Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-03-13
LUXURY, NEED AND THE TARIFF

Says the St Louis Globe Democrat, in de- fense of the protective tariff system as it is ap- piled by the republican party: ''The greatest amount of revenue is placed on the luXuries and is paid by the rich"
 That is easy to say, but harder to prove. And even if it susceptible of proof, it wouldn' t reveal the whole story.
 For the issue of the tariff is not based upon the amount of revenue derived from it, or even from what sources that revenue is raised. The real issue is the cost of the tariff to the people of this country, and whether that cost is not wholly out of the proportion to the admitted benefits of the tariff.
 The cost of the tariff and the revenues de- rived from it are two very different things.
 In many cases the tariff is prohibitive, and there is no revenue at all. Yet though the gov ernment gets no revenue, the people pay the cost just the same, because the protected manu- lecturers combine behind the tariff wall which insures them against foreign competiton to throttle domestic competition and raise prices to the unjust height permitted by the prohib- itive tariff
 It is estimated that the cost of the tariff to the American people is from $3,O00,O00000 to $5,000,0 100000 year. Taking the lower figure, which is unquestionably too low it is an enorm- ous charge to pay for the doubtful benefits of protection.
 Out of that tremendous charge upon the peo- pie but little over $500 0000 900 year gets into the public treasury. The remainder comes out of the pockets of the people and goes into the bank accounts of the beneicaries of the tariff special privilege. Even if all the tariff revenue were paid by the rich on their luxuries it would be small item, for it isn't the revenues that count, but the total cost. It is not hard to un- derstand the high cost of living when it is realized that to the cost of everything they need to feed, cothe, shelter and warm themselves the American people must add enough to make up that enormous tribute of $3,OO0000,00O to $5,000,0 0,000,000 a year which is to the cost of them of the protective tariff system.
 Just word as to the statement of the Globe Democrat that ''the greatest amount of revenue is placed on the luxuries and is paid by the rich" In 1908 the revenues derived from the tariff amounted to $329, 110915.39.
 Of that total only $6S, ,939,95748 came from liquors, tobacco, jewelry, precious stones, silks and automobiles; and nearly as much, or $6O,- 33S,523.31 was derived from sugar and mo- lasses Though President Taft has assured the people that the tariff on food products does not affect their price because this is the greatest food-exporting nation in the world, the tariff yielded $19, ,181 ,915.95 from duties on agricul- tural products and provisions. Metals and of metals yielded $22,000000l more and wool and manufactures of wool yield ed $37 ,OOOOOO And these figures represent but a small fraction of the cost of the tariff on these necessary commodities.
 About one-fourth of the tariff revenue is de- rived from luxuries, and the rest from neces- sities And of the $3,000000,000 which the tar if cost the American people above the rev. enues it yields, much more than 75 per cent comes from the actual necessaries of life
 "When one play can run six weeks in a stock