The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-01-15

mat me FOREIGNER Paws the Tariff Tax.
Both the president and the secretary
OF the treasury are ut great pains. in
their recent communication To congress-
10 assure the people that the Mckinley
bill IS fulfilling all the prophecies OF its
authors and nightly advancing the
prosperity OF the country. The presi-
dent dwells with such satisfaction on
the recent increase in our foreign COM
merce as 70 suggest the belief that he
thinks II was the tariff bill that gave
us the 2roiigious or ops OF the past sea
son and at the same time b.ighted the
harvests Of Europe so as to insure us
ready markets at paving prices for our
unusual surplus But the secretary Of
the treasury is still holder and Dies not
hesitate to declare:
"A comparison Of the p-ices Of goods
imported respectively under the old and
new tariffs where rates have been in
creased will demonstrate that the tariff
IS fax upon the foreign competition Ia
our markets, In the sale Of such articles
rs are extensively produced here, and
that the duties are in fact thus deducted
from the foreign market valu. and are
y
| privilege Of selling his goods here at
prices fixed by our own people com.
peting among themselves in their own
! market"
| BEFORE adopting int, an Official report
this commonplace Of the stump orator.
which John Qnincy Adams years ago
declared 70 be contrary to the first
| principles Of common sense, Secretary
Foster should have turned to the twen-
ty-ifth section OF tbs very bill he is
seeking 70 vindicate- That section pro-
vides for the repayment Of % per cent
OF the duties paid on imported materials
used in this country in making articles
for expectation. and according TO Mai
McKinley's own statement applies as
well to wool and other materials ex-
tensively pr 'duced here" as to things
not produced in this country. II the
secretary's proposition Is true, he is
constantly helping the American i'm
porter to practice fraud on the gov
ernment by refunding TO him out Of the
treasury 90 per cent Of the duties which
the importer never paid. but which
were paid by the foreigner who sold
him the goods
Further. II the secretary had turned.
say to paragraph SOS OF the Mckinley
bill, he would have found that il inn
poses on women's and chiidren's wooden
dress goods weighing less than four
ounces per square yard a duty Of ~
cents per square yard and 50
per cent nd valorem The foreign
market value Of these goods is 20
cents per yard The tax under
the Mckinley bill is % cents per yard.
nm increase Of cents per yard from
former rates Now these goods are
extensively produced ia this country
and also extensively imported. and ac-
cording 70 Secretary Foster the duty Of /
- cents per yard Is deducted from the |
foreign market value. which i 20 cents |
per yard. and is not paid by the Amer !
lean consumer. but BY the foreigner
for the privilege Of selling his goods in I
our market In other words. the for \
eigne-. besides giving Us the goods for
nothing, loses NO cents yard on them
for the purpose Of making us take
them The Mckinley bill will furnish
hundreds Of similar illustrations Of the
ab>urdity Of the secretary's position.
Moreover. there are times when all \
these shams and sophistries fall away
Of their own falsity aud men deal with
each other on the basis OF things a
they arc
The famine in Ireland was more
potent than the arguments OF Golden
and Bright in sweeping away I'll. Brit
ish corn laws and with them all tho
xu~<- IL
had 50 long maintained their
privilege Of taxing the bread OF the
people. At the very time the secretary
was writing his report our ncighb,r.
Mexico. was seeking 70 alleviate the
famine in some parts Of that republic
by suspendin1 the duties on grain from
the United States. When Secretary
Foster voted in April. is.2. 70 exempt
for one year all building materials ex-
cept lum Der when used for rebuilding
Chicago from tariff duties did he think
be was aiding that fire-ravaged city or
relieving the foreigner from tax for
the privilege OF selling his brick.
e mcnt, glass, tin plate. structural iror
and the like in oar market?
The first great secretary OF the treas
nv was protcctionst also. hut Mr..
Hamilton made no attempt 10 deceive
he pc pie as to the meaning and the
ogical results Of the protective theory.
lie frankly admitted that II included
Tot only protective duties. but pre-
NUNS bountics. patents government
banking and subsidies And IL may b I
veil 70 quote in conclusion q sentence
r two from the report made by Mr..
hamilton 70 the continental congress-
. Use. when Rhode Island was alone
{ all the states refusing 70 grant to
congress the right 10 levy import duties
or the purpose Of providing revenue
or the confcderacy: II
The most common experience. joined
o the concurrent opinions Of the ablest Y
ommercisl and political observers. has g
established beyond controversy this
cncral principle. that every duty on | !.
imports Is incorporated with the price 4
Z the commodity and ultimately paid d
Y the consumer, with : profit on the
uty itself, As : compensation 70 the /
Merchant for the advance Of his Z
honey"
All subsequent experience. = indeed y
II reason Itself, confirms this general Q