Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-08-30
Tariff Cafhechism.

Tariff Cafhechism.
Q. What is a tariff?
A. A duty collected ON imports.
| Q. What is protective tariff?
A. A duty imposed upon imports.
for the aid of home factories producing
competing articles.
@. What is a revenue tariff?
A. A revenue tariff is tariff levied
for the purpose of raising revenue.
@. What is the difference between
the two kinds of tariff?
A. A revenue tariff is collected for
the benefit of the whole public, and
the government stops when it gets
enough. A protective tariff is impos-
ed for private benefit, may be SO levied
! as to impose heavy burden without
raising much revenue and there is no
limit to its eXactions except the greed
of the protected interests and the pa
thence of the people.
| Q. Who pays the tariff?
! A. The consumer.
@. How can this fact be established?
| A. By reason, by observation and
by experience. If tariff were paid
by the foreigner it would be no pro-
lection to the home industry. Only
when the consumer must pay more
than the foreign price for an imported
article can the home producer charge
more than the foreign price ior the
domestic article. A tariff paid by the
foreigner would give no protection. 10
an American manufacturer. Then,
too, the government gives rebate on
raw material when the finished pro-
duet is exported. Why does the gov
eminent pay the rebate to the domestic
| manufacturer if the foreigner pays
the tariff? But experience is the best
test. Go abroad, buy in the open mar
ket, and when you return you will
Iply the duty anG you can not find
any foreigner TO reimbn rse you.
q. Is such tax constitutional
A. 1t violates the split of the con-
stitution for it collects from the many
and gives to the few, but as the pro-
tective features are concealed In rev.
enue law it is difficult to get decision
on the principle involved.
@. Can the wisdom of such a tax
be defended ?
A. No; policy of favoritism is
never wise ia republic. A govern
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people should be adn- Mustered
according 10 the maxim Equal rights
to all and special privileges to none.
Q. Is the present protective tariff
necessary?
A. No it is about twice as high as
would be necessary to cover the entire
labor cost of protected manufactures.
The fact that we are exporting an in
creasing amount of manufactures is
proof that our industries do not need
the present protection. And it must
be remembered that our manufacturers
have the benefit of the freight when
we export And it must also be re-
membered that the tariff on all kinds
of material on machinery and on
food and clothing increases the cost of
articles manufactured here. If we can
now export in spite of these burdens
we could export more if the tariff were
reduced.
Q. Does high tariff make good
wases?
"A. No. If il is said that we pay
higher wages than they do in England
"a stock argument with protection
1sts-it is complete answer TO say
: that England with no protective tariff
pays better wages than Germany does
under protection. Our best wages are
paidin our unprotected industries, the
fact that we export goods ade with
our high priced labor is positive proof
that good wages do not depend on pro-
tectien. The labor organizations have
done far more to increase wages than
all the tariff laws.
@. What about the home market
argument
A. The friends of protection claim
that the farmer can afford to pay more
when he buys because the manufacture
ers furnish him a home marker, but this
is fallacy. The staples of the farm
are exported and the price received fl +
the surplr exported fixes the pr, e
received for the part sold at home. AS
the far ner sells in the unprotected
markets of the world and buys i'll a
protected market he is constantly
drained Of his earnings for the benefit
of 1 e manufacturer and the manIlfac.