The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-21
The Consumer SwindIed by the Republi-
can Protective Tariff.
AMERICAN CONSUMERS
Has to Foot the Bill Going and Conn
ing-Necessities of Life Exported
to Europe and Then brought BACK,
Paying Duties to Manufactured
Iniquities of the Tariff.

IniQuities Of the Tariff.
1t will be recalled. says the Wash
ington correspondent of the State,
that in a recent Democratic national
campaign it was shown that Ameri-
can made goods are shipped to Eu-
rope, and there, after the freight
charges across the Atlantic ocean
have been paid, sold at little MOI
!ban half what is dem anded VI the
consumer in the United States. The
fact was used in the effort to per-
suade the American people that the
Republican tariff was robbing them.
They needed not the argument but
again entered the revision of the tar
lc to the Republican party.
But now there is evidence to prove
that some of the necessities of life
are being shipped from this country
where they are produced, to Europe,
freight paid across the ocean, then
purchased in Europe by American
buyers, freight paid across the ocean
again, and the tariff paid in addition,
the goods being sent back to this
country.
In other words, the prices OF some
Of the necessities Of life in this coun-
try are so high that it Is cheaper
to pay the tariff. plus the round trip
freight across the Atlantic. AMI hHy
the stuff in Europe, without and pro-
cess Of refinement or anything else
entering into the matter.
The trusts are so thoroughly pro
tected" that they make the American
buyer pay freight across the Atlantic
twice, plus a high tariff, and then
pay a profit to the trusts.
A Washington dealer In meats, in
discussing the reasons for the high
and advancing prices Of the goods
which he handles, says:
1T is not that there are no hogs.
There are thousands. Put the sup
ply Is regulated SO that the price Will
soar. ] know bakers in this city who
are now buying American made lard
in Europe, paying the duty, and
bringing it here to use, for mnch
less than they can buy the same arti-
Gle in American markets at whale
sale
Just enough pork Is allowed to
be sold in the United States to keep
I'D the prices. The remainder is
shipped abroad and sold at lower
prices. The prices are regulated
daily by the bosses OF the situation,
and the American people pay what
even is asked"
Some time ago. when the tell
dollar hog was common, bacon was
selling in Washington for % cents
a pound. Now the price Of hogs Oh
the hoof Is considerably lower than
$40 per hundred pounds: but Hacoa
is selling at 80 cents a pound.
Washington dealers declare ma!
the beef trust simply controls inc
| situation. Il forces down the price VI
! hogs, because it has to buy them
from the farmers; and it forces NJ
the price of meats. because it has tn
sell them.
Through the weapon Of the Repuo-
lican protective tariff, the trusts SIM
ply nullify the natural economic Ia"
of supply and demand, and y rs
stead recognize no law except hal u
their own inordinate greed
They force the farmer to take
whatever they offer him for his pro
ducts. and they force the consume
to pay whatever they demand FOL
their products
This is the view of the dea'eI
above quoted, and Of others In this
city, and perhaps in every other city
in the United States. MIR. Taft mas
said that the Payne-Aldrich tariff law
is the best ever enacted; and so il
is for the trusts.