The Cairo bulletin., 1905-10-29
SECAETARY SHAW
ON THE TARIFF
SAYS TARIFF FOR REVENUE ONLY
THE PEOPLE HAVEN'T THE
FUNDS TO CONSUME THE I'M
PoRTATiONS-GoEs INTO FIG.
URES.

tary Shaw made the second of his
Ohio campaign speeches here tonight
and was enthusiastically greeted by a
large crowd His speech was devoted
almost entirely to national Issues. He
spoke as follows
The oppositfoon always insists thai
we must invite importations If we
wish to increase our expectations,
They urge that if we will place the
tariff of some articles sufficiently low
to insure an influx of foreign goods,
the doors Of the trade will automati-
cally open to us and we will have an
abundant outlet | do not understand
Their logic though | nave heard it
from the days of my childhood.
/ | have examined the record and
find nothing therein to justify the
claim Never in recent years mas
there been period of low tarff that
has NOT resulted in lean importations,
nor period of high tariff that has not
resulted in large importations. This
seems paradoxical, and yet il Is logi
cal When our people are prosperous,
as they always are under protection,
they buy everything in sight and send
abroad for more, When they are suf
| fering from the effects of tariff for
revenue only they are unable to con
sumo, and therefore import little. Do
not misunderstood me. | do NOS take
the position that low tariff on wool
will result in less importations of wool,
or that a low tariff on iron products
VIII result in less importations there
Of ! simply state the historic fact
hat periods of low tariff laws result
In less importations in the aggregate,
The logic is easily stated and ought
10 be easily understood. Whenever
the American people buy their wooden
goods, their ron and steel manufae-
lures, and their articles of common
every day consumption abroad, Amer
can producers of these articles are
necessarily out of employment and our
consumptiye capacity is reduced 10
the minimum.
I expect to be called TO account for
these utterances and must therefore, |
furnish The proof. The Wlson-GOr- |
man bill went into effect July 1, 1894. |
As soon as II was known that we were |
to have a lower tariff law, and es- |
pacially as soon as il was enacted. |
importations under the Mckinley art |
fell off materially. Moth ng was i'm.
ported that could lie deferred. Tmpor-
tf, pnrpb 90 for
delivery prior to the date when the
lower tariff went into effect. Again
after the Dingley law was enacted, the
rate of duty being on the average
somewhat higher, merchants imported
all they could pay for before the high
g. rate went into effect. The record,
therefore, of the years Immediately
preceding and Immediately following
a change in tariff rates is misleading.
There is always a great flood of i'm
portations immediatly following a low
rate, usually enough to paraly2e our
industries, but thereafter importations
fall off, for our people are no longer
able TO buy.
Fer the four fiscal years prior to the
operation of the Wilson German law
after giving credit for the cessation in
mportations between its enactment
and the date on which il went into
effect, we imported for consumption
an average Of $12.21 per capita Dur
ing the fiscal year of 1891 we imported 9
for consumption 1888 per capita,
while we imported only S941 per CAPT
IA during the year immed lately before I
he lower rate went into effect Still | r
he average was $12.21 for the four g
years. During the next four years. 8
yivng credit for the great influx of p
FOODS Immediately following the OPP d
ssation of the lower rate. and another f
nnux In anticipation of the higher s
ate. we imported only $10.S1 per cap,
a. a loss of over 81 per capita. During h
he fiscal year we imported Sl3.4f per a
.apita, and thus far this fiscal year .
We have increased our importat ons =
,ver 1G per cent. over those of lasr
car. II this record continues .,
throughout the year. giving credit for
,ur increase in population. We will i'm b,
'ort over SIS per capita. Never IN the =
is'ory Of the United States did our :
,eople consume as many dolla-s worth
# foreign goods as now. and never in
he history of the world id any pee
lie consume as many dollars worth Of q,
omestic goods as We do al this time.
)ur revenues from importations dur
ng September. 1905. exceeded those of
ny one month in history.
Prospering as we did under the Nc :
linley act. we imported. during the 7
iscal year 1892. $3.50 per capita, ex- :
orted s15.G1 per capita, and con ="
umed within a very small fraction,
tx bushels of wheat per cap ia. Two =
ears later we imported 50 less per =
anita. exported 1915 less per capita. a
nd consumed two bushels and half
sss wheat per capita. while the aver e
ge price of live stock in Chicago suf- y
cred an average loss Of $40 On every it
orse. cow. steer, calf, sheep and pig a.
q 1892. the year the people became y
D dissatifed that they voted Republi %
an protection a fraud and a robbery.
"