The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-01
The Platform in Part Upon which l..
J. Williams is Making His Race for
Congress in the. Second Congressional
District of South Carolina.

consumer ten dollars per ton, or 80 per
cent more for railroad and other Struc-
tural steel than they charge the Cana
dian or Mexican consumer for the same
product. The Democrats believe that the
American consumer should not be plum
dcrcd by the Tariff to the extent OF ten
dollars per ton for the benefit of the
steel trust
The Republicans believe or profess to
believe that it is right, through the op
crationS of the benctiCent Tariff, that the
American manufacturer charge the good
ladies OF this country twenty-five dol
lars lS25.) for a sewing machine that
they sell in England for thirteen dol
lars tSI3Oo) besides paying the freight.
The Democrats believe that our noble
women should not he robbed of the
extra twelve dollars ($I2oo)
The Republican Tariff enables the
home manufacturer to charge the home
consumer one hundred dollars (SIoo)
for the same typewriter that he sells in
England for fifty-ivc dollars (S55 oo).
| hold with the Democrats that the
home consumer has been robbed in
this transaction TO the extent of forty
FIVE dollars (45oo). But it is useless to
cuumcrate further, as nearly every com
modify manufactured in this country is
protected by the Tariff TO the extent OF
from 20 per cent to 200 per cent and
even more.
But since the Federal courts have de
cidcd that the income tax or any
other direct form OF taxation by the
Federal government is unconstitutional,
the Democratic party is compelled to
agree to a Tariff for revenue only in
order To- raise funds to pay the legitimate
expenses OF the government. But herein
lies our danger The Tariff being all
indirect tax, tie subtle, blasting infiu
cuccS OF which are so hard to be seen
by the average man, makes its operation
4 standing nightmare and curse to all
honest producers and consumers.
ii it were possible for every citizen TO
know Just how many dollars the govern
mcut needed to pay its honest expenses;
and ii protection could be given to
home industry exactly in accordance
with Just ratio as between all our
industrial pursuits 18th reference to for
cien competition. then there would be
small danger in the Ia.itf But this Is
maulfeStly impossible for the reason
that but few. If any OF us could ever
determine the exact amount necessary
to run the government nor could we
ever determine the exact difference IN
the domestic and foreign cost OF pro-
duction OF any given article. Now, this
very uncertainty is the bane OF the
American people and is what makes the
trusts possible The lobby OF paid at
torneys maintained by the Trusts in
Washington while Congress is in ses-
sion has become an international scan
dal
II the actual difference in the cost OF
production between the domestic and
foreign manufacturer should be ten or
twenty per cent, the home man should
hc satisfied with that much Tariff or
Protection" but he Is not. He wants
the Tariff wall built up to so or 100 per
cent or more So as TO destroy all foreign
competition Now, then after the Tar
III is made so high that foreign manu-
facturers cannot send their goods here.
no Tariff duties are collected upon them
hence the Tariff ceases to he a revenue
measure and becomes a measure oi
PImGCr The government has then
ceased to perform its proper junction
and has become a highway rObber hold
ing Mp the hands of its subjects Will,
the trusts are going through their poe
kcts
When President Schwab of the Stee
Trust admitted under oath that the im
port duty on his products enabled hin
To- make SI2oo per ton more than
reasonable profit, it was also an admis
sion that his steel business was a com
plctc monopoly or Trust made possible
10y tariff protection He claimed that
cost HIM SI2 90 per ton to produce stee
rails. and that he could compete witt
the English producer at $1,000, Leaving
500 a, net profit which he said wa
, reasonable but he charges the hom
consumer SI2oo more, making $500. o
total net profit OF $1,000 per ton.
The census reports show that III
property OF the L. s Steel Corporato
is worth S5oo,oOO,oOo. and under thei
recent organization they have capital
izcd the Steel Trust at ST, 500 900 ooc
which means that they have divided on
t billion dollars OF water among then
selves and call it stock
In other words the trust manager