The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-03-23

70 use goods upon wnien tireat tv,t,,,
nau iaid an import duty was wrone 4
the argument for protection As ripbt
peeause' according to the argument
the British importers were really nav.
ing the tax over which the American
col0nsts went to war"
Under the heading "The bin en-
courages extravaganza" Mr. Bailey
says
ut is well known that the importa-
tions of last year were smaller than
usual, owing to the general depression
that existed in an circles. but even
supposing that importations hereafter
can be kept at a level with the impor-
tations of 1896 the bin win collect from
the people more than 500 1000 600 anual-
ly above the requirements of our pres
ent eXtravagant and wasteful appro-
priations If the government were now
properly and frugally administered our
expenditures. including pensions Of the
soldiers of the war, would not exceed
the sum OF S35O 900. 600.
president jackson hardly over
stated the danger Of a surplus when
he declared that it was more danger
Gus than a. standing army, and vet
dangerous as the extravaganza which
is always resorted to in order to pre-
vent its accumulation.
THE friends of the protective system
know that to keep the taxes high they
must find some way of spending the
money which has been collected. 1t
Is, therefore. the Inevitable conse-
quence Of collecting more than is
devised for spending #.
IF the system Of unnecessary tax
alton Is indefensible because of the ex-
travagance which it encourages it la
still more so on account Of the trusts
which It fosters and promotes. 1t is
not more certain that protection en-.
eourages extravaganza than 1t is that
It breeds unlawful combinations of
capital, Indeed protection is justified
upon the avowed theory that eompe-
tition shall be restricted. These men.
having secured themselves against for
eign competition by the favor of con-
gress viii secure themselves against
domestic competition by voluntary
combinations among themselves.
I'VE believe in the principles Of COM
petition, and we believe that the peo-
pie Of the United States can success
fully compete against all other people
of the world; and we denounce as a
crime against the best interests of orr
people any law which leaves tho com
sumers Of this land subject TO the ex-
actions of reckless and corrupt COM
binations formed to destroy competi-
ton and control prices"
Treating Of the effect OF the bin on
labor, the report says;
"The report of the majority is sineu-
larly silent upon the old pretext that
these high taxes are imposed for the
benefit of American labor and tba Gil
lence may be taken as conceding the
Democratic contention that the intel
ligence and sltlll of the American fac
tory operative are all the protection
which he needs or desires. no say that
the welfare Of labor depends upon
It's wages, and that its wages In turn
depend upon its skill and intelIigence
and in the next breath to say that the
very intelligent and highly skilled la
borers of this country cannot success
fully compete with the ignorant ana
unskilled laborers Of the old world is
equivalent to saying that skill and in
telligence are not of great advantage
to the laborers who possess them.
The fact that the unsliued laborers
OF half civilized country live more
cheaply than the skilled laborers of a
highly civilized country is more than