Iron County register., 1904-03-10
BRING DISASTER AND PANIC
Protection and Subsidies to Favored
Industries Have But the
One Result.

If there is one country on this green
earth that enjoys more tariff ''protec-
ton" and that shows more favoritism
to monopolies and trusts than does
The United States, that country is Rus
sia. Although Russian protective duties
may not include as many articles and
protect as many industries as do
our Dingley duties, yet Russian
protection is intended to result in COM
plete monopolies, or trusts, in many
important industries. Expectations
have been fully realized. Trusts and
monopolies now flourish in Russia.
But the Russian peasants are impover
ished as never before.
The worst industrial and financial
crisis in Russia's history is now on
there. 1t is so serious that even the
controller of the state to the czar Is
compelled to attribute it to the over
stimulation of domesic industries by
protective duties and government sub
sides.
The late minister of finance. M.
Witte, was a consistent advocate OF
the policy of granting subsidies out of
the state bank to everything. He had
extremely high import duties put upon
the products Of manufacturing indus
tries which he wished to foster and
then he gave large government or
ders at high prices to these protected
manufacturers. This policy was in
aligurated, or rather greatly extended,
some Is years ago. The favored manu-
facturers prospered as long as the gov
ernment could continue to give big or
| ders for goods at two, three, or four
| times the cost of these goods If pur-
chased from foreign manufacturers,
and as long as the Russian people
could stand the strain of high taxes
and high prices for most that they
had to buy. But, by 1897, the peasan-
try of Russia were behind 94,O00,OO(
rubles ($4S,00U 000) in their taxes and
by 1908, their overdue taxes had in
creased to 121, 100000 rubles. These
arrears, even after granting extensions
of time, are now so great that the con
troller says that more radical meas
ures are necessary" to relieve the rura
population of fiscal charges they are
not in a position to bear"
The plain meaning of this is that thu
policy of protection and subsidies has
been so disastrous to Russian farmers
that even autocratic Russia will never bt
able to collect these back taxes and nov
has to admit that she has overdone hel
policy of favoritism.
1t takes a greater country than Russia
to endure the burden and blight of pro
lection and subsidies, such as the repub
licans have given us here and unde'
which our marvellous country is nov
staggering even while it is blessed will
a succession of crops never before real
ized by any country on earth. To CLAIM
that the Dingley bill has given us wha
prosperity we have had since 1897, is a
absurd as to claim that wagon with ;
heavy load will run easier up hill ant
through sand than will an empty wagol
on smooth, hard and level road.
Neither in Russia, nor in the Unite,
States, nor in any other country wer
farmers ever made prosperous by higl
tariff taxes. Their prosperity will al
ways be increased by relieving them Q
the burdens of taxation for protection
and for subsidies to manufacturing in
dustries.
| RYP0N w HOLT