The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-16
Dir Wrssenger.
Il TARIFF FOR PROTECTION USE
LESS AND WRONG.

The republican supreme court of the
United States some years ago made a
noted decision relative to a protective
tariff. 1t held that. tariff taxation
levied for any other purpose than for
e ifs robbery" 1t used that ac-
curate descriptive word And so it Is
robbery" Taxation is a curse at best.
1t takes from a man a certain portion
OF his earnings or his income. 1t Is
tolerated because it is necessary.
There is no other way to carry on gov
rnmen except by taxation. Govern
ment is a positive necessity for the pro-
lection of life, liberty and property,
and 1t must be sustained, continued. The
only way to do this is by taxation. Any
taxes levied for IN other purpose is
wrong, is oppressive, is illegal To take
s., so, $50, 800 or more in taxes from
d man simply to favor a class of peo-
pies enterprises, whether steamboats,,
or railroads., or ships, or manufacture
les or What not, is immoral, injurious
and even unconstitutional for it is
robbery"
The old plea of the necessity of a
tariff to help Infant industries" has
long ago spent it's force. Now the plea
Is a lie, a deception. In a half century
there has been no force in such plea
If it ever had any force An officer of
the United States army was in South
America a few years ago at the head
of a government surveying party In
- = Cr,L ,nrian moro than
1900 miles distant from New York city,
ne found a large American hardware
establishment. He as~certained the
prices for all instruments used In MS
survey-picks, axes, surveying lnstru-
ments, guns, pistols, etc.-to be 20 per
cent lower on an average in the South
American city than the United States
government had paid for them in New
Yory city of the same manufacture.
He found a German and an English
hardware establishment in the same
city and the American establishment
was easily competing with the others
on foreign soil, far away, and with no
tariff to help. This makes 1T plain,
surely what a fraud the protection plea
is The officer published his account OF
the survey, and the facts given above,
in a northern monthly.
There is nothing made in the United
States that cannot be sold in any land
as cheaply as any other country can
sell it. That is well known. All the
manufacturers know it to be so. There
is really no need whatever for a pro-
tectiv. tariff. There is needed a tariff
for revenue only. The Americans can
In fact Outsell in any of the foreign
markets any manufactured article of
the same quality of any country. Late
Iy they have been shipping many things
to CIR At Britain, and vast shipments
have Ieen made to Russia. The ablest
democ attic newspaper in the southwest
IS pro ably the st. Louis Republic. 1t
has been discussing protection and
says:
TIL American manufacturer is
now + ore than able to compete with
his Eft opean rivals on their terri
tory. lie is underselling Englishmen In
Engla1J and in Egypt, In
Germs ny and China, Russians in Rus
sia an Siberia, Frenchmen in France
-unde selling all the rest. of the world,
in fact. in the worlds markets.
And ne is doing this at a profit
while selling his products in foreign
lands al less price than is paid by the
American buyer for the same goods
He does this the protective
tariff III his country enables him 10
overcharge the American buyer with no
fear of a loss of trade through COM
petition. Under the shelter of this pro
tective tariff has been built up the
American trust system, for the further
strengthening of monopoly in American
Since the present dragnet, enormous
republican tariff went into effect we
have never seen such inferior goods
particularly mems wear-in market
Shoddy greatly predominates. and it is
almost impossible to purchase for man
or woman genuine woelens, and then
at very excessive prices. 1t is un-
worthy of any land not ruled by SIM
pIetons and rascals to allow a law TO
be levied for the rich and prosperous
at the expense of the toiling millions.
1t is a sin, as we'll as an oppression, TO
place 2 grinding tax upon 81, 600 or
people for the benefit of 5000. OO0-to rob
the one great class for the exclusive
benefit OF the other small class.