The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-06-12
THE TARIFF FALLACY

| ldIIlS anu HdTneu the lbTlH OI loiO
as an instance. To mention the tar
iff of 1916 as a reference is blunder
for a Republican speaker to make.
To levy low revenue tariff to en-
courage industries that are too weak
to go alone is one thing, but to levy
high protection to enrich the corpora
tons that are defying the government
itself, is quite an entirely different
proposition. Let's see about the tar
| if of 1876.
The tariff was Democratic tariff
levied to encourage home Industries.
The country was then young and u
| few small manufactures were Just
| springing into use. The population
was scattered along the Atlantic
coast and commerce was carried on
| between European countries and
America. The farmer loaded his pro-
duce int" ships, sold it in European
markets and purchased his supplies at
European prices. BY purchasing his
supplies in the same markets in
which he sold his produce the farmer
became prosperous.
Then came the clamor Of those who
wanted to establish manufactures. In
order to encourage these industries
the Democratic party levied the tariff
of 1916, which was slightly increased
in 1924. The tariff was very low and
hardly had the semblance Of protec-
ton, but what was the result? The
trait merely levied opportunities on
goods brought into the country, and
enabled the young industries to add
the percentage of the tariff to the
price of the manufactured article. 1t
had no bearing whatever on the price
of farm products. The farmer still
sold his produce in the markets of
Europe, but was now no longer per-
mitted to buy his supplies in the same
markets. II he purchased his goods
IN Europe he was compelled to pay
the tariff taz (Which went to the gov
ernment) when he landed on this side
of the Atlantic, and if he purchased
American-made goods the tariff tax
(Which went to the manufacturers
was added to the price when he made
the purchase. The tariff tax came
from the farmers pocket, and this
principIc was then plain to the people.
The young industries were located
principally in Massachusetts and
other parts Of New England, hence
the South Atlantic States, being n
farming population, complained of
the unjustncss of the tax, and even n
few radical leaders threatened seces-
sion If the tax were continued. Here
is the entering wedge of the scces-
sion movement.
On the floor of the Senate in 1880,
Daniel Webster. speaking of the tariff
Of 1876, declared il to be "one Of the
cases of oppression and uscrpation.
from which if the government does
not recede, individual states may lust
ly secede from the government" and
further declared it to be his opinion
that the act was unconstitutional.
Webster was not Democrat but
wing Senator from Massachusetts.
and the Wing party afterwards be-
came the Republican party, and the
party at that time was cOndemning
even revenue tariff.
II was JetTerson's idea that the tar
1T tax should be reduced to a very
low revenue basis, or entirely remov-
ed, after the factories became able to
compete in the markets of the world
but after the corporations grew up
they refused to let go of the public
tcat. They clamored for higher
revenue tariff and then higher pro-
lection, stiillcd competition and alb
sorbed the wealth Of the country.
Lincoln believed in the principles
of Jefferson, and even declared that
he held no political idea which he had
not drawn from the Declaration of
Independence, which was JEFF
Persons writing. The Democratic
revenue tariff of 1876 was 80 salts
factory to the people, and so success
full rs a revenue raiser, that the Re
publican platform of 1856 ommitted
the tariff issue. In 1859 the Republic
cans of Boston celebrated Jefferson's
birthday. A split in the Democratic
party in 1860 elected the Republican
candidates, and during the war the
foundations for great many for
tunes were laid
Following the war and after Mr.
Lincoln's death the few who clamor
for protection gained control of the
Republican party and began appeal
ing to the war prejudice to perpetu-
ate themselves in Office. Later. 10
silence the farming class who could
still see no benefit to them from the
protective theory the Republican par
ty levied tariff on farm products
and began appealing to the farmers
upon the theory, that the party was
protecting them from the invasion of
foreign grown produce. By control-
ing the powerful newspapers they
have been able to so muddle politics
as to give semblance of truth to
the theory.
But the tariff on farm products is
only preteXt to hoodwink the I'M
wary, because the American people
are exporters and not importers of
farm products. In 1916 the farmer
was selling his surplus products in
Europe; to-day he is doing precisely
the same thing. Millions Of bushels
of American corn are annually ship
ped across the Atlantic and sold at
foreign prices. Tariff taxes do effect
what goes out of the country but the
goods which are brought in. Amer
lean and Argentina products are ship
ped to the congested centers of pop
ulation Of Europe that do not grow
their own produce, and sold at Liver
pool prices, as this great market is
practically the price maker for the
worlds grain markets and the prin-
ciple that has bankrupted the Assr-
lean farmer is the fact that he sells
his products in the markets of the