The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-06
CONSUMERS
ARE DECEIVED
That Protective Interests May
Gain Their Own Ends.
CONGRESS THE TOOL OF TRUSTS
Some of the Home Market Delusions Set
Forth The Trust In Tin Plate
The steel and wire and
Other Trusts.

other Trusts.
The protected interests have always
gained their end by deceiving the con-
sumers upon whom tariff taxes weigh
most heavily:
First. They asked for protection dur
ing infancy only.
Second. They promised to the farmer
q home market, which has never been
established.
Third. They promised lower prices,
but as the time came when prices
would have been lower through the in
crease in the number of competing
manufacturing establishments, pro-
tected from foreign competition by the
tariff, they forced up the price of these
goods to the Americans, killing domes-
tic competition by the establishment of
trusts. The motto of the tariffdefended
trusts is Economy of administration
for us; cheap production for us; low
prices for the foreigner; high prices for
the American, and high profits for u.s."
Thirty years ago there was a general
movement throughout the west in favor
of lower duties. Hardly Republican
senator or representative dares to with
stand the demands of the agricultural
regions for relief from the burdens of
tariff taxation. Among the leaders of
this Republican movement for revenue
reform were Garfield, Allison and
Senator Morrill,, of Vermont. The
Democratic party or majority of it's
members, were of course for freer trade.
The movement had every prospect Of
success.
In 1871 the house passed n bill greatly
reducing rates of duty. The protected
industries became alarmed and in 1877?
secured the repeal of the tax on tea
and coffee in order to reduce the
revenues of the Government. Their
object was to prevent the revenue re-
formers from employing the growing
surplus to point their arguments
against protection. Having accomplish
ed this, in the same session they sub
stituted for the house blu a measure
reducing tariff taxes 10 per cent This
was horizontal cut, precisely like that
suggested by Mr.. Morrison. twelve
years later 1t was scientific" when
made by prote2tionsts in 1872: it was
''unscientific" when proposed by
revenue reformers in 1884. This 10 per
cent reduction was n cheat. The old
rates were restored in 1875.
CONGRESS THE TOOL OF Pr =
TECTED TRUSTS.
This date marks the period at which
the control of tariff legislation passed
entirely into private hands, although
private influence had been strong since
1928. The movement began with the
wool and woolens act in 1867 Since 1875
congress has not legislated on the tariff;
it has simply affirmed or ratified tht
DEGREES of the beneficaries of the tariff
These people have transformed the
government into a socialism in which
they ale not merely thesfavored class
they constitute the only class The
house of representatives passed the
Mills bill in 1888, but the senate was
then Republican and protectionst and
the protected interests turned the bill
into a protection measure. The popular
branch Of congress also passed the Will
son bill in 1894, but the protected in
terests transformed it in the senate
through the aid of Democratic senators.
In 1890 and in 1897 the protected in
terests framed the laws named after
Mckinley and Dingley, the managing
agents on the floor of the house.
HOME MARKET DELUSIONS.
During all the years that the taxing
power of the government has been
turned over to the beneficaries of the
tariff they have bean promising the
consumers lower prices. First they
promised to be satisfied with q pro-
tective tariff that would sustain their
infancy, but they have demanded riches
for their middle age, and now some of
them are insisting on sustenance in the
form of direct aims, in their decrepi-
tude, Then they promised the farmer
home market; but the farmers crops
Increased at q greater rate than the
population; as the years went on he had
larger and larger surplus which he
was forced to sell in London; the prices
OF all his crops being fixed in the open
markets Of the world; year by year his
taxes increased, and there never has
been moment when the promise of q
home market for all our crops has SEEM
ed likely to be realized. Then the pro-
tectionists promised lower prices as a
result of the holding up Of domestic in
dustries. That promise has not been
kept.
Durinb our experiment in protection,
there have been times of over pro-
duction, when prices of manufactured
goods feel to bankrupt rates. Occasion
ally heretofore competition has brought
down prices for time, but as a rule the
only reduction OF prices for our pro-
tected manufactured articles has been
to the foreign buyer. Our manu-
facturers have sought foreign markets
for their surplus products. Unlike the
farmers, the tariff tax on whose bread
stuffs is mere pretence, the manu-
facturers price at home is not fixed by
the price abroad. Ills price here is
regulated by himself and his associates,
entrenched behind the tariff wall which
he has constructed through his
congressional agency. 1t is possible,
however, that in time nature would
treat the manufacturer as she has
treated the farmer and the price of his
surplus would govern. Nature takes
time for her tasks. But we are not now
concerned with that subject. If the price
of any protected domestic products has
fallen in this country 1t has been against
ft3e rlaI.a a..