Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-09-03

begins by proposing that articles which
come into competition with articles
controlled by trust be placed on the
free list What better E@lce to begin.
Years ago Mr.. Havemeyer. the head
of the sugar trust, said that the tariff
was the mother of trusts. and her chill
dlren are many. Secretary Taft in his
notification speech says that an ex
cessive tariff serves no useful purpose.
'but offers a temptation to those who
would monopolize the production and
the sale of such articles in this coun-
try to profit by the excessive RATE
Now. suppose the manufacturers
who have been favored By legislation
do conspire against the public and en-
ter into a monopoly What penalty do
the Republicans suggest? None what
ever. These men are to be consulted
about proposed changes. and If the next
Republican tariff is made like former
Republican tariffs nothing will be done
without the unanimous consent of the
beneficiaries
What would be the effect of the
remedy proposed by the Democratic
platforms Simply this: A law goes
into effect at some fixed date in the
future. and if the Democrats pass a
law putting upon the free list articles
coming into competition with those con-
trolled by trust the trust will have
until that date to dissolve. Ii the trust
considers the law too drastic it can
avoid it by giving up it's monopoly
The Poor Bear the Burden.
The second step in the reduction of
the tariff is material reduction upon
the necessities of life. especially upon
goods competing with such American
manufactures as are sold abroad more
eheaply than at home" At present the
articles used by the poor bear a higher
rate ad valorem than the articles used
by the rich. This statement can be
verified by an examination of any of
the schedules. A tax upon consump-
ton even when laid with absolute i'm
Partially, bears heaviest upon the
poor, because our necessities are much
more uniform than our possessions
People do not eat III proportion TO theft
income; they do not wear clothing in
proportion to their income. they do not
use taxed goods III proportion to their
income. As all taxes must come out
of ones income. no matter through
what system levied or collected they
are, in effect. income taxes. and taxes
on consumption are really graduated
income taxes, the largest per cent be-
ing collected from those with the
smallest income and the smallest per
cent from those with the largest in
come. 1t is only fair, therefore, that
in an attempt to relieve the people
from the iniquities of high tariff the
poor, who are overburdened, should be
given first consideration
Surely no one will object to a reduc-
ton being made upon articles which
come into competition with American
manufactures which are sold abroad
more clleaply than at home Tie Amer
lean manufacturer who sends his goods
to foreign lands and there, without
any protection whatever, completes
successfully with the manufacturers of
all the world does not need high tar
if to meet competition i'll the home
market And there are enough articles
sold abroad at low price to assure a
large advantage to the American con
sumers through the carrying out of
this one plank.
Mr. Taft, however, finds the great
est alarm in the following clause in
our platform:
Gradual reductions should be made
in such other schedules as may be nee
essary to restore the tariff to a revenue
basis"
He regards this threatened departure
from the protective system as fatal.
We are here brought face TO face with
the theoretical difference between the
positions of the two parties on the sub
ject of tariff The Democratic party
the protection 1t gives being incidental:
the Republican party regards a tariff
law as framed primarily for protection
the revenue being incidental As the
effect of a given rate on a particular
article is the same whether levied for
the purpose of revenue or for the pur-
pose of protection. it may be well to
define the difference between a revenue
tariff and a protective tariff. A rev
enue tariff is so framed as to collect
q revenue, and you stop when you get
enough: protective tariff may be so
framed as TO collect but little revenue
and yet lay heavy burden upon the
people. and you never know when TO
stop To Illustrate tariff may be
made so high as to absolutely prohibit
Importation. If in such a case the
manufacturers yield to the temptation
mentioned by Mr. Taft and combine to
take advantage Of the duty the consum-
ers will be heavily taxed, and yet none
of the money will reach the treasury
All Taxed to Benefit a Few.