Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1888 — THE PROTECTION OF MONOPOLY. [ARTICLE]

THE PROTECTION OF MONOPOLY.

Some Startling; Statistics Furnished by Senator Colquitt of Georgia. In'a speech before the Senate of the United States last week, Senator Colquitt of Georgia submitted tne following: We should have a table showing in tabulated form all the details and items, the relative consumption of dutiable goods, imported and domestic, the prices abroad and at home, and the difference of cost. The biggest department of the Government might well be devoted to information on the subject of the costliest work of the Government—the protection of monopoly. What if it should cost more than the census, more than the collection of taxes? But it would cost little. The tribute is vastly more important than the taxes. It is levied year by year. An estimate will be worth its cost a hundred fold, as it may save in one year the cost of a hundred. Such an estimate, in considerable detail, for the year 1882, was made by the Hon. William M. Springer and published in the North American Review of June, 1883. Fulfilling the neglected duty of Government, with intelligent and patriotic interest, he employed an expert for some months

in compiling the information embodied in the table hereto appended, which he derived from the reports of the census, the Statistical Bureau, etc., and from the best financial sources, with correspondence and personal interviews. The table shows the tribute paid by class to class. It is a work of great labor and value. The total tribute, according to his estimate, was $556,000,000; the increased price was about 22 pe cent, which is about half the average rate of duty. This does not include waste, enhanced price of neglected natural industries, or other losses occasioned by an unnatural system. Higher estimates are strongly indorsed by various political economists. We have taken the lowest estimate as a basis. Amount of incidental taxes annually imposed on the people of the United states in the increased cost of home products by reason of discriminating duties on imported articles of like character; value of such home products ; wages and number or hands employed, and imports and duties received thereon for the year 1882:

MERCHANDISE IMPORTED DURING g § g 2 g >» g d *”.S 2>S o o fl ® o a i-> o • -m ® ® S ® o a* THE FISCAL YEAB ENDED JUNE A S m ® Ol'S 0% d3 0 -“g c o •“ fl OQ rs- r fl 08 H fl *O Xs ® fl ABTICLEI AFFECTED BY THE TABIFF. 30,1882. •gSg "g’Oj 2 »J ■JJR'Sm’ 8 °|h Shgah§« Duty Average go « S “ ® SS£'n®"2ei; Values. " j Tj ad valorem rate, p r cr. £> ■< H P 3 >-3 Chemical products $21,517,109 $6,718,561 31.32 $117,377,324 28,895 $11,840,704 20 $23,475,464 Earthenware and glassware 13,822,043 6,693,257 48.42 31,632,300 30,674 13,130,403 45 4,234,539 Metals— Iron and steel and all metal manufactures „ 74,427,988 30,358,930 40.79 604,553,460 290,000 12?, 648, 191 20 120,910,692 Wood and wooden wares 8,654.327 1,589,851 18.37 311,928,384 185,426 47,817,199 15 46,789,332 Sugar and molasses 94,540,269 49,210,573 52.05 (See note.) 40 4,846,714 Tobacco 8,216,132 6,00), 961 73.03 118,665, 366 81,809 25,041,237 25 29,666,341 Cotton and cotton goods 34,868,041 13,482,167 38.67 210,950, 383 179,363 45,614,419 20 42,190,076 Hemp, jute and flax goods 33,578,076 9.844,652 29.32 5,518,836 4,329 1,238,149 20 1,103,773 Wool and woolens 47,679,502 29,254,234 61.36 267,182,914 145,341 47,351,623 40 106,873,165 Silk and silk goods 38,535,475 22,632,490 58.73 41,033,015 28,554 9,146,705 50 21,516,522 Books, paper, etc 4,923,620 1,406,787 28.57 65,960,405 25,274 9,895,995 20 13,19.’,081 Sundries 62,410,690 17,272,269 27.68 665,699,693 337,216 129,881,399 2‘J 133,139,938 Total $433,173,335 $194,464,758 $2,440,502,649 1,327,881'5463,603,019 1 $556,938,637

Note—Planters ’ product tor 1880 was : Sugar, 196,759,200 pounds: molasses, 16,573,273 gallons. Number and wages of laborers not stated.