The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-01-26
HIGH TARIFF FALLACY.

fectiye instrument or puDllc SpolldlioA
that greed ever fashioned or COM
mercial tyranny ever devised. Secre'
tary Shaw, a cabinet, officer to whom
we have heretofore referred in these
columns, said in a recent speech, that
the American people ought to be will
ing to pay little more for the neces-
saries of life in order to help Amerl-
can manufacturers. That tune is too
antiuuated. Some years ago the peo-
pie were willing to do so and they did
it to shield the youthful industries un-
til they could care for themselves; but
they are unwilling to keep on etern-
ally doing so because of inability, to
say nothing Of injustice.
INFANT INDUSTRIES. The people
of today are both unwilling and I'M
able to pay from so to 100 per cent
more for almost every article Of neces-
sity and use to these infant indus
tries when they have become the
richest and most powerful in the
world, able to meet and master compe-
tition anywhere on the globe, and
when through combination and monop-
oily they have become so omnipotent
and so merciless that the question is
no longer how to use the peoples
means for them, but how to protect
-
EARLY THEORY. The original adj
vocates of high protective tariff
never urged it as a permanent meas
ure They defended it only as a
means Of putting new and inexperi'
enced industry on it's feet. The idea
Of perpetually transferring a large
percentage of the peoples earnings
through import taxes to the manufac-
turing classes, regardless of how pow
erful and prosperous these classes
might be, was not even dreamed Of by
the early advocates of a tariff. To
meet the enormous expense of an
enormous war the heaviest taxes
which our country and it's resources
could possibly bear were imposed on
every article of production and con-
sumption; and as an offset against the
high internal rates on manufactured
articles heavy duties were laid on
competing imports. But even so I'M
compromising a Republican as James
G.. Blaine. as we'll as our honored mar
tyred president. William Mckinley, in
their last public utterances took the
very sensible position that the time
had come when no higher tariff rates
should be levied than was necessary
to furnish revenue for the expenses OF
the government economically admin
istered.
STAND PATTERS. 1t remains for
the modern school of Republican fos-
sis, known by the very significant
name of "stand patters" to uphold to-
day tariff that compels our people
to pay on almost everything they eat
and wear, and USE the highest tariff
taxes the country has ever known
taxes higher than those of the most
stupendous war in human history.
RESULTS. One of the most sim
lister results Of this iniquitous high
tariff is the modern trust, the syno-
nym of monopoly. Shielded from for
eign competition by this unholy tariff
the manufacturers have combined tn
destroy domestic competition. Mr.
Havermeyer, the president of the
sugar trust, was candid enough to
admit in his testimony before the
industrial commission, that high tariff
was the mother Of trusts. In a work
recently published there are enumer
ated over 300 articles of common use
which are under the actual or poten
t!al control of monopolies. The major
ity of these articles are things which
the poorest family must have in order
to live. Let us enumerate a few.
MONOPOLIZED GOODS A few
erned articles are: All agriculture
implements and farm tools, PRACTICAL,
every steel and iron product, chem
, 1cals, prints, ratings, carpets, all rub
f. Der and leather goods, lumber, furni
3 ture, glass and glassware, hardware
+ tlnWare, typewriters, sewing ma
7 eMnes' watches, and even the caskets
that inclose the remains of our loved
ones at Woodland, all are subject *
tariff taxes In the interest Of mann
featuring magnates, already sc
+ wealthy, as to be menace to OIL
3 politics, and to the safety and perpe
tuity of our American institutions
Truly this tariff business is .nothins
& more nor less than highway robber,