The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-25
A TARIFF ARGUMENT
MAJ. JOHN h. GLOVER TALKS PRO-
LECTION At THE PROGRESS CLUB.
that "a Number of Club Members
Are PrO~fectfonists.


When it was announced that Mai. john
b. Glover was TO address the Progress Club
yesterday afternoon on the tariff question.
il was straightway anticipated that his re-
marks would be followed by very sharp
discussion The members of the club are
all thinkers, and all do not think in the
same line. A visit to the club. whose meet
ings, by the way, are free to all. impresses
one with the honesty OF the members. No
one can doubt in listening to the discus
sions that each member is dreadfully in
earnest. and each in his best manner is
doing what he can TO right wrongs which
beset the world. In the club are many
members whose views on the tariff are not
in harmony with the history of the country.
There are free traders, revenue protec-
tionists and high protectionists. and, con-
~sequently, it was expected that the argu-
ments of Major Glover would be attacked
and assailed, and an effort made TO tear
him to pieces" The result was not exactly
as expected, and two or three members
stated that the remarks of the Major set
them to thinking, while two free traders
publicly announced that they were ''bum-
bozzled'' by the arguments. Major Glover
6Nc'AA ~ A1c fAAa tA0 l1ORlC AAOo
need in this world |. the truth; the truth
in science, in theology and economies He
said men and women are more disposed to
know the truth now than ever before.
"Ready-made opinions may satisfy the
credulous and faith may answer for what
we do not know Of another world, but in
this everyday world we want facts" A
pneumatic tire may be we'll enough for a
bicycle. but a reformer who attempts to
ride his hobby on wind is pretty sure to
get his tire punctured. Defamation does
not amount to demonstration and authority
nowadays does not count. I'VE ought to
have the truth about the tariffs, as well as
about anything else" In this country the
tariff question has been under discussion for
one hundred years and more. yet the end
has not been reached. After these thoughts
embodied in his introduction, Major Glover
continued:
"A tariff is a duty levied on foreign
pIouuc.s pTought INTO this country; But
states levy a duty or a tax on foreign
products? Note the replies to this ques-
says that duties should be levied for reve-
nue. and for no other purpose whatever;
another school answers that duties should
for protection to American industries-pro-
lection to American labor. Right here Is
5 Yon is m%st ap raa tight b here d the battle begins IS
bring anything new to the discussion of this
old question. so that if anything unique
ment, 1t is more likely to be in the manner
Of presenting facts, rather than in the facts
1.-The school which holds that revenue
should be levied for revenue only affirms
most stoutly that the tariff is simply a
tax; that the consumer always pays 1t, and
that no possible compensating good can
come from the tariff of any kind, except
in the use OF the revenue that is collected.
These reformers go further and declare
That any duty levied for protection Is not
only inexpedient, but actual robbery. Now
II 1T be true that no good accrues from a
tarin except from the revenue and that it
is a tax and the consumer pays it., then
L assert that such a scheme of taxation is
the most odious and unjust ever devised
by a civilized nation. In that case it is
simply a per capita tax and such n tax
would justify a revolution. 1t means that
the poor shall pay as much to support
the government as the rich. Under such a
scheme of taxation a mechanic who might
not be worth $1,000, would pay as much as
a man who is worth millions.
HENRY GEORGES ADMISSION.
IF the contention Of these economists be
true, then all revenue arising from the
tariff is nothing but a tax on consumption
and should be abolished at once. Henry
George, who is probably the ablest free
trader in this country, understood this
phase of the question perfectly. He says:
Those protectionists are right who declare
that protection is the only justification for
a tariff, and the advocates for a tariff
for revenue only have no case He fur
Their says: As much sugar is needed to
sweeten a cup of tea for a working girl as
for the richest lady in the land. / have
known at least two millionaires who paid
little more of such taxes than ordinary day
laboferS. fFH
But 1 have another objection to this
method of raising revenue. 1t necessarily
largely increases the importation of goods
which should be produced in this country
by our own workingmen. Every dollars
worth of such goods imported means just
so much less work for our W mechanics
and SO much less food and clothing for
their families. You cannot eat your cake
and have it. neither can we buy our goods
in Europe and pay. our own workingmen
FOR their making. If a duty of 90 per cent.
on imports produces barely enough revenue
to meet the demands Of the government.
how are We to get the required amount if
one way and in one way only, that is to
double the Importation, and i have already
shown what effect that would have on the
workingmen. 1t would decrease the amount
of work and increase competition between
those who live by their daily labor. You
KNOWS what n excessive gsc, competition : hk in labor
and starvation by employees. Excessive
competition is good for nothing. but to
Major Glover then took up the various
arguments advanced by protectionists and
also by free traders. He discussed them at
considerable length and then continued:
Some time ago as | was returning from
Europe L made the acquaintance of a very
intelligent business man, who Informed me
that he was coming to New York TO man.
u~facture a certain kind of goods that he
had been making in the old country. !
asked him why he was coming TO the
United States with his establishment in
| stead of manufacturing his goods on the
other side of the Atlantic and he said
to me. that L may escape the paying of the
tariff
Here was a shrewd business man CON-
ing TO this country that he might get rid
Of paying the duty, when our free-trade
friends would have said to him, why, my
dear sir, you are very greatly mistaken
about this matter, we American consumers
always pay the duty But out free-trade
friend was not there to give him the sup
posed nformatio and I-well, L could not
tell a lie.
1T is most strenously denied by free
traders that q protective tarin has any
favorable effect on the wages of this coun-
try. They assert with great confidence
that the rascally manufactures proceeds
at once TO Increase both prices and profits,
the whole of which profits he puts into his
capacious pockets and that the unfortu-
nate wageworker fares no better than wher
profits were small and hard to get. In
other words that there Is no relation what
ever between profits and wages. You there.
fore hear our own manufacturers de-
nounced as robbers and by like endearins
titles. Now. this Is a very singular posi-
4 +sDx, f>p n "a - L. rrhn hnG thu 0nrrI