Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-07
wAgRE IS ThE CONSUMER
His Rights Ignored by Pr0tectionist Pan
sS1erers TO the Producer.

His Rights Ignored by Protectionist Pam
'Slersrs 10 the Producer.
We were prepared for almost any re-
suit of the customary Mysteries of the
New York Press, but we hardly looked
for it to stumble upon such an honest
condemnation of protection as this:
"A tariff measure which discriminates
against one section in favor of another, and
which confers immense benefits upon q single
interest at the expense OF a whole people ia not
protection. but spoliation-''
There never was tariff measure con-
ceived that failed to do this very
thing. There never will be one, as
long as one section differs from an
other in its natural adaptation to Ger
tain industries. The industry with the
strongest pull gets the biggest protec-
zion and holds it until some other in
terest comes along and complains that
it has been injured by the protection
of the other. Then another attempt is
made at an equal distribution of the
stolen cheese, to be followed by more
complaints, with the result that the
average of protection is pushed higher
and higher in the effort to satisfy all.
If there is such thing as genuine
protection" under which, as the Press
AYERS, ''all American producers possess
equal rights and enjoy equal privi-
leges," what of the consumer? His
very existence IS forgotten. He is not
SO much as mentioned while those who
despoil him are trying to divide the
booty. And when an attempt is made
to ease the crushing weight of taxa
ton which rests upon his bending
shoulders and to place little of upon
the possessOrs of large incomes, a cry
goes up that such measure is COM
munism and sectionalism.
There is no better answer to this
folly and no better defense of the
rights of the consumer than certain
words of Hon. John Sherman, which
were quoted without challenge no
longer than last November by Hon. q.
8. Hall, of Missouri, in speech before
the ways and means committee of the
house as follows:
1.-THE public mind is not yet prepared tc
apply the key OF genuine revenue reform. A
few years of further experience will convince
| the whole body OF oua people that system OF
national taxes which rests the whole burden Of
| taxation on consumption, and not one cent OF
property and income. is intrinsically unjust
While the expenses of the national government
are largely caused by the protection OF prop
erty, it is but right to call on property to con
tribute to its payment. 1t will not 40 to say
that each person consumes in proportion to his
means This is not true. Every one must see
that the consumption of the rich does not beal
the same relation to the consumption of the
| poor as the income of the rich does to the
/ wages Of the poor. AS wealth accumulates
this injustice in the fundamental basis of oul
system will be felt and forced upon the atten
ton of congress-
The injustice has been felt, and the
first attempt toward righting it finds
arrayed in opposition all the forces OF
protection and privilege which have
thrived upon it. 1t is denounced as "a
fine upon thrift ''confiscation of the
savings of the Industrious a some
thing that will discourage economy.
Does anyone who applies these cpl
thets to it know of anybody who would
not rather have an income of four
thousand dollars year, with a pei
cent. tax on it, than not to have such
an income to charlottesville Courier
1 Journal