The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-09
THE SAME OLD FAKE

These United States should support an
asylum devoted exclusively to the herd-
ing OF particular class Of feeble-minded
that are not altogether infrequent and
are altogether inxepressible. We refer to
the ,ncessant idiot who persists in reit-
terating the dam phool proposition that
"the foreigner pays the tax
This offense against reason and re1ec-
ton on the intelligence of even the most
illiterats of Americans IS repeated by our
morning contemporary in the following:
The Nottingham (England) Daily
Guardian OF November Sth. tells why
Hum Der & Co.. manufacturers of bicycles,
established q branch house in the United
States. 1t quotes A. +. Marten.. chair
man of the board of directors OF the COM
many as saying: THAT company was
started about the beginning OF this year
to make Humber cycles in America.
Prior to that the Mckinley tariff had en-
tirely killed the trade from England to
A merica, Tor no cycle makers could afford
to pay 40 per cent as customs DUTY on
the value OF the machines. Under these
ciroum stances a company was formed in
the United States IN March, and got so
soon into working order that by the end
of August it had made and turned out
and sold nearly 1900 machines.
Free traders on this side of the ocean
have steadily and vehsmently maintain
ed that the duty on imported articles is
paid ry the importer or the consumer
instead of by the exporter. The above
statement from one Of the mem oers CT a
great English manufacturing concern
gives the case away pretty effectually.
1t would seem almost a task of su-
pererogaton to point ,out that the very
quotation made by the Times proves that
the foreigner does not pay the tax and
that ths consumer does.
In the case of the bicycles the fact is
made plainly evident that the foreigner
paId no tax. There were none of his ma
chimes shipped into the country; they
stayed out. They were not shipped be-
cause there was no demand from this
country for them-and shipments from
England to the United States like ship
ments from New YORK TO Los Angeles
are in response to demands for the goods
shipped. There was no Ameri-
can demand for the Engliahman's
wheel because the American knew
that lie could buy homemade
wheel cheaper than he could the foreign
artic,e after the duty of 40 per cent was
imposed. The duty WAS of prohibitive
character. 1t gave the American manu-
tacturer a monopoly of the domestic mar
ket aud, while the American wheelman
did not III consequence OF this tariff pro
hibitiou pay a revenue tax on a foreign
wheel, he did pay tax OF almost the
same aomunt, but of "a different kind.
He paid a tax TO the protected bicycle
manufacturer in the shape OF the differ
ence between what the English wheel
would have cost without tariff duty
ard the price that the home manufac-
turer was enabled to ask because of that
tariff duty. If he had imported Il wheel
would have gone to the government; but
the tax that he did pay went into the
Golfers of the pets of protection. And 1T
10 in this last consideration that We find
the essential evil of protective tariff tax.
alton. 1t is taxation not for the govern
ment but for private interests; it is an
insidious, stealthy method of DUNG what
the comforting of bounty does more
openly and Understandings it robs the
POCKET of Peter to fill the purse of Paul.
II a lew private interests must be sup
ported by the masses, 1t is infinitely bet
ter that the supporting he done by giving
bounties. With the bounty system the
people would now just exactly the
amount bestowed by them in support OF
the Carnegie breed of paupers and they
could also be certain that their contribu-
lions would be received by the recipients
intended. With the tariff system the
amount raised by the people for their pet
monopolies can never bs definitely esti-
mated, and there is no ABSOLUTE assur-
ance that the money goes where they de-
sire it 70 go. For instance, a tariff tax
levied for Carnegie's benefit might acct
dentally make its appearance in the
shape of increased wages TO his EN- ployes.
OF course, this bias not yet occurred, hut
it is possible undcr so vague a method
OF comforting aims.
Ono would imagine after reading some
81 the alleged arguments IN layer OF the