The record-union., 1895-02-16
PROTECTION TO AGRICULTURE.
Speech of David Lubn in the Assem-
bly, Chamber.
he Explains the Proposition to Extend
the Principle of Protection to
Staple Agriculture.

PLANTATION OF the proposition to extend the
principle of protection to staple agricult-
ure. AS the subject is of great importance,
the address is herewith given in full.
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman Assemblyman Owen Wade,
who spoke as follows:
AS was announced in the Assembly to- day
and also yesterday, David Lubin OF Sacra-
mento Will address all who are present this
evening 10 hear him on the subject of the
resolution which was printed in the journal
Io-aty, III relation to the depression of agri-
culture, and what methods might be adopted
Tor the Improvement of the condition of agri-
culture IN this State and in the United States
generally.
He has ideas on the subect which are not
wholly new to you, ladies and gentlemen, who
nave read any of his writings upon the sub
JecL during the last year or more. / know
that he has scattered his writings through
the country, and have no doubt that many
OF you have received them and read them, so
that the subject Will not be new to you.
VIII now introduce to you Mr.. Lubin.
Mr.. Lubin entered upon his subject at
once:
The proposition which desire to bring be-
3ore your notice this evening is beyonda ques-
tloh the most important before the people OF
lhe united states. 1t concerns the welfare OF
Sacramento City, Sacramento County the
State of California, every State in the United
States. 1t is imperative. The proposition
winch advocate should have been d policy
years ago. 1t is imperative that it become q
policy within these United States now
shau not endeayor to speak to you this
evening as Republican, or as a Democrat or
us POpuASt, but as an American citizen, and
desire that what L have 10 say shall be re-
celVed III that light.
There are two resolutions, one calling for
books, rather Hearings" These Hearings
are printed by the Government and furnished
Tree TO the people. We desire Il great deal
more OF them in the State OF California This
Is the first resolution. The second resolution
! will read
,.N Jyt-I,r7A . EOrotao+io,, Of a., ;o,,1 +,,,oI
industry as against the cheap labor countries
OF the world IS the controlling and public
policy u this nation; and whereas, the pres
ent method of protection, by a tariff on i'm
ports, can only protect the domestic manu-
features against imports but cannot protect
the staples OF agriculture against foreign COM
petition, because these are produced IN sur
Plus quantities for export; and whereas. 10
protect one industry and 10 leave the other
unprotected Is TO compel the unprotected in
uusIry 10 pay lOr the protection OF the pro-
1ected industry, which is an Injustice; there
1ore,we respectfully memorabilia the Congress
OF the United states 10 remove this injustice
by altordlng by law an equal measure of pro-
lection to the staples ct agriculture now
granted TO manufactures, and that this be
done by applying portion of the revenues
now collected as protective tariff in the pay
ment OF an export bounty on the staples of
agriculture"
What does this mean? 1t will be explained
10 you further on in my remarks. For the
present time ii is only necessary to illustrate
THIS question, much the same as the illustra-
lions are MADE in the principle OF teaching
known as the Kindergarten"
\ QUESTION OF VAST IMPORTANCE.
We have here a tremendous question, d
question that IS obscure, not understood, and
which great many partisans take great de-
Isht IN ooscuring, and tonight this will be
made plain.
Now, II we take one hand here. and another
hand here, and call this hand "mauufacture"
and the OtHer hand agriculture" and il these
two hands are equally balanced and poised
then We have an equilibrium between the
interests OF 80
Nation has economic peace. Whenever, in
the process OF time. there * u disturbance of
this equilibrium, and one is lower than the
otner, then comes an economic disturbance.
Nhlle TINS remark, an economic disturbance,
may seem nothing 10 many people. it means
everything. An economic disturbance OF the
body polite is similar to the disturbance OF
the ueart or brain in the human system. IT
has the power, il left unchecked, to do that
which civil wars cannot often do, or which
InNaslons cannot do. II destroys the body
poauc Just rs surely as the inequalities OF the
heart or brain viii destroy the human system,
unless remeGied.
\ SIMPLE PROPOSITION.
We are now in that condition. We have
here manufactures, and manufactures are
protected by tariff. This protection and
tariff may seem tO-S3me ladies. some bows
some young women, some old men. q very
obscure tniNg. II Is very simple. There is
nothing hidden in Ii at all ii is more SIM pie
10 the merchant, perhaps, than 1t is TO the
politician or Inc lawyer or The preacher. lie
That imports goods knows what a tariff
means at once. be does not have any theory
about il, 1t Is practical with him; he knows II.
More than that, the DlIl CLERK in his employ
VIII know the tariff and know it. perhaps,
better than q politician VIII at times.
This Is the tariff: If we take this as the
United states divide it into Two divisions
one here and another there indicating the
Speakers desk, oue-half TO manufacture the
other TO agriculture, we have the following;
This We viii call the worlds level. Surprising
there was another table at the same level ana
another one here and another there, and this
| vel
would permit il, goods would come in from
every section OF the world, and there would
be no protection. But. If these goods were
permitted 10 come in, IL would lower the
wage rate to the worlds level, TO the level at
which the goods are made IN these countries,
and some ailowau may be made for the fact
that we have greater skill here than there.
But that greater skill comes from higher
wage rate; that wage rate comes through the
tariff. Consequently we travel around a
circle.
Let us see what this tariff is. It is an arti-
fetal wall. We say TO the other nations on
tie same level, Ladies and gentlemen, you
cannot come in here with your brooms sus-
penders, buckets, hats or necEtes. If you
come here, come at your perrin other
words you Will pay nne' Then they must
bring their goods in here up TO this level
elmo over This wall and drop fines into a
box, commonly called tariff, which tarin is
used for Government expenses. That is
pretty nearly The mode OF procedure of-The
What does this thing Go for youa Does it
operate by reason OF this wall, these fines
that axe dropped into the box? Do they per-
nit us TO manufactures goods inside OF our
country? Yes, up to the limit OF this wall.
II creates an artificial rate.
WHO PAYS THE TARIFF?
What does this artificial wall do? Suppos-
Ing a case OF goods comes in, and the duty, or
fine is $50. FIFTY dollars Is deposited in the
United states Treasury and IS paid out for
running the postoIIice, or War Department,
or lor any Government expense and that Is
the end OF The buslneSS-that is the tariff. Is
this the enG@ Oh, no! THIS IS the beginning
OF the protective tariff Let rs see how IL
affects the people. some OF our friends tried
land may say IL was in the Republican State
Central Committed TO impress II upon my
mind that the fellow on the other side, the
European, paid the fine Now, TINS IS absurd.
1t Is not true. The line IS PAID here, not by
Now. after having paid this fine, what be-
comes of il? SOMEBODY must pay II back.
Government receives 1t. Let us ask the inn
pays $50 fine. He must Immediately charge
she $50 on top of the goods. W hat then?
Whether he pays out 500 Tor gloves or Tor
fines N the tariff charge is lmmaterlal. de
must make a profit ON the money he pays
ont for the goods and on the money he pays
out for the fine or duty. Consequently, as an
importer, lie must charge the me or duty on
the goods and with . per cent. prQ1t on the
fine or duty. We are NOT done yet. The I'M
u0rter does not sell TO the retailer; the goods
90 10 the jobber. The jobber adds 20 per
cent profit on top OF the importer pFoht.
we are nor done yet. The jobber then sells TO
the retailer; first the importer, tEen the job
her then the retailer. The importer ADDS o
nor cent profit, the jObber 20 per cent. ana the
retailer 25-per cent. which makes your $50
$50 %. AL these charges are not Tor goods,
mind YOU il is the me or duty, and the
profits thereon. Who pays mat $50 20?
Whv everybody. Here IS the laborer; here
IS the mechanics; here is the physician, and
here is me farmer. VINO all pays this
$50 go The most astonishing thing of IL is