Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-15


Cotton goods Of all kinds 10 the value
Of So tax 70 per cent................ % %
Woollen goods of all kinds. clothing,
blankets. hats, &c. 10 the value Of
$50, tax 100 per cent....................JO %
Sundry articles such as shoes. leath-
CT, &c, 20 the value Of $25, tax
- per cent. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. il %
Total tariff tax for one year....Sll7 10
Many OF these articles are scheduled
ut from y per cent TO 200 per cent. and
In addition from . to 30 per cent. al
Velorem. 80 that the estimates are really
on an average far below the actual tariff
duties. Now. If the above is a fair and
conservative approximation of the value
OF goods used by the average family. it
will be seen that each householder pays
in indirect taxation. for the benefit Of the
plutOcrats and mOnopolists. over SlO0 per
annum. Now. If one fourth of this sum
were itemized and charged on a tax bill.
that to BE- paid by direct taxation. what
a howl would go up from Maine to Texas,
from the mountains 10 the seaboard;
but our rulers knew that this enormous
amount wrung from the people must be
taken without their knowledge, must be
collected 80 that they could not perceive
IL, otherwise there would be revolt and
revolution. Hence, il was masqueraded
under the shield and guise of indirect
taxation. Warned by the Boston harbor
episode, they are generous enough To give
up tea free. 1t Is time, but every spoon
ful of sugar that goes to sweeten it is
taxed to the tune of one half n cent per
pound. and until quite recently two cents
per pound. In view of these facts, Is il
q wonder that our people are growing
poorer and poorer, and the protected
classes ricner and richer?
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
Have the people not been "hewers Of
stone and drawers Of waters" long enough
for the protected plutocrat and monopo-
list? Aye, verify. we think so: and IL
will not be very long before every man
will understand that protection means
robbery and the tariff a swindle This
new protection" has always had n
charmed Significance, a pleasant sound
an ear-tckling meaning. a sweet. de-
lusive hope, fastening charm, a panacea
10 the masses wnen rung III their
ears by the ofiice-seeker and the po-
Htical demagogue; but ere long the eyes
of the people will be opened For
now they see through a glass darkly,
but then face to face" and "charm they
PEELED and light and knowledge will pre-
vail whore darkness and ignorance
now hold sway.
Since we have seen what protection
Is, let us address ourselves to the ques-
ton, who protection protects" The
Secretary OF the United States Treasury
in his report for 1886 speaks as follows:
Population Of the United states in gain
ful occupation not subject TO foreign
competition, lGlGi.0ii; those subject to
foreign competition, &7,lSi; so that 1t APP
pears that all the others of the 1900 go
engaged in gainful occupations are taxed
for the benefit of $1,000: and that 7OC0.-
90 are also taxed for the benefit Of this
$4,000
Professor NeWcomb in his report TO the
Treasurer at the same date says: IF
trade was entirely free, the fraction Of
our present industrial population iniuri-
ouely subject TO foreign competition
would not exceed per cent" he pre-
sumes. Professor Newcomb. who Is a
statistician of repute, knows what he Is
talking about and whereof he speaks.
and II what he SAYS be true. why should
% per cent. of our population be taxed
(robbed, is the proper term for the bene-
fit of per centum? II is also shown by
statistics that free trade under the
Walker tariff showed an increase OF
195 per cent. in ten years in our farming
lands and under protection an increase
Of only 80 per cent. in thirty years. Is
not this another object lesson?
MUCH WORSE OFF.
1t seems that our statesmen are under
the same delusion in regard to the great
benefits supposed TO be derived and to
accrue from the balance Of trade" az
from protection. l think this fallacy is
completely exposed in the able and
thoughtful article published in your issue
OF June 18th from the faclle pen of Mr..
}. r. Jackson If what this able politi-
cal economist says be truc-and his arcu-
ment is fOrcible and CONVINCING and is
certainly sustained by the fact. plain and
palpable, nOtwithStanding-the balance OF
trade in our favor is apparently on June
lst, the enormous sum Of $295. 552 Oi6. We
are worse off financially, more people are
out of employment, more poverty, unrest.
ana distress exists than ever before I'm
this country's history. when. according
TO the ordinary theories of our sage
political economists, we should be dwell
ing in "A land flowing with milk and
honey" and prosperity and happiness
should be our lot What Mr.. jackson SAYS
in reference to exports and imports is
true, and Is verified by the experience
Of every merchant that III only money
IS returned no profit can be made in hand
ling it, but If goods are returned, they are
always such as the importer to whom
their value was due, believes he can
Sell to the importing country for more
than what he gave for them in the way
of exports" and he, therefore, makes a
profit on both sides of his transaction"
This theory is maintained by Jean-Bap-
tste, Say, and Adam Smith. and other
writers in political economy. In other
words, the merchant who barters his
goods makes profit both on the goods
when he exchanges them for barter, and
also on the barter when he disposes of it,
A CASE IN POINT.
What made Richmond before the late
civil war the second coffee market in
this country? Was it not because she
had ships plying between here and
South America, carrying her -four from
our mills. which was exchanged for cof-
fee? The flour sold at profit in Rio.
and the return cargo Of coffee sold at
profit here.
What has caused the decadence Of cur
-four trade? Why have we lost 10 a
very considerable extent our -four trade?
Simply because this exchange of cargoes
that at our time prevailed has ceased and
instead Of sending what little -four we
now export direct from our wharves II
goes TO New York and Baltimore. and is
reshipped at the expense of the miller by
merchants or brokers in those cities. who
get return cargoes 10 their ports. build
ing up their trade and commerce. in
creasing their wealth and influence. at
our loss and to our detriment. Inc
wealth OF nation consists in the prop
erty. the prosperity. the Accommodations
OF her people. Trade, traffic, and labor
are the factors and creators OF wealth.
and the less they are hampered the
better are the chances for success, the
freer trade is the less prohibitive legls-
lafiop have the mora pOmnlptp the