Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-07-16
A NEW TARIFF ARGUMENT.
Indications of a Revolt Against
Protection Are Growing
More Plentiful.

Representative Babcock, who intro.
dsced bill in the last congress pro-
vidiug for the reduction and even the
removal of certain tariff duties, re-
ports that his policy is favored by
many manufacturers. However, there
is one argument which he uses, and
which others have used in favor OF
lower duties, that may be used by
those who oppose more liberal trade
policy. We refer to the fact that OUT
manufacturers in many cases sell
more cheaply to foreigners than they
do to the people at home. That this
is unfair, and especially SO from the
protectionist point of view, cannot,
of course, be denied. The American
people have taxed themselves for
years to build up and maintain certain
industries on the express understand.
ing that ultimately they would be able
to buy the products of those industries
at a much lower price than would 9TH
erwise have been possible. and, there
fore, it seems most unjust for these
protected producers to charge those
who have protected them more than
they charge those against whom they
have been protected. We have, at
their request, given them practical
control of the home market, and now
we find them discriminating against
that market.
But in spite of all this it has al
ready been suggested that the people
ought to be willing to pay higher
prices than foreigners pay, because
by SO doing they help our manufac-
turers to capture foreign markets.
This matter has been made very clear
by foreign writer's. Only the other
day an English authority warned the
people Of England that the compsti-
ton of American trusts would BIO in
creasingly formidable as the yaars
listic production in the United States
was of the most economic kind. and
that it was further helped by the tar.
If, which enabled them to make q
great deal OF money in the home mar.
ket. His theory was that they made
80 much at home, behind the shelter
Of the tariff wall, that they could at.
ford to sell in foreign markets at cost.
or even below it. Thus the effect Of q
protective tariff, in trust-controlled
market, may be to stimulate exportf
by increasing the power of our export.
ers to compete in foreign markets.
We have no doubt that this argu.
ment will be pushed vigorously by
those who ara interested in keeping
up tariff duties. It will be said thai
it is as important to develop trade al
1t was to establish industries, and thai
the former is as much public objecj
az the latter. Our favorable balance
of trade will be dwelt on with the ut.
most impressiveness, and 1t will be
attributed to the fact that our people
are willing to pay "a little more" tor
their goods than they would havs IL
pay without the tariff, thus making Il
possiblef for our manufacturers to
beat the foreigner even in his owr
market. tt will be pointed out thai
every dollars worth of goods sent Out
of the country means the employment
OF just 30 much more labor. And WI
shall be reproachfully asked whether
for the sake of saving little money
we are willing to shut up American
factories. or seriously curtail theil
operations. and throw American work
ingmen out of employment. 1t will
not be easy for the converted protec
tionists to meet such arguments. Blu
the revolt against protectionism II
bound to come. Every trust that Il
organized in protected industry will
be an argument in favor of create
commercial freedom. And every evi
dence of fear OF American competition
abroad will strengthen the American
people in their conviction that protee
sion is no longer needed.--Indianal
o1;c Nawo find