Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-11-03
PowDERLY oN TIE TARIFF TAX.

He shows the Evils Of the Protective sys-
tem-TIie Consumer Pays the Tax.
There are hundreds of persons III this
country lahnriously engaged in vain
sHaeavur to convince tlle American Ta0-
pie that the tariff Is not tax, ana the
most plausible argument they can bring
to their aid IL thAt tlle tariff. ript Coming
tasseSt fssasa tt4l sl.sss-st ere TTrUpl-s, is
aot 80 noticeable OF So brrdensone as
though lit were paid in cents, dimes and
dollars directly from them That sum
paid on an article ovsA and above the
cost of production a1.l legitimate e.
change j. tax. Some cali ii profit
But it stands as a fixed fact that the
consumer is taxed To yield profit 20
the producer, Oh, more accurately speak
ing, the manufacturer
a manufactured article, passing
through 4 port of entry, paying duty
Of ten or twenty cents as a protection to
the industries Of the country iii enters.
must 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 UT twenty cents
to secure admittauce for his wares, the
consumer must also pay that, or a
greater sum, in addition to the price Of
the article which lie buys. It makes
but little difference whether lit j. called
q duty, tariff or N protection fee. the
consumer is taxed to pay it, or we 10
not know what tax Is
It IL not with the tariff or the principle
Of protection that we now take issue: it
is with the principle Of deception that is
practiced on tile people when they are
told that this duty, tariff " protection
fee, being indirectly paid. is not felt to
be a hardship 0r so unerous as though ID
came direct from their own pockets. In
plain Anglo-Saxon it means that if the
people can be taxed indirectly. 0r with
out being told that they are being taxed,
they viii not know it, orif they do know
it they Will not mind Ill, thc sum being
50 insignificant.
The advocacy of this principle presnp-
poses ignorance and indifference Oh tile
part of the people. And right here il
where the danger lies. Where the people
pay taxes directly, knowing what they
are paid for, they are careful enough to
follow the matter up and ascertain to
what use the money j. pnt- Each tax
payer iii tile municipality ANA county j.
certain to inquire into the why and
wherefore of every increase in hi taxes.
He knows he IL being taxed, anna he de-
sires 70 know why. He mskes it his
business 70 know what is done with the
money. Ill D. hot wv with the tariff Or
indirect taxation. ana the consequence is
that the same vigilance and caution is
not otezerciscl by public officials in caring
for the peoples money.
No more fruitful source If corruption
o. dishonesty can be Foand than that
which lies concealed beneath the very
plausible and innocent looking scheme
of taxing the people III an indirect and
roundabout manner. Indirect taxation
IN all its forms should give way to the
practical, businesslike and honest meth
"a of collecting taxes directly from THE
people. Then they win be more apt to
take deeper interest in the question 0f
taxation; they Will know what they
pay for, and viii pay for what they get
and mo more.-T. nj. p0wderly Ill Labor
Day Issue WI Journal KY United Labor.