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The Protectionist Robbery Illustrated

The Protectionist Robbery Illustrated image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
October
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Thu Fpllowing is oiie of the best plauks in the Ilochtster Demooratie platform, to whicb üofTman and lioach are plodged: Setotoeet, TTriit oWr taVüTthities, like all taxc., shoald have only 'the lawflll purpo.se of o toni u-i r# 'thu ïreeessary revcmie; and tfcat tïse present svstem oí "fiivoritism," ntlscalled "protection," i.s simpiy a robber; o(" tlie people, aml that, except In so far as the legitímate expenses ol the govenwent muy otberwiae reqnlre, free trude fa the true pollcy of the counwy. Is the word "ro&bery," so oonppicuously used fn fhis fesolution, too titioiijr, or sí fairít ? Let the votora of ibis State examine the following plflin statisticftl statemeat, aud then judgo for tbemseire. Iu 1859, according to the official statement in the last report of Connnissioner Wells, pnge 51, tlie price of l#-4 woolen blatikets w;ib 8.50 a pair. The ptice n 1869 was fur the sanie kiud f blankets, and is at this present dalo, 5.50 a pa'r. Both iu 1859 and 1870 Uie prioe quoted is for a douiestic Holland bl;iuket. No-w, then, wtiy síiould a pair of thoae blankels be $2 dollars dcarer to-day thau eleven years ago V The price of wool g lower in pnper currency to-day thsin it was in gol'l in 1859. Wool beiog the raw material and a doiDegtieprodurt, the dêpreciation of curreiiey cunüt by noy means ;ipply. ïhe great f'raiul, the sund thrown in our ejes by monopoly, is tbc higher price of waes. VVell, thon, we are pirepared to go into this cjueslioa etatislically. It is jtated by Wauket jiaakers that the cost of protiiii-rng a pair of Manken in the Uuited Slatfs is "qual to ihe cost of the raw material (iu Eoglaod it is mucli Iets). Well, tlitn, tlm imreiee of' w n ges in the woolon milis in LSfO ovi r that of 1859 80, as ofiioialiy given by the Uflited States U-un au of btati8;ics, is 60 per cent We iburefore jbuiit the followñg table : Custof npair of 10J Holland Wankel In 'S, $3.30 Costur apairui M)-4 llDllnnd llunUela In '!ü. R.íO Coat of raw material lo 1S5S 1.T6 Cost of raw maloiial iu 1S7O 1.15 C'ost of labor in 1859 1.76 Cost of labor, 6" percent ailvnnoe In 1870 .... v.80 Net amuuot M luonnvoly rubbcry, 84 üa(a psS pair. We iefy experta or munaaotnrers, moDODolÍMa or their hirod and uuliirt-d apologista, to refute tliese figure. Tbey prove that after uil allowanoes for thu aerease of wagps the people ure lubbed by an outrngeous ruciriopoly of nearly one-fjfth of Iheir ubstance whencver they boy a pair of iilafeíeto. iJut wby can buch a tliíng be practioeil, when wc are only a twelve tlays' voyage froni u country that Wil] sell us thu 65. 50 blankets for 82 50 gok! ? It is simply the result of the tariff, uhii.li laya a duty of 145 per cent. on foreigo b.'ankots. But the deoeivtre &f the pcople will say it yon reduce the duty on blankets you virtually repndiate tbe national debt. Judge then for yonrselvcs, you voters wto have a voïce in this matter : Amount of blaiikclp irapnrted in the vears ISCO and 1S70, from tbc official report of the Bureau of Stalirttics, pafte 475. Importali.ns in 1809 ! 4,788 Importationsin 1870 21, 95a Estimated amount cunstnued annnully, 15,00ü,000 Tberefore it can officially be stated that the revenas derired from blankets isa ridiculou8 paltry tweoty or twentyfive Ihousatid dollars, and that only for the most luxurious kind, iunsmuch as blankets pay duty by the pound and ad valorem. The eostlier and finer a pair of blankets is the less duty in proportiou does it pny. Cau volers wiio have large families and slender uieaiis, sthen in this cold wealbtfr tbe poor paterfxin iliéw wonld gladly give to his little onefthe luxury of an nddhionnl p;ïr of blankcts - can sueh volers, we ask, give their support to men who impugn the tar iff r solution in the lïoabosttr plntforiu?

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus