The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-07-16
THE TARIFF.

The question OF IAIsAA NeA0ASN
always of necessity be one OF abiding ana
paramount interest. Taxation in what
ever form Il comes affects everybody:
| A tax is a burden imposed by Jaw any y
submitted to because presumably .s
necessary to the maintenance OF oroery
government, / have never been able 70
conceive of any just theory upon "nien
Taxation could be levied, except 10 pro-
duce a revenue to support the govern
ment Ii is automatic 10 say snas
| there should be equality IA sre o1p law.
Is a tax laid upon imports from toreish
Countries into the United States Tor CON
sumption here. The tax Is PAID py tne
Importer In the first instance, ana Is .neh
added as an item making up 'ns 'os ra
cost Of the article affected. In the emo
the purchaser who buys the article tor
consumption pays the tax. In o.ner
words. the tariff Is merely indirect IaN-
alton. l have said that the contronns
principle of just taxation should De 20
raise a needed revenue for pubic pur-
poses, and so levied as TO cast the PUT.
5en with the greatest possible eQuanty
unon all. III Incidentally the tax pro-
trcts domestic production against outsioe
competition, as OF course II Always oves
to the extent Of the tax II Is ,s al tae
from these fundamental rules OF legiu-
mate and Just taxation. The policy nov
long In vogue has been to impose tarII
duties not so much to raise revenue as
to close the door against foreign eompe.
tition in American markets, ana 70 give
N American producers a monopoly In sup.
nlying home consumption. ms ponvy
has been carried to an extreme IN tn,s
country, To such an extreme, lhueeu,
has AZ been carried, and so long Son-
tinued, that II has become an n.V Conn
binations which mercilessly plunoet Ine
neonie. The tariff, more than anytnns
eise' has made possible the organisauoh
OF those great Industrial trusts 80 u III
yersaily condemned, when, tnrousm rs sue
ton hut are able to crush domestic COM
petition also. These giant mon9po,ises
are 10 a large extent the outgrowtn, 'ne
progeny, OF our tariff system, ~
n matter of common knowledge tna' .ne
wealth Of the country Is LARGELY cyor,snd
that ali the fabulous fortunes possesseu
nv Americans are due to our pronloto,y
tariff. but 1 do contend that practicaiiy
ali the great Industrial monopoiies ms sis'
and flourish because OF II. Inc new ~
able tendency of this system Is 10 en-,
Courage the concentration of Industrial
effort' and hence the concentration Also
81 The nations wealth. More than that'
II enables the producer TO levy um ,.,ar
scionablc extortion upon the consu".ss. ~
1t IL known Iact hot ue . go cturea
are sold cheaper In foreign connIrisss
than AT home This Is true OF food proo-
nets clothing, Industrial implements,
steel rails and Substantially evsry.m,nas
else. The Chicago Journal. with ass,a-
cured prices on many staple articles pre-
vailing on the same day, potn AT hvme
and abroad The figures disclosed that
meat products from Omaha; ShlS ,a
and st. Louis. steel products from rus
burg, watches from New Ehsi hnos from
ST. Louis and Boston. and numerous
other products from many states were
found to have a market price In foreign
communities far below the price a.
which they were sold at home. Re S.h
ers a large shoe distributing house IN
London, stated that he had seen the
Identical American shoe which was pelng
sold in London at 1887 marketed az wv
in New York stores. With ready acumen
he observed that II there was a proft
on the price In London, then the proiit
in America is SO enormous that 1t serves
to explain why millionaires are as pientl-
ful in America as backberries IN Eng
land. Illustrations showing like discrim-
nations in numerous articies coulu ve
serve no intelligent purpose. Suffice II
ence in prices between the home and
foreign markets ranges from about %
to 40 per cent in favor of the latter. Inc
advocates of the present tariff. wniie
American products put forth the plea
that the things sold abroad represeht
only a surplus of production above the
needs of our own market. In other
words, the contention is that our manu-
obliged 70 unload their surplus products,
i 70 nv m m tn ~ h 9aEsam
pueriie. 1t implies that the policy OF our
is to produce ior tne
home market only. and not Tor export.
II that be true, then they overproauce
every year, which they are forced to
send abroad because presumably 1t would
60 to waste II kept at home. That Is an
do not believe It.. III 1t
were true that our manufacturers, VINO
are trained, disciplined and alert busi-
ness men, produced only fol. the home
market. and not primarily for foreign
they would not annually pro.
duce surplus so enormous. There ISM
a manufacturer In the United states
who cannot approximately anticipate the
only for the home market It Is an abb
surdity to say that he would year after
year 60 far beyond its probable demand
and continue to produce, knowing tnat
he would be obliged to export the over
plus for sale at loss: 1t Is positively
foreign market as he does for the home
market, and he ships abroad because he
Is attracted by the profit he obtains. He
sells cheaper In the foreign market only
because competition compels MIN to,
tractive for him to seek 1t. 1t Is only
on the tariff ridden American that mo-
nopoly fattens. The bulk OF our import
ant industries have fallen into the hands
of combinations. These combinations,
of the domestic markets and
are enabled to charge American con-
sumers higher prices than they can OBJ
tain abroad in the face Of competition;
hence they have two scales OF prtces-a
high one for the home market ana a
do not believe this to be
a healthy economic and industrial con-
dition, to say nothing OF Its honesty. 1t
is amazing to me that the great con-
Stunning population Of the states would
submit for day to its continuance;
Not only are consumers interested In
this question, but manufacturers also.
who still survive the trusts and who
are not yet affiliated with them. There
are many. patriotic. enterprising men
better opportunities to expand their
business and exploit the commerce Of
other countries. There are materials
produced abroad which they need in the
conduct of their business, and the en-
ormous tariff laid upon their importa-
lions handicaps them with unnecessary
burdens and hardships. 1t clips their
wings and holds them in restraint. These
men also look with apprehension upon
the growing hostility, more and more
manifest in foreign countries, toward
American productions because OF the ex-
clusion Of foreign merchants and manu-
facturers from our markets. They want
to enlarge, not restrict, our trade rela-
lions with the world. These men clamor
for genuine revision of the tariff. And
the time has como when the American
people should demand that the schedules
of the existing Law. be revised; and de-
mand, too. that It be done without pro-
crastination. not In the interest Of trusts
and monopolies. but solely in the public
interest. Monopolistic trust-made goods
should be made to face the competition
of the world.
When, under republican auspices, can
the country reasonably expect . tart6
revisioni Ard what kindf Since the
acheduien hayo been nevornl timen re-