The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-04-19
WOULD BENEFIT ALL
RESULT Of COMMON sENsc TAR.
IFF REVISION.
.4E FACTS ARE PLAIN
Claim That Free Trade Is Aimed at
by Democrats 10 FooIish---Fio.
ures That viii Convince
the Fair-Minded.

Whenever the standpatters. and
even those Republicans that believe
there must be some reform OF the
present tariff system. are Corncrcd by
the exposure of the plundering by the
protected trusts and combines, their
only reply Is that free trade would
rain the country This of course is
no answer ut all, as neither the Demo.
cratic party, nor any other organi2a.
ton Of consequence politically, either
demands free trade or favOrs It. Free
trade Is bugabOo of the standpatter
who has a brainstorm and suffers
from paralogism whenever tariff re-
form Is mentioned. Free trade would
undoubtedly be the best thing fer the
whole world If all nations pracriccd it
but practically it is at present iHpos
siblc.
Reforming the tariff by reducing II,
Is not free trade, far from IT, for there
would still be a large amount OF tar.
IN tax paid under one.half the present
duties. and MS the trusts would have
t1 compete with the imported goods.
which would be sold at reduced
price in accordance with the lower
rates OF tariff duties. there would be
n general reduction of the cost OF liv-
ing and the great mass OF consumers
would be able to purchase more in.
stead Of cconomizing as many now do.
There is now imported over $500, 900
600 OF dutiablo goods and nearly that
much free Of duty. Al that comes
into the country upon which no duty
iG collected Is free trade and If lum.
Der and coal and hides were also plaC-
ed on the free list. as proposed nv
the tariff revision Republicans of Mas.
sachusctts, Minnesota, Wisconsin. the
Dakotas and Iowa. no one would be
injured but the trusts and combines
that Illegally control those necessary
articles, and If their profits would be
cut down by having to compete with
the imported lumber. coal and hides,
every one else would be the gamer.
Free lumber would mean cheaper
buildings and therefore lower rent;
free coal would mean cheaper fuel
for the householder and the manufGc-
turcr and thus reduce the cost Of liv-
ing and of manufactured products;
free hides would allow the tanner to
produce cheaper leather, which would
mean cheaper boots and shoes, har-
ness and all products in which lcath-
or Is used. The beef combine which
now controls the market for hides.
and through a subsidiary combine the
price of leather, the cost Of which is
combinations In restraint of trade.
would suffer TO some extent Free
hides will not affect the price Of cat.
tie that are sold to the beef combine.
for beef is the main product and the
hide, the horns, and the hcofs, etc,
are by.products and do not count TO
any appreuiable extent In the stock
yard price. If a farmer kills his own
steer the price he would get for tho
hide will he undoubtedly somewhat
lower. but he will more than make up
for that in the cheaper boots and
shoes and harness he will buy, and
the working man and all other con
sumers OF leather will obtain the full
benefit Of the reduced prices
So when the staudpat statesman
tells you that the Democratic plan VI
tariff reform is free trade, ask him
why adding three more articles &c the
present free list, which now under the
Dingley bill allows free trade on over
half n billion OF foreign products,
would ruin the country or indeed ham.
per any industry that is not unlawful
ly restraining trade. As Republican
politicians are notorious buffers, cs.
pecially those OF the standpat clique
in league with the trusts and com
bines. II may be we'll to be prepared
with the official import figures which
can be found in the United States sta.
tistical Abstract for l905-thc last is.
sued--on page 300, which gives the
value of imported goods free Of duty
as S517.4i2 1902, and IL that does not
see his bluff lust turn back the few
pages and show him what those fee
trade articles are