Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-07-16

paramount interest. Taxation In what
EVER form Il comes affects everybody.
A tax Is a burden imposed by law aad
submitted to because presumably Il is
government 1 have never been able to
conceive OF any just theory upon which
taxation could be levied. except TO pro-
duce a revenue to support the govern
meat II Is automatic to say that
there should be equality in the burdens
OF taxation. The tarim. under our law,
Is a tax laid upon imports from foreign
countries into the United States for con-
sumption here. The tax Is paid by the
importer in the first Instance. and Is then
added as an item making up the total
cost Of the article affected. In the end
the purchaser whs buys tho article for
words, the tariff Is merely indirect tax
alton. ! AVE said that the controlling
principle Of just taxation should be TO
raise a needed revenue for public pur-
poses, and so levied as 10 cast the bur
den with the greatest possible equality
upon ali. II incidentally the tax pro-
tects domestic production against outside
competition, as OF course II always does
to the extent of the tax, Il Is all the
better. But we have long since departed
from these fundamental rules Of legttt-
mate and just taxation. The policy nov
long in vogue has been TO impose tariff
duties not so much TO raise revenue as
10 close the door against foreign compe-
tition in American markets, and 70 give
TO American DfONuCCTS a lu1ulfuis III SUP
plying home consumption. This policy
has been carried to an extreme In TINS
country. To such an extreme. indeed,
has it been carried, n so long con-
tinued. that Il has become an tntolera-
bic abuse, fostering great business COM
binations which mercilessly plumber the
people. The tariff, more than anything
else. has made possible the organisation
on those great Industrial trusts so uni
versally condemned, which, through
tariff. not only escape foreign competi-
ton, but are able TO crush domestic COM
petition also. These gtant mon4pones
progeny, Of our tarfm system. ~ Is
a matter Of common knowledge thar the
wealth of the country is largely cen-
tered in a few hands. l do rot contend
that All the fabulous fortunes possessed
by Americans are due TO our prohiDlto..
tariff. but / do contend that practicaily
all the great industrial monopoiles Ms
and flourish because OF IL Ine lneNlt-
able tendency of this system Is to en-
courage the concentration of Industrial
effort. and hence the concentration also
of the nations wealth. More imam thas,
IL enables the producer to levy uncoh-
scionable extortion upon the consumer.
II is a known fact, not denied, mat the
general run of American MANUFACTURES
are sold cheaP %b,s IN q , t1re' 81 food SSp prod
ucts, clothing, Industrial implements.
steel rails and substantially everything {
else. The Chicago Journal, with assld- !
nnNTE rare anu kEEdL lakIAn AAh -
cnTed prices on many staple articles pre- I
vailinE on the same day, both at nome I
abroad. The figures disclosed that [
neat products from Omaha: SnlSaso !
st. Louis, steel products from f5tts- y
burg watches from New England, mar q
,esfers from the middle west, SHOES from p
81 Louis and Boston. and numerous a
,ther products from many states W. &
.ommunities far below the price az u
which they were sold at home ~itecently n
fr, George Spencer Of Treadwel Broth- v
re- n large shoe distributing house IN u
,ondon. stated that he had seen the "
.Ieptical American shoe which was pelns q
old in London at $50 marketed az wv "
] New York stores. With ready aeunnsn al
> observed that IL there was a proIt nc
a inc nrirp in London, then the proft of
America is 50 enormous that II serves q
explain why ~mliiionaires are as plenu- y
i In America as b~lackherTies N hhs e
ma Illustrations showing like discriin- DIR
ntIons in numerous articles could pe an
but mere additions would TO
rye no intelligent purpose, sufnee II We
say in general terms, mat the uitLetI re-
&c IN prices between the home ana tai
markets ranges from about = "a
40 Der cent in favor Of the latter. The
l~vocntes OF the present tariff wuns
the cheaper price abroad tof
AT The things sold abroad represent ra
My q surplus OF production above the CO
eeds OF our own market In othef re
the COnlfbAllh - NhAt wv hAhN 81
overproduee, n tnen are y
,biigea 10 unload their surplus products, u
ven If az a loss, In foreign markets. tc
o my mind that argument Is worse than m
uerile. II Implies that the policy. OF our W
Is 10 produce for the III
ONE market only, and not for export eli
that be true, then they overproduce wi
the extent Of many hundred millions RI
rery year, which they are forced 70 lie
nd abroad because presumably II would sci
) 10 waste II kept at home That u an l
/ do not believe IT, If II wi
ere true that our manufacturers. who We
re trained, disciplined n alert bust ha
sss men. produced only for the home an
.arket. ard not primarily for foreign 20
larkets, they would not annually pro- th
uce a surplus so enormous. There ism: in
manufacturer in the United states GU
no cannot approximately anticipate the 10
omestic demand upon him. If he cares III
MY for the home market II is an alb liz
urdity TO say that he would year after Je
ear 90 far beyond its probable demand es
nd continue TO produce, knowing that 81
Il would be obliged to export the over Ii
lus for sale at a loss. 1t is positively pI
.hsurd. No, he manufactures for the Of
oreign market as he does for the home f'
market. and be ships abroad because he s.
5 attracted by the profit ne obtains. he p
ellis cheaper in the foreign market only a
,ecause competition compels him 10. \
nevertheless the profit is sufficiently at Il
ractive for him to seek it II ts only v
N the tarif-ridden American that mo b
AAAAA AK 49, =
int industries have fallen into the hands q
4 combinations. These combinations. o
lnder the operation OF the tariff. have q 4
monopoly Of the domestic markets and V
re enabled to charge American con- Z
umers higher prices h they can oo- I
ain abroad In the face of competition; 4
ence they have two scales Of pricesa a
one for the home market, n a Z
oger one for the foreign market My I
ellow-citizens. / do not believe this to be I
healthy economic and industrial con- n
itiun. TO say nothing of its honesty. 1t d
S amazing 10 me that the great con- u
nopulatior Of the states would T
,uhmit for a day TO its continuance, q
Not only are interested IN !
his question. but manufacturers, also, !
who still survive the trusts and who I
are not yet affiliated with them. There :
re many patriotic. e~nterprising men I
in manufacturing who seek |
better opportunities 70 expand mel !
countries. There are materials I
produced abroad which they need in the {
OF their business. and the en- !
nrmous tariff laid upon then lmporta-
handicaps them with unnecessary {
and hardships. 1t clips their !
and holds them In restraint. THESE {
men also look with apprehension upon
manifest IN foreign countries. toward
American productions. because OF the ex- !
riusion Of foreign merchants and manu- !
from our they want
TO enlarge, not w. W
with the world. These men clatnor
for a genuine revision of the tarift. ana
me time hes come when the American .
should demand that the schedules
81 Inc existing law be revised; and de-
mand. too. that IL be done without pro-
rrastination. not in the interest OF trusts
and monopoiies, but solely In the public
interest. Monopolistic trust-made goods
be made to face the competition
Of the world.
country reasonably expect a tariff
REVISION? And what kind7 Since the
etose Of the civil war the tariff
schedules have been several times re
hut nearly always on a rising
.esie going higher and higher. Fcr
more than a generation we have oeen
under the operation Of a high tarlLf
with almost constantly aug
Tnenting rates of duty. INT present law,
known as the Dingley act, has been IN
cher 4 decade, II Is the