Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-08-04
THE VALUE OF A PROTECTIVE
TARIFF.

Without designing to be accurate,
state that the aggregate value of what
we call agricultural products produced
each year in the United States is about
six thousand millions of dollars. The
purpose for which l use the figures will
be as accurately reached if the aggre-
gate value stated be erroneous that is,
either above or below the true figures.
Of these products, wheat, corn, oats,
barly, pork and pork products, potatoes,
beef and beef products, cheese and but
ter, orchard fruits and cotton, repre-
sents about four fifths of the great total
of value. Under the operation of our
protective tariff laws, fully three
fourths of these products, in value, are
needed and used in home cOnsumption;
that is, they are used and consumed so
near the actual fields of production
that the freight expenses in reaching
market are not more than n fourth
of what the expense would be if sent to
seaports and thence to foreign countries.
If, however, free trade, or Democrat
ic tariff for revenue only" should be
adopted, very soon four millions of me-
chanics and about one million of I'M
skilled laborers, employed in and about
manufacturing establishments. would
of necessity drift into the agricultural
fields. These men would represent a
population of about twenty five mil
lions who are now fed from our agri-
cultural fields but who then would
dig their own supplies from the soil and
look for a market to sell their surplus
products. This would do two very I'M
portant things: First, increase the agri-
cultural products of the country about
one fourth, and, second, diminish the
home demand for such products fully
one fourth. In other words, instead of
now about II thousand five hundred
millions worth going abroad for sale,
three thousand millions worth of agri-
cultural products would seek q place of
sale beyond the seas, and of this
amount n thousand five hundred
millions of dollars worth now getting
to market on very short lines and with
little freight expense, would have to pay
freight charges owe lines from three to
four thousand miles long. The ques-
ton, therefore, may be stated as n of
simple common sense business. 1t is
this Our great Uncle Sans family
would, under free trade, or revenue
tariff only" gather from their fields
three thousand millions of dollars
worth more than needed for home con-
sumption.
The "boys" ask:
Papa, what shall we do? We now
buy the value of this in foreign made
and foreign produced articles. One
third is of articles we can not produce
at home, but the other two thirds, or
two thousand millions of dollars
worth, we can make right here, and
those of us engaged in the making will
need half of these, our large products,
and can afford to pay more for them
than the net price received in the for
eign market, and, really, we can afford
to make articles and sell to our broth
ers cheaper than foreigners do, except
for a year or two after we quit our
shops and went to the field" (See
prices of cotton goods under the 1S42
tariff-12i TO l5c per yard, now 81 to &c
per yard.)
The old man, after scratching his
head, would say: Eyes, boys, go ahead
with your home work and build up
again your home market. l kinder
think its the best idea. I'll protect you
from now on. These free exchanges of
our field products for foreign goods do
we'll enough until about the time
your shops get rusty, and then l find
that you have to m paying
about double price, but get nc more or
as much for your corn, wheat, pork,
beef and cotton. Yes, boys, go ahead
on the true American home line. I'll
protect you from now on if it breaks
every strap off of my breeches."
N. A. PATTERSON.