The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-11-01
Vote for Tariff Reform.

When you vote for your represen- !
tative in Congress November8 you
are virtually voting on the tariff issue
and high prices. Of course, you de-
sire that your vost shall count to re-
duce the present high cost of living,
and you know that the present high
tariff is chief cause of the present
high prices.
Every Democratic candidate for
Congress is for tariff reform. The
national Democratic position lis for a
tariff to produce enough revenue to
provide the government with neces-
sary funds and not for the purpose OF
protection. Any tariff, however low
the rate may be, protects the home
manufacturer to the extent of the
tax. If the tariff tax is only ten per
cent on some article, the cost of I'M
porting that article is increased by
that much in addition to the profit that
the importer adds on the tariff tax
which he pays, the cost of transpor-
tation and the charges added, on which
the importer also adds his profit.
For instance: A razor is imported
which costs fifty cents in England on
which the duty was increased in the
present tariff law from Sc per cent to
"a per cent. The importer pays so
cents to the English manufacturer and
when the razor arrives in New York,
before he can get it out of the custom
house he must pay the tariff of 81 per
cent, or AZ cents, also the freight and
charges-about three cents more.
That brings the cost of the razor to
the importer here to $1.00. He then
adds his profit of 20 per cent making
the price S1.20 TO the wholesale deal
er, and by the time the razor is sold
to the consumer or user the profits OF
! the different hands through which it
passes will have added thirty cents
more making the price $1.50.
But if the razor had been manufac-
tured in this country the wholesale
and retail profit would have been add
ed as on the imported razor; so, take
the cost of $l.20 for which the foreign
made razor was sold to the wholesaler
and we find that the tariff has added
20 cents or 140 per cents on the origi-
nal cost of so cents. But leaving out
the freight and charges of three cents,
which would be paid if there was no
tariff, the tariff tax would be reduced
to 67 cents. or l34 per cent which is
tne real percentage cost of the tariff
on razor instead of 81 per cent
which the government charges.
The same proportional increase in
price is added to all of the nearly our
thousand articles taxed by the tariff.
but in most cases there would have to
be added much greater percentage
on account of freight on articles that
are heavier than razors. 1t is there
fore plain that the American manu-
facturer of razors can add nearly l34
per cent to his profits and still under
sell the foreign razor manufacturer.
for it is fair to estimate that the
foreign and the home manufacturer
make about the same profit on the
cost of manufacturing.
DO you think that the razor manu-
facturer needs such enormous pr0tec-
tion and profit as the razor example
shows? Or is there any other indus
try-now in its infancy-in this coun-
t.y that needs the high protection
which the Republican party has given
in the present sccalled revised tariff?
If, after careful consideration, you
believe that the tariff law was enacted
to plumber you for the benefit of the
combinations and trusts which now
mostly control our manufacturing
business you will be helping your own
pocket by being sure that you vote for
those to represent you who will enact
treal tariff reform.
The tariff issue is matter of tax
alton and the question is, how high
shall the taxes be? So don't allow
the Republican newspapers and spell
binders to befog the issue with their
plea that the farmers and workingmen
must be protected by the tariff, be-
cause the chief benefciaries of the
tariff are the trusts to whom we pay
the larger share of the tax.