Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-07-03
PROTECTIVE TAXES.


is by taxation. OF this there are two
kinds-the one direct, the other in
direct and obscure. The former is
usually upon lands, horses, stocks,
chattles and incomes--the latter dis
guised but nevertheless one the citizen
can not exist without paying. There
can be no excuse for taking.a portion
Of the accumulations of resident OF
the country unless il be for the syp.
port OF the government. ii legislation
goes beyond this and is made the
means not Of taking from the people
their earnings TO put in the treasury
for purposes of government, but TO
give them under the name Of protec-
ton to private individuals, firms and
corporations, then it becomes mon
strous worng and the word robbery is
none too strong term TO apply to
the system.
protective tariff is arranged in the
interest of certain industries, the
money collected at the nations Gus
tom houses being a mere incident. A
revenue tariff is what the adjective
denotes, while the incidentsis the pro-
lection it affords. There is q wide
difference in principle. The one is as
just as it is possible for a..remnant OF
the standardization OF the middle'a ages
70 be, while the other is founded upon
the principle OF "stand and deliver
The purchaser Of a commodity wants
it for as small price as he can gel. il
while the seller would have all he car
obtain. The government has just a
good q right to step in between then
and say that the seller shall take I
small price for his product as it has u
enact legislation tending conversely
In q government like ours, wher,
rights before the law are equal an,
class legislation should be unknown
no such principle as protection ough
10 find its place upon the statut
books.
10 assert, rs have the Republican
in their Minneapolis platform, "tha
the prices Of manufactured articles o
general consumption have been re
duced under the traiff act Of 1850" il
so opposed to facts and the dictates o
common sense and reason that IL. ma,
be considered only as campaign. tall
10 the galleries, and not intended TO-
the intellectual! consumption of th'
sound-minded men. Why is il tina
the manufacturer is continually inn
portuning Congress to increase th'
revenue taxes? Is il because he.is de
sirous that his products shall bring |
lower price in the marketf II pro
lection causes decline In goods, theI
the manufacturer is better off withou
it and the money lie annually expend
IN support Of the printing and gratu
itous circulation of literature favors
bic TO his supposed interest nigh
better be saved. II protection doe
not increase the cost OF goods TO Oh
buyer ii does not protect or benefit th
producer. As an illustration OF i
.tfects, when the two cents per pnun
duty was taken off from sugar it {.
in price in exact proportion, and III
Republican journals and orators a
over the land are boasting that one .
the peculiar virtues of thes McKinle
tariff is that the free list was great
increased.
Protection Is a costly luxury. As
rule il takes from the consumer f'
times as much AS il turns into III
treasury. II is not alone the millio
dollars per day collected At the custol
houses that constitutes the tax upo
the people, but four times that amour
in the unlicensed prices of domest
goods purchased by the consumers. a
II which sum goes 10 swell the IN
.nense gains Of the corporations, M
- 30 tending TO concentrate the weai
ii the country in the hands OF fe'
30 that 300 persons own a third I
al the property in the United State
and less than $4,000 one.half Of il.
Hit is desirable that sncl state I
affairs should be encouraged-that
continuous tar should be levied upo
ninety-seyen per cent OF the people
the country Tor the benefit OF th
other. il can be easily accnmplishe
iy retaining party in power who'
chief attempts at legislation is coDfii
ed TO class enactments and conferrin
special privileges upon small 20
ton OF tie citizens Of the country.
John w. Foster Of Indiana b.
been appointed by the PresideI
NJ platnaia wuraaaanr in III