Monopolies -- United States; Railroads and state -- United States
thirty-five to sixty-three per cent. For almost every article of
clothing worn by man, woman, and child, a duty must be paid. The average
is about forty-five per cent on the value. Prices are nearly uniform for
the same classes of goods, whether of foreign or domestic manufacture.
On imported articles the tariff is paid to the government; on domestic
manufactures the duty is paid to the manufacturer. This system compels
the poor man to contribute more than his fair proportion to protect the
already rich manufacturer. To illustrate this, let us suppose that A is
worth $500,000, and has a family of four to clothe, while B, who has
nothing but his industry, and perhaps a small homestead, has a family of
eight dependent upon him (as a general rule, the poor man has the larger
family). Both families must be clothed and fed; each must contribute to
the manufacturer the same rate of protection. The man with his half
million in property and family of four will probably purchase as much
for his family as the poor man will for his family of eight; each
expends for his family during the year, for clothing, say four hundred
dollars. If the duty on the purchases average forty per cent, each pays
for the support of the government and to protect home manufactures the
sum of $160.00. The sweat and toil of the poor man contributes just as
much as the rich man's half-million. Or, suppose A is a man without
family, and has great wealth, and B is dependent upon the product of a
small farm for the support of himself and family. A spends for clothing
$200.00, while B is obliged to expend $400.00 for clothing his family.
Here the labor of the poor man pays twice as much as the capital of the
rich man to protect home industry and support the government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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