Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-07-09
GOV WILSON AND
HE~TARIFFISSUE

+ class of people is enriched or helped
at the expense of any other class!
The sad truth is that for a century
the Republicans and their predeces-
sors have robbed the people for the
benefit of the manufacturers. The
rich have been made richer at the
expense of the poor.
1t is sometimes said that the tariff
adds new industries to the country.
1t does not. In the above illustration
it has been shown that the tariff sup
ports the wool industry. If the tariff
on wool were removed of course the
wool industry would die, But every
American citizen would say ten dol
lars a year on every suit purchased.
Assuming that the population Of this
, country is 80, 000,0 600 and that each
person buys one suit annually,
there would be an annual saving by
the people of 5000, 100000. This
sum, instead of going to the pro-
ducers Of wool, would be placed in
our banks and thus invested in yari-
gus industries Cotton, steel, rail-
tFoads, farming, engineering, e%lectri-
Zeal pursuits, building, etc. in which
the foreigners can not and never
could compete with us. This $780,
900, 900 would still be invested. 1t
would still employ labor. The only
difference Is that it would be invest
ed by it's real owners, the men who
earned it, instead Of being stolen
from It's rightful owners and invested
in a protected wool industry We
would then have, not less industries,
but different Observation-Disclosures
that can support themselves without
the assistance of a tariff.
The really important effect of the
tariff, therefore, is to take from the
American people money which they
otherwise would save and invest in
certain industries, and compel them
to hand 1t over, In the form of~an in
creased price, to other industr1es~ta
which they have no interest. The
tariff does not create or maintain in
dustries, as Is so commonly supposed.
1t merely draws capital from the
pockets OF its owners and forces 1t
artifcially into specially favored in
dustries. It takes money from me
and gives 1t to you. It protects your
industry at the expense of mine. 1t
takes my money from me without
due process of law and hands 1t over
to you for the support of you and
your favored industry. your indus
try fourishes atHthe expense of mine,
instead of mine. You make profit
and interest on money which ought
to be mine. Your pockets are lined
with my earnings. And If I advocate
the removal Of the tariff you tell me
that I am an enemy of the country.
You call me a mere theorist with no
practical business ideas. You tell
me that my tariff ideas are radical
and destructive, and will overthrow
the business prosperity Of the Il
try. Said LIQUIDS XIV. when the peo-
pie asked that the mobiles be taxed
as we'll as they, Your folly is great
or than your taxes
I have often heard Republicans
argue that II all industries are equal
ly protected all will be well. That
is, If ] am employed in a steel mill,
and you are in the wool industry,
and have to pay ten dollars extra
to you when I buy clothes, all Is
made fadr when you buy steel. be-
cause then l shall get my ten dollars
back again. II one robbery 5ustifles
another this Is a good argument. But
the difficulty Is that all people are
not equally protected. AS a school
teacher and embryo lawyer 1 have