The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-25

These things do not happen by
chance. 1t does not happen by chance
that prices are and have been rising
faster here than In any other coun-
Canada divides W from much cheap
Or living, Notwithstanding that the
Canadian parliament leyies duties on
Expectations.
Bat '.Ahl" exclaim those who do
not understand what IL going. on,
you VIII ruin the country with your
tree trade? Who said free trAdsf
Who proposed free trade? You can't
have free trade IN the United States,
states ID OF necessity, with our
present division OF the fisld OF taxa
ton between the federal and State
governments. supported In large part
by the duties collected at the ports.
] should like TO ask some gentleman
II very much Is collected In the way
OF duties ut tho ports under tho par
they operate. Some Of the duties ara
practically prohibitivo, and there u
no tArin to be got from them.
When You buy an imported article
you pay . part Of the price TO the
federal government in the form OF
customs duty. But. AZ . rule. what
you buy 10 not the imported article.
but domestic article. the price Of
which the manufacturer has been
higher than. tho price Of tho foreign
article. plus the duty.
But who gets the tariff tax In this
case? The government? Oh. no. not
at all. ). The manufacturer. Tho
American manufacturer. who says
that while he can't sell goods ~ low
~ the foreign manufacturer, all good
- h,,xy ~ ~ -
pay him tax on every article for the
privilege.
Perhaps we ought. The original
IDEA was that, when he was Just
starting and needed support, we ought
to buy of him. even II we had to pay
= higher price. till he could get on
his feet. Now 1t In said that we ought
to buy Of him and pay him . price
Is TO 100 per cent higher than we
need pay the foreign manufacturer,
even IL he Is a six-foot bearded Elm
FAINT" because the cost II produc-
ton il necessarily higher here than
anywhere else.
l don't know why II should be.
The American wofkingman used to be
able to do 30 much more and better
work than the foreigner that that
more than compensated for his higher
wages and made him q good bargain
ut any wage,
OF course. IL we are going to agree
TO give any feilow-citfzen who takes
q notion to so into some business or
other for which the country is not
especially adapted-if We are going to
give him bonus on every article he
produces big enough to make up for
. the handicap he labors under because
why. we may indeed gIoriously diver
sify our Industries. but we shall beg
gar ourselves.
On this principle we shall have IN
Connecticut or Michigan, or some
where else, miles of lighthouses in
which thousands OF happy American
werkingmen. with fun dinner pals.
will be raising bananas---to be sold at
. quarter apiece. Some foolish per-
might Thirdly suggest that bananas
were . greater public blessing when
they came from Jamaica and were
three for a nickel. but what patriotic
citizen would listen for q moment to
the criticisms Of n person without any
conception OF the beauty and glory OF
the great american banana industry.
without realization OF the proud sig
uificAnce Of the fact that Old Glory
floats over tho biggest banana hot
houses In the world!
But that II = matter on one side.
What am trying to point out to you
now II that this protective" tArtff.
Oo-cAlled, has become n means OF foa-
tsring the growth Of particular groups
Of Industry 1T tho expense Of the eco
nomic vitality OF the rest OF the cour-
Try.
very practical thing indeed. They pro-
pose to unearth these special privileges
ANA to cut them out OF the tartfk.
They pfopoee not to leave 4 single
concealed private advantage in tho
statutes CONCERNING the duties that
can possibly b sradicated without AZ
fecting the part Of the business that
ID sound and legitimate and which We
al wish to zee promoted.
1om6 Insn talk ~ II tho tarifr-re-
formers, ~ II the Democratic weren't
Part OF the United States. met Z
lady tho either day. not an elderly
lady, who said to me with pride:
why, have been . Democrat ever
since they hunted them with dogs"
And you would really suppose. to hear
some men talk, that Democrats were
outlaws and did not share tho life Of
why. Democrats constitute nearly
one half the voters OF this country.
They are engaged In al sorts OF en-.
terprises, big and little. There isn't,
y Walk Of 1ife Or = kind az occupation
Ia which you wont and them: and ~
Philadelphia paper very wtttily said
the other dny. they can't commit eco
nomic murder without committing
6cunorzfc suicide. DO ycu tsippuse.
therefcre. that half VI the population
Of thA United States II going about to
destroy the very foundation Of our
econosnic life BY simply running
amuck amid tho schedules OF the
tArifk9
some or the schedules Ars % tough
that they wouldn't be hurt II It did.
Hut that isn't the program. and any.
body Who sAys thAt Il = amply doesn't
understnnd the situation 1t AL. All
fhnt TIC tariff reformers claim u this:
That the pArttsanshir ought to be big
Ger than II u. Just becauae there arc
- many 81 them they know how many
~ outside. And let ma taai yous Just
= nany republicans are outside.
The only thing have A9aints my
pr0toctioniot fellow-citisenn y that
fh1y heve allowed themselves 70 ~
'iraposgd upon - many yearM Think
AZ uAylne that the protective" tar
II u ~ 10 t6ncfit c4 the Moxking-
- N ~ M nreaeucs of III th0ae 1acta
tl1k Aave Inst Desn disclose4 y IAw-
rSunoI 80 yl13xp thu WORT echedulo
a NJ schedule operAtee TO-