The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-05-11

pei the great industries in this country to
sell always, whether they are running long
or short, at the same price to all buyers,
whether for home or forei on trade Then it
Mr.. Fordney's supply shall be greater than
the demand at high prices, let him lower his
prices; and if his supply at the lowest price
at which he can proftably cut lumber becomes
greater than the demand, let him stop cut
ting What right, Mr.. Chairman, has the
lumber king to demand of YOU and me that
we pay him more than we could buy his own
lumber for anywhere else than in our own
country?
[ want to tell you, however, what the
largest cattle grower in my county said to me.
My county has little more than $4,000 in
habitants. This gentleman, discussing with
me the duty on hides, said that he rendered
600 head of cattle for taxes. He said that if
the tax remained on hides and the cattemen
got all the benefit of it, it would probably
amount to so cents per head, or $780, to him.
He also stated there was not over 300 men
IN the county whose cattle possession would
average 20 head. This would make 5000
cattle belonging to 300 men, and the raised
price for their benefit would amount to
$4,000. "Now." he said, IF they got the
money, who had to pay it," He thought the
tanner could not lose it, so when he bought
the hide he would charge it up when he sold
the leather to the shoemaker and harness
maker, and he would also have to have some
profit or 90 broke-that the harness man and
shoe man would not lose it; that they would
have to charge it up when they sold it to the
man, woman, or boy who wore the shoes or
used the harness-and so he said he thought
the people who would ultimately pay him
the $500 and the 800 small cattlemen their
$40 each would be those $4,000 people of my
county; and he finished by saying that he had
no right to take this money from his people
or make them give it to him and that he was
not a beggar or object Of charity. Mr.. Chair
man, this plain statement that the ultimate
consumer paid the tax, or the increased price
by reason of the tax, was the teaching Of
every Democrat or professed Democrat until
two years ago. The Republicans used to
claim that the foreigner paid the tax on all
imported goods, but even he never claimed
that anybody but the ultimate consumer ever
paid the increased price paid the home pro-
ducer by reason of the tax. Even the high
tariff Republican has too much sense and con-
science to deny that the original cost of any
article must be carried on through it's few
or many stages of manufacture to transfer
and finally unloaded on the ultimate con-
sumner. This has been Democratic teaching
for over 40 years, but two years ago leader
of certain following among Democrats an
nounced a new doctrine, to wit, that some
where between the producer and the con-
sumner this increase of price to the producer
was absorbed and did not affect the price paid
by the consumer. This new doctrine is
neither Democratic nor true but it is pro
fessed by every so-called Democrat who has
some special interest or industry that he
wishes to favor or help rob the people.
[ want to be perfectly fair however TO this
school of Democracy, and I grant that where