The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1901-05-31
A NEW TARIFF ARGUMENT.
indications of Revolt A=ninzf
Protection Are Growing
More Plentiful

Representative Babcock. who intro
uueed bill in the last congress pro-
'ding for the reduction and even the
removal OF certain tariff duties. re-
ports that his policy is favored by
many manufacturers. However. there
: one argument which he uses, and
winch others have used in favor Of
rover duties, that may be used by
'hose who oppose more liberal trade
policy. We refer 10 the fact that our
manufacturers in many eases sell
more cheaply TO foreigners than they
90 10 the people al home. That this
IS unfair, and especially 50 from he
protectionist point of yiew. cannot.
OF course. be denied The American
people have taxed themselves for
years 10 build up and maintain certain
industries on the express understands
ing that ultimately they would be able
10 buy he products If hose industries
at a much lower price than would 9TH
erwiSe have been possible, and, there
Tore, it seems most unjust for these
protected producers 10 charge those
who have protected Them more than
ihey charge those against whom they
have been protected. We have. at
their request, given them practical
control of the hcms market. and now
We find them discriminating against
that market.
But in spite of all this it has al
ready been suggested that he people
ought 10 be willing to pay higher
prices than foreigners pay. because
by so doing they heip our manufac-
turers To capture foreign markets.
This matter has been made very clear
by foreign writers. Only the other
day an English authority warned The
people of England that the competi-
ton of American trusts would be in
creaSingly formidable as the years
passed. He argued that the monopo-
listic production in the United States
was of the most economic kind. and
that it was further helped by he tar
If, which enabled them To make n
great deal of money in The home mar
~ - iAA0 Anfbl hAN AttiA INV
so much at home. behind the shelter
of the tariff wall. that they could af-
ford to sell in foreign markets al cost.
or even below il. Thus he effect Of a
protective tariff. in a trust-controlled
market, may be To stimulate export
by increasing the power OF our export
ers 20. compete in foreign markets.
We have no doubt that this argu-
ment will be pushed vigorously by
those who are interested in keeping
up tariff duties. 1t VIII be said that
t is as important 10 develop trade as
1t was TO establish industries. and thai
the former is as much a public objec;
as the latter. Our favorable balance
If trade will be dweIt ON with the ut-
most impressiveness and ia VIII be
attributed TO the fact that our people
are willing To pay "a little more" for
their goods than they would have I,
pay without the tariff. thus making il
possible for our manufacturers to
beat the foreigner even in his OWL
market. 1t will be pointed q t that
every dollars worth of goods sent out
of the country means the employment
Of Just 50 much more labor. And we
shall be repr0achfully asked whether.
for the sake Of saving o little money
we are willing TO shut up American
factories. or seriously curtail theiI
operations. and throw American work
ingmen ont Of employment. II vii
not be easy for the converted pr0tec
tionists to meet such arguments. Bui
the revolt against protectionism is
bound to come. Every trust that j.
organized in a protected Industry wil
be an argument in favor of greaIsi
commercial freedom. And every evi
dence of fear of American competition
abroad viii streng; hen the American
people in their conviction that p-0tec
ton is no longer necded.-ind.anap
oils News find