The record-union., 1892-10-17

workman or the lessening of his wages"
He also said: ''The question of free
trade is absolutely irrelevant; and the
persistent claim made in certain quar-
ters that ali efforts to relieve the people
from unjust and unnecessary taxation
are schemes OF so-called free-traders is
mischievous and far removed from any
consideration of the public good"
These are not the sentiments of some
unknown man, disconnected with pres
ent Democratic politics; but they con-
stitute the views of Grover Cleveland.
We say that for the few to receive that
which should be enjoyed by the many is
against the Constitution. The history of
tariff legislation is tolerably we'll known
to all, and cannot be reviewed at length
here, but some reference thereto will be
IN order. After various changes, in 1916
the Democratic party adopted what is
known as the Walker tariff. 1t has been
called free trade, because it was the near
est thereto of any tariff legislation in our
history. Robert j. Walker undertook to
regulate the tariff so that the necessaries
of life would be cheapened and luxuries
highly taxed. The fact was recognized
that there must not be prohibition This
Walker tariff continued in force until
1847.
Mr.. White here quoted from James G.
Blalne's book reference to the Walker
tariff to show that even Mr.. Blaine ad-
mitted it was good thing
In 1857 the Democrats lowered the tariff,
which had meantime been raised, and its
act was acquiesced in by all. l am aware
that Blaine calls attention to the financial
panic of 1857. 1t was not due to the low
tariff, but was the result of general de-
preston that existed all over the world,
in old countries as well as in the new. In
1860 the country had recuperated, and
NrNr. knT
tariff would never have been heard of.
War came, and the Morrill, tariff was put
on-not because it was demanded by the
commercial interests of the county, but
because OF the demand by the Govern
ment for money.
None of us seek out the Assessor and
Tax Collector and ask to have unneces-
sary burdens placed on our property, nor
10 be allowed to contribute more than we
should. Yet the present tariff means an
increase in the burden of the people, and
the Republicans are asking that ii be
maintained. The truth is the great man.
utacturers of the land control Congress
and manage to keep in force these oner-
Gus tariff regulations. They besiege
Congress at every session with pleas for
protection to so-called infant industries.
But an industry cannot, any more than
an Individual, preserve indefinitely the
state of infancy. The child must soon
reach maturity. Its swaddling clothes
must be discarded and an adult raiment
adopted.
These tariff infants usually live a long
time, but always seem to require that
their sustenance shall flow from the
treasury OF the country.
They say the tariff is not tax upon
the people of this country-that the for
eigner pays it. Now this is absurd. The
merchant charges up on his books all the
cost of his goods and the expenses of
running his business, and adds thereto
the taxes and tariff in order to arrive at
an understanding of what profit he must
sell at. The merchant who doesn't do
this would soon go under, unless he has
good insurance on his store and ex-
poets fire.
Mr.. White then went on to show why,
in his opinion, the consumer pays the
tariff tax, and among other illustrations
he gave was one of an alleged cigarmaker
who, alter paying 81 per pound for his
Sumatra wrappers, wrote TO Mckinley
asking for the address of the foreigner
who was to pay this tax. The point was
neatly turned, and the Democrats in the
audience laughed and applaIded.l
1t is not desired, he said, to build up
enterprises at public expense. Where an
industry cannot flourish without taxing
the public to carry it on, it should be
abandoned. Common sense dictates that
that which betters the people financially
viii be best for the interests of the cOun-
try. Patriotism is all right, but people
will always patronize the cheapest store,
as between an American and English
man, even if it be the EnglishInan's
prices that.ar lowest.
Down in Salinas man came along and
tried to establish a flour industry,
but the people discovered he was robbing
them, as they could buy flour cheaper
elsewhere, and rebelled. He told them
his was an infant industry and needed
building up, but they told him they
wouldn't be robbed for his benefit. Ac-
cording to the Republican notion, these
people were guilty of treason.
Mr.. White then devoted considerable
time to discussion CT the tariff on tin,
which he claimed should not be taxed, as
America had no tin and it was an article
in general use. Wool, he said, is taxed
IL cents per pound, while it sells for ten
cents in the San Joaquin Valley to-day.
The California staple is short, while that
of Australia is long, and we need Austria
Ian wool to mix with ours. Now we
cannot manufacture merino, but if the
tariff were taken off we could.
The Democrats are willing to keep a
moderate tariff on prunes and rsisins.
The latter are cheaper now than before
the present tariff was put on, and the
but in his opinion the point had been
passed when tariff tax produces no
effect.
1t is said the Mckinley bill favors the
laborer, but this he denied. 1t saws
nothing about it, and anyone can come
here and compete in the labor market
duty free. There is no means of keeping
out labor competition from any part Of
the world. The Carnegies come along
and employ the cheapest labor TO be had.
The present high rates of wages in this
country are not due to the operation of
the Mckinley bill, but to the labor organ
iZations. In free-trade England higher
wages are paid than in Italy and other
protected countries.
Taking Italy as an example, it would
appear that a high tariff causes low
wages; but the truth is, the tariff in no
way affects the labor mark et-Wages are
kept up by natural conditions and organ
ization.
The California farmer grows largely of
wheat, and markets in England. where
he must compete with the wheat from
India and other grain-growing countries
where labor is cheap. The Mckinley bill
does not operate in England. 1t puts a
tariff on wheat and corn coming to this
country, but what good does that do Ohio
farmers when they find it cheaper to
burn their corn for fuel than buy pro-
tected coal?
What has become of our great merchant
marine? In 1916 we carried, under the
Democratic tariff, 20 per cent. Of our com
merce, and now we carry less than u per
cent of it. The farmers want cheap iute
bags, but the Republican party has put
high duty on them, and although Con-
gress has been petitioned to reduce tnat
duty it has refused TO do so. There is
nothing the California farmer gets from
the tariff but expensive goods.
The Republicans say, ,"Don't adopt a
revenue tariff, because England has it."