Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-11-01
toWDERLY ON THE TARIFF TAX.

lie shows the Evils or the Protective Sys-
tem--TEc Cuns.Iner Pays tae .aN.
There are hundreds Of persons IN tins
country laboriously engaged in a vain
tudcavur 10 convince the Amcric. n p"O-
Ile that the tariff i5 not tax, amt the
most plausible argument they can bG.-g
t. their aid is that the tariff, not coming
direct from the pockets Of the people, i
not so noticeable or s. uurIclsome a.
though it were paid in cents, dimes and
dollars directly from them. That sum
paid on au article over and above the
cost of production and legitimate eN-
,hange is tax. Some call II profit
lut it stands us lECd fact that the
consumer is taxed 70 yield a proJt to
the producer, or. more accurately speak
Ing, the manufacturer.
A manufactured article. passing
through port uf entry, paying du,g
of ten or twenty cents ;s a protection L.
the industries of the country it cnycr-
luust sell for ten or twenty cents more
than if that tariff had not been levied
1t matters not that the foreign maker
must pay the extra ten or twenty cents
to secure admttauce for his wares, The
consumer must also pay that, or a
greater sum. in addition to the price Of
the article which he buys. 1t make,
but little difference whether it is called
duty. tariff or a protection fee, the
consumer is taxed to pay it, or we do
not know what a tax IS.
1t is not with the tariff or the principle
Of protection that we now take ISSUE il
is with the principle of deception that Is
practiced on the people when they are
told that this duty, tariff or projection
fee, being indirectly paid, is not felt to
be "A hardship OF so onerous as though il
came direct from their own pockets. In
plain Anglo-Saxon it means that if the
people can be taxed indirectly. or with
ont being told that they are being taxed,
they will not know il, or if they do know
it they will not mind it, the sum beng
so insignificant.
The advocacy Of this principle presup-
poses ignorance and indifference ON the
part Of the people. And right here Is
where the danger lies. Where the epeuple
pay taxes directly, knowing what they
are PAID for, they are careful enough TO
follow the matter up and ascertain ~
what use the money IA put Each tax
payer in the municipality and county is
certain 10 inquire into the why and
wherefore of every increase in his taxes.
He knows he is being taxed, and he de-
sires to know why. lie makes it his
business to know what is done with the
money. 1t Is not so with the tariff or
indirect taxation, and the consequence is
that the same vigilance aud caution is
not exercised by public officials in caring
for the people money.
No more fruitful source Of corruption
or dishonesty can he found than that
which lies concealed beneath the very
plau-iue and innocent looking schcu"
Of taxing the people in an indirect and
roundabout manner. Indirect taxation
in all It's forms should give way To- tHr
practical. businessiike and honest meth
od OF collecting taxes directly from g.
people. Then they will te more apt tu
take deeper interest Ia the question cd
taxation. they Will know what thev
pay for. and viii pay for what they gen
and no more.-T. V. Powderly in Labor
Day Issue of Journal Of United Labor.