the foreigner for the privilege Of selling his
goods in our market In other words, the
foreigner, besides giving US the goods for
nothing. loses cents yard on them for
the purpose Of making US take them. The
Mckinley bill will furnish hundreds of illus
trations Of the absurdity Of the secrctary's
position.
Moreover. there arc times when all
these shamG and sophis,Ties fall away OF
their own saisity. and men deal With each
other on the basis Of things as they are.
The famine in ireland was more potent
than the arguments OF Gordon and Bright
10 sweeping away the British corn laws
and With them all the wretehed pretenees
by which English landlords have so long
maintained their privilege OF taxing the
bread OF the people. At the very time the
secretary was writing his report, our
neighbor, Mexico. was seeking to alleviate
the famine in parts of that country by
snspending the duties on grain i,om the
United States. When Secretary Foster
voted ir April, ls7a, TO exempt for one
year all building materials, except lumber
when used for rebuilding Chicago. from
tariff duties, did he think he was aiding
that fre-rayaged city or relieving the for
eigner from a tax for the privilege oil cell
Ing his brick. cement, glass, iin-pla,e.
structural iron and the like In our markets
The first great seei etary Of the treasury
was proiectlonist also, but Mr. Hamilton
made no attempt to deceive the people as
to the meaning of the logical results OF
the protective theory. He frankly admit
ted that It included not only protective
duties, but premiums, boun,ies, patents,
government banking and subsidies. And
Il may we'll be quoted In conclusion a
sentence or two from the report made by
Mr. Hamilton to the Continental congress
in I7os. when Rhode Island was alone OF
all the states refusing to grant to congress
the right to levy import duties for the
purpose providing revenue for the con-
federacy:
The most common experience, joined TO
the concurrent opinions of tile ablest CON-
mercial and political observers, has estab-
lished beyond controversy this general
PRINCIPLE, that every duty on imports Is In
corporated with the price ofthe commodity
and ultimately paid by the consumer, with
a profit on the-dpty itself, as n compensa
ton to the merchant for the advance o.
his money.
All subsequent experience, as indeed al
reason itself,coniirms this general PRINCIPLE
and the occasional exceptions are not a
variance with the principle itself.
WILLIAM L. WILSON.
st Louis Republic.
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