Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-03-23
WHO PAYS The TARIFF


p"s.d-kv~ryth!ng Cheaper nd.r Protec
ton Than ne Would he rad.r tree TRADE.
IL n revenue or free trade tariff. such
as the former duty on sugar or tin plate,
we pay II all; IL n protective tariff. we
may pay part OF the duty ut first bu,
eventually the foreigner pays nearly IL
not quite all % II on goods actually inn.
ported II we prefer TO buy English
goods, however even though the Amer
lean goods are better and cheaper. then,
of course. we pay the duty. This is
tax on Anglomania, but on ordinary
products. brought in to compete with
domestic products made on n large scale
and already in practical possession OF
the domestic market the importer. the
foreign manufacturer and the foreign
laborers pay the duty.
In This connection we quote the 20.
lowing from n recent number OF Lon.
don Fair Trade:
II we are TO retain n hoo on foreign markets
slight though Il may he wages must b., kcpi
down that the high forciga tariffs may be over
some. One NJ the greatest arguments against
the theory that the consumer paws the Import
duty Il To be found In the fact that when n for
eign nation Increases the tariff on a british
product, tho establishment ,harycs as wen "a
The wages on this side OF the water are lowered
IN order 10 give the manufacturer or tho fncr.
chant chance 10 deal successfully with the
chance II the consumer paid the duty there
would bo little cause Tor our exporter to rruu.
BILE. But our manufacturers aud work people
do make sacrifices to meet the extra dutySand.
we accordingly hear grumbiing from both
This is plain enough certainly, and
need only bc verified by actual facts
Ask the Canadian farmer who paws the
American duty. Ask .hc sheffield man.
ufacturcr. the Chemnitz worlkmen, the
pearl button makers OF Vienna, the tin
plate makers of Wales, the foreign
manufacturers of silk and linen and
cutlery, aud scores OF other articles
They Will all admit that they pny the
duty IL they put their goods on our mar
Set Here is an admission from the
New York Times OF February .. 1891
we produce II as being good free trade
testimony indorsing our own assertions:
statement issued by the department of arri.
culture giving the exports 20 the United states
from canada Tor the year 1890. shows that the
Dominion exported i,ei9,oi3 worth % agricul.
tural products 10 the United States last year.
The average rate OF duty collected by the United
states customs upon agricultural products IS
about 30 por cont, and ii f. easy 10 provo from
tho speeches Of SIR John Macdonald ana other
conservative leaders that the duties imposed
ported Co the United States come out OF the
pockets OF the Canadian farmers Hence we
hnd That during the fiscal year $500 no less thnp
tZ2'Seh-thai Is. - per cent OF 81 ,9iq Ot3-Wcnt
Into the Washington treasury. which would
have gone into the pockets OF Canadian farmers
II the Dominion enjoyed unres tricted reciprocity.
IL seems useless to pursue the matter
further. In the face OF the many nrti-
cles selling for less than the duty. the
free trader still cries the tariff Is a
tax" is the tariff on wire nails tax
selling AT 90 "A keg while the duty IL
SIP Is the tariff ON yard OF calico n
tax. selling at ~ cents while the duty
is cents? Is the tariff on "a yard of
cloth "A tax, selling at 55 cents while the
duty is S7lf cents? We deny that the
tariff Is ever "A tax--that is. burden.
In cases whore the tariff has been in.
creased with view 90 create and
develop new industry, even II prices
are temporarily enhanced IL is simply
an investment which will be repaid
many fold AZ soon as the industry is cs.
tablishcd. The farmer does not begrudge
the price OF the seed in the spring
which will pay him bushels OF grain i'm
the fall
The result has been about as was ex-
pected. During the year ending De-
cembcr 81. 1891, our imports of manu-.
factures of wool were about SO. 600 600
less than they were the year before.
Here was an increase of 90, 600 600
pounds in the demand OF this country
for raw wool 10 make similar goods In
this country. Manufacturers neccs-
sarily went abroad for part OF their
supply. for our own wool growers did
not produce enough last year To supply
H. But over and above the extra 30
100000 pounds which they imported.
there remains another 30. 600 900 as IA
positive increase in demand for Ameri.
can wools-that is there were 30. 600, /.
600 pounds OF wool less imported during
the last calendar year than in the year
before. So that Mr.. Springer's second
point. about the decreased imports of
woolens. answers his first about in
creased imports of raw wool The net
result is a gain 20 American labor, WOO!
growers and wool manufacturers
There remains, then. but one point.
namely: Does the consumer pay a
greater price for any domestic product
because OF the tariff? To this we an
swcr. No. We do not mean 20 say that
the duty is not in some circumstances
added 20 the price paid In the foreign
market We do maintain. however.
that II the tariff were abolished we
would have 90 pay an equal IL not "a
greater price than we now pay for the
protected article. Imagine the tariff
On wooden goods abolished tomorrow.
Foreign wooden mills would find for
their output "a new market wider and
richer than all their other foreign mar
kets com Dined. The capacity for pro-
duciug would remain the same while
he demand would be largely increased.
Under such conditions must not prices
rise? That Is 20 say IL the tariff were
abolished we could not buy In the for
eign market at present prices under e<.
istcut tariff conditions That countless
American products are cheaper now
than foreign products would BE- under
free trade would hardly admit Of
doubt In these cases the foreigner
pays all the tariff.
We nave had many cases 81 this kind
in our history. and in every instance
where the tariff has been removed or
reduced below 70 protective basis me
foreigner has put up tine price and we
have had 20 pay BE-; therefore we con-
ciude that while denying u fqf0 that the
tariff On imported goods IS "a tax on
domestic products as the Hon. Gr-ovor
Cleveland contends. We are very far
from admitting that 10 O. always a tax
even Ou imported goods foreign mill
owners would be- the greHfrst atatnn-s