The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-05-23

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make II so. You, like all other blinded
protectionists, seem TO possess the idea
that all that body OF lawmakers has
to do is to pass laws regulating prices,
and prices will regulate. You entirely
overlook the fact that the laws Of COM
merce are Independent OF all legislative
enactments, and are regulated by natural
workings within themselves. The nat
ural laws of commerce are not confined
to the limits Of any state or country or
the jurisdiction of any Legislative body,
but the broad world is their battle ground
and could we build railroad or sail a
ship to other planets the sphere of active
contest would be broadened TO the limits
of the universe.
These laws Of commerce may be inter
tered with by restrictive legislation and
forced out of their natural channels for a
time, but they gradually drift back, and
| additional interference is necessary that
| they may still be further swerved. These
meddesome laws are called laws Of pro-
lection. In this country that it may
touch tender cord and appeal to the
patriotic feelings Of Americans more than
to their reason, it is given the misno-
mers American System" Protection to
| American Industrie," etc. When these
laws are first passed there are certain
classes Of citizens, who are engaged in
certain industries, benefited for a time,
but it is always at the expense of their
neighbors. There can be nobody bene-
fitted or protected" unless somebody
else does the protecting. 1t was argued
in the early history Of protection in this
country that foreign nations were the
ones that did the protecting, but develop
ments soon proved that our own country
was being divided into classes, and that one
class was unduely prospecting while the
other class was being unjustly deprived
of corresponding amount of its wealth
"A select few were rapidly becoming
wealthy while the masses were cores.
pondingly getting poorer.
The people saw this and began to
grumble and the protectionsts realized
that they would have to resort to other
tactics. The consequences were that a
series of log-rolling as it were, was be-
gun. Protective duties were placed on
the products of agriculture as they were
demanded, while at the same time those
on manufactured articles were increased
and the claim for it was changed from
encouragement for infant industries" to
protection for American labor" This
had soothing effect, and for a quarter
of century or more our lawmakers
have gone on piling up the duties as
they have been asked for, never once
stopping to think that while the tariff ena-
bles some industries to make undue and
illegitimate profits, it might be piled sky
| high on others and not effect them in
the least. II the theory be true that a
high protective tariff on everything
makes all prices higher and times better,
why not just mark prices up all round
without waiting for the aid of tariff laws?
The reason is obvious. AS class, the
articles that the farmer has to sell must
compete with the markets Of the world
and the unavoidable law of supply and
demand will regulate the prices, tariff or
| no tariff.
1t is diffirult matter TO take a single
article and discuss it in relation TO the
tariff without, more or less, discussing
the entire tariff system, because the price
of an individual article may not only
not be raised by placing tariff on it, but
it actually may be lowered indirectly by
the effects of the tariff on other articles,
and the natural laws of commerce.
The products OF agriculture, as class,
belong TO this kind, and the Individual
article OF wool may be taken as an illus
| tration.
The price OF wool is now low, and you,
brother Jolly, say that this is caused by
the agitation OF the tariff question. This
may be true, but not in the manner in
which you would have us believe. II
\
the tariff effects the price of wool at all,
which we think it does, it is the agita-
ton of the past that is efiecting it, and
not the present proposition TO put it on
the free list. Wool is now struggling
under the enormous Mckinley tariff
load As the tariff on wool has increased
since 1867, the price OF wool has cores
pondingly declined, but in no other short
period has it tumbled so rapidly as it has
since the Mckinley blow struck IL with
increased force.
You say that you have just sold an
amount OF wool for 10 cents per pound,
which two years ago you sold for 20 cents
per pound. Now, we wish to say that if
you had sold the same four years ago
you probably would have received SO
cents per pound; and the Mckinley law
with all its beauties has been in full
force during the greater portion of this
time. II you had sold it in 1880, you
would have received 40 cents per pound;
in 1871 you would have received 90 cents;
in 1864, 500. The average price OF wool
from '63 TO go, inclusive, was so cents
per pound; from '6s to II, 500 cents;
from 70 10 's2, ana cents; from 'S4 TO 's7
"a cents; and, as you say, now II Is worth
only 10 cents; and we know Brother JEFF,