The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-11-15
Tariff on Titles.

The present stringency in the mon.
ey market has directed renewed atten-
| tion to the marriages Of American
heiresses to European noblemen, and
there are some fnanciers who begin
to urge sort of export tax on our
girls, to the end that the titled for
Ieigners may have to pay at least
something for the very good thing he
gets from this country.
There are now 400 Of these money
bearing American beauties attached
to as many withered European fig
trees-at least so says a man with
head for figures, and he figures it
out, too, that this 400 has cost Ameri-
ca just 5000, 1000, 900 and his statistics
are authoritative enough as to attract
the attention Of so great a financer as
Henry Clews, who is supposed to
know a thing or two about money.
II think" says Mr.. Clews, that
the statement that 5000, 200, 900 OF
wealth has been taken out Of this
country, or at least that the owner
ship of this vast amount OF assets has
been transferred to aliens by the mar
riage of American girls with foreign
ers is conservative. Undoubtedly the
withdrawal of such an enormous sum
has an appreciable effect upon the
money market. The folly OF Ameri-
cans who have Europemania is ex-
tremelY costly to this country. Our
tourists spend at least $3.50, 900 OF
good American money abroad every
year, most Of it foolishiy. ! am glad
to say that American girls are begin
ming to realize that nothing but I'M
comes from the majority OF |
these international marriages, though |
Of course there are exceptions. They |
are beginning to prefer American |
sovereigns to European princelings.
1t may be that the returning SEN
sibleness Of the American girl will
save her from becoming a 'fit sub.
ject" for congressional action and
keep her out of a. Presidential mes
sage. But 1t Is plain that unless she
begins to show more appreciation of
the American Sovereigns" and less |
favor to the European princelingn
she is simply going to figure, some
way or other in the tariff class.
The President doesn't hesitate to
tackle incomes and children, and |
there is no question but that he will
pounce upon this foreign marriage
trade, too, If thereby he can ''bust
trust" in them or relieve money
stFingency in this country.
Society writer's hold that these mar
raiges are a matter OF international |
commerce anyhow. They insist that
for the, most part 1t is bargain and |
sale Of titles-a commodity peculiar
to countries already paying tariff up
on goods they sell to this country.
Therefore, there would seem to be no
good reason why q title should be on
the free list, any more than adiamond
or a big round cheese.
Some day Mr.. Roosevelt and our
tariff makers are going to see the
value In these titles and
their fertility as a taxable field; then,
when some rich girl over here goes to
buy one, she and 1t will find the tariff |
staring them 10 the face and demand
ing a fee that will make the cost of a
marriage and the price OF the parsons
service look like two cents to thou.
sand dollars.
As rule we are not in favor Of
but when It comes 10
American heiresses for the great and
only American sovereigns, why, we
suffer change OF politics and cast
our vote for protection" good and
strong, even to an embargo against
titles in this market, Ii 1t be neces-
sary to go as far as this to protect the
beauty dollars for the country that
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