The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-09-04
THE TARIFF AND THE FREE List

THE TARIFF AND THE FREE LIST
The National Farmer aud ~stoekgrower
Of st. Louis, Mo-, discusses the tariff
question AZ 1t concerns the producer
IL this country in a very satisfactory
manner, according to our way Of think
ing about IL. The are so
plain and sensible that we can't help
but understand the Importance Of the
principal Of protection as 1t concerns the
farmer and the stock grower. That
paper says:
In our opinion, sufficient customs
duties should be imposed upon all for
eign productions entering this country,
that the citizens Of the United States
shall be at NO disadvantage In our own
markets in competition with these for.
cign importations, This applies equally
to raw materials and to manufactured
goods.
The producer Of grain, or hides or
cattle, In South America should not
be permitted 10 sell his productions
in the United States until those pro
ductions have paid the United States
government an import tax at least equal
90 the state and federal taxes which
the American producer has to pay In
one forz or other, upon the grains, hides
and cattle which he produces and sells.
We believe that people who are agi.
tating for the purpose Of doing away
with tarin duties that furnish thu
United States government three hun.
dred and thirty million dollars a year
never think Of the consequences. when.
ever any foreign material that IL in
competition with our own products IL
admitted duty free il fostering the
foreign industry on the one hand and
iniuring the industry Of the American
citizen on the other, besides creating a
deficiency in government revenues which
the injured American citizen has 20
make up in addition to the taxes he for.
merly paid. Placing foreign goods on the
free list empties the government cash
box without reducing the government
expenditures, and rs the foreigner can
not be taxed by us in his " country
aud we pass his goods In free Of tax.
alton, our W people must except the
burden In whichever shape II assumes
We hope that our readers will not as
sumo that the government car get along
without an abundance Of money. The
taxing powers Of the city. state and
federal governments are exercised with
amazing rec~klessness. Economy in gov.
eminent expenditure was never even
seriously considered until the national
government was in the hole a hundred
million dollars, The city and state
governments are constantly increasing
t%axtion. and the reckless and wasteful
expenditures continue without check.
There are propositions now before the
nation that call for hundreds Of millions
Of dollars with as little concern a.
though they were calling for ten.cent
pieces. The government needs money.
and II II is not obtained from taxing
the foreign productions, IL will have to
come from direct taxes on home produc.
tions, and 1; will reach the people elias
sed a. the ultimate consumer"
The cry against legitimate tariff on
e.rafVp R,aNartala l. 80 a.a.sg. -.
Neither is II based upon true political
economy. There can be no more pa.
triotic purpose in connection with the
imposition Of customs duties than that
which protects the t~ax.phying American
citizen against the foreigner who pays
this government nothing. II IL not
enough that foreign goods can he de.
livered at American ports in ships at
less cost for transportation than Ameri
can productions can he Brought from
the interior 20 the coas, by rail-which
Is a distinct advantage to the foreigner
but people advocate that the Ameri
can goods, which have paid tar TO state
and national governments, shall De In
competition with foreign goods which
pay no taxes In this country. The pur.
pose Of government is TO protect Ameri.
can producers In every way; and the
so-called free list il misplaced protec.
ton In favor Of the foreigner.
For the srst time farmers have their
interests placed in jeopardy. They have
been told that they were never protect.
ed. But they were. The free trade in
raw material movement intends 20 re.
move the duties from grain, wool, hides,
cattle, and meats, vegetables, butter and
eggs. We advise farmers TO look out
for South American grain and for stock.
men 20 look out for South American
. and hides. Take down the Gus.
tom house bars and the productions
they are sending from South America
to London and Liverpool will arrive
at New Orleans ans New York. South
America raises immense food production
without a population to eat them-their
export surplus is so per cent Of their
total productions. Look out for them
and make them pay duties on grain,
hides. and cattle, TO equAlize their tar.
paying standing with our own.
There IL some talk as 10 who pays
the tariff duties, but there Is no ques.
tion as to who gets the money. Uncle