Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-07-07
For the Herald and Tribune.l
Tariff and Home Market.

as private. A commission is appointed
for that purpose. Bids are invited 70.
the complete construction and furnish
ing OF 1000 houses. Among the bid
ders are, first, an American contractor
who proposes to complete the work fol
S5,OOO,COO, an average of 5000 pei
house and, second, an English con
tractor, whose bid is So, 200, 100. The
American bid being the lowest is &C
cepted. The English contractor com
p%lainingly explains: 81 could have
taken the contract "a, 500, 900 but fol
the fact that your tariff laws impose 9
tax on the materials | would bring
amounting to 5000, 900. My laborer,
would cost me 800, 900 less than YOU
American contractor will have to paw.
but your tariff eats up all my expected
profits. Take your tariff laws out OF
my way and l can complete your 1,OOC
houses for "a, 800, 900 and make a profit
of 500, OOO.n
The above exhibits the features of
usual protective tariff and free trade
talk. Now let us get a short but true
and clear view of illustrating facts
which the case stated gives.
The American contractor goes ahead
and gathers his material from the home
territory, paying some $4OO, 900 more
for them delivered ON the ground than
the same would cost in England at
wharfs there ready for shipment and
in thus gathering his material he draws
from the resources lover the $50 square
miles the products of the lumber, iron
and steel mills, comprehending such
finishing works as the producers of
structural iron, plates, nails, screws.
hinges, locks, stoves, CRATES, ETC., and
of the stone and slate quarries, brick
yards, lime and cement kilns, and. in
short, from the producers of all that
goes to make up the sun of hardware.
lie pays his workmen las the English
contractor said he would wages. ag-
%gregating 800, 900 more than English
operatives would have received and
the 900 houses are CONF leted and fully
furnished, the keys delivered to the
commission and the S. OO, 900 paid.
Now open yonr eyes wide and pick
your ears well that you may see and
hear the result. That you may do SO
let us suppose that instead of the usual
daily, weekly and monthly payments
every one interested in these S., OOO, 900
have waited for their money until the
lump payment is made and that all are
present. The contractor pushes, say,
about $5OO,O 600 down in his W pocket.
and hands the remaining "a, 500, 900
over to the representatives of what we
call our leading manufacturing and
commercial industries, and only such
part thereof as represents a reasonable
percentage for superintendent and in
terest on capital invested finds its way
into the companies safes but look
just back of the front of faces at that
vast assemblage of operatives, embrac-
ing the men who laborin mines, forests
and fields in mills, furnaces and fac
tories. These come forward and in a
few moments over "a, 0 900 of money
is in their pockets, and then soon a
very large part of it goes to pay those
who i'll the mean time have supplied
the operatives with what they and
their families eat, wear or use as fur
nishings for their homes. That is
Home Market, if you please!
Now let us turn the picture over.
Suppose the tariff is wiped out and
we have glorious Democratic free trade
or Watterson d Democratic low tariff
for revenue only. The English con
tractors bid Of "A, 600, 600 is accepted.
Now isn't that splendid ? A saving of
S400, 900! Here he comes from Eng.
land with his cheap material and cheap
workmen. He brings even his brick
and lime. All he wants of local ma
terial are sand, water and rock for the
foundations. Yes, he wants provisions
for his workmen, but trades as close as
he can to get that at the lowest posi-
BILE figures. The American skilled
workmen are not needed, or if SO, saw,
mo, we can't work for that class of
wages" and SO go into agricultural
pursuits or remain idle. Soon the / 900
houses are completed {; the $4,6OO, 900
paid 500, 900 of it paid for provisions
bought and rock and sand purchased,
and the remaining "A, 500, 900 goes off
to England with the contractor and his
cheap laborers. Yes, the skilled Amer
lean laborers who have been raising
corn, pork, beef, potatoes and wheat
may get a little of the money back if
they will sell very low here OF not very
high there and pay for shipment but
most of their pay must be taken in
goods, first for awhile at low rates and
then at higher and still taller prices, as
it was under the lS42 tariff, when cal
leo and domestic were marked at i2I to
10 cents per yard, nails at 10 cents per
pound, and our present 81 handsaws
at $3.50, etc.
THAI is free trade!
My illustration of the 90 miles square
of territory represents our vast area of
States and Territories.
Our home market trade under the
1912 non protective 'for revenue only
tariff amounted TO ONLY ahout sixteen