Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1891 — HAPPY ABOUT PORK. [ARTICLE]

HAPPY ABOUT PORK.

Inconsistent Protectionists Rejoice that Germany Will Buy Our Pork. The protectionists are making merry over the removal of the prohibition of American pO;k by Germany. In their glee, however, they are overturning many of their favorite idols of economic heresy. They are showing, for example, that it will make a market for from $10,000,000 to $20,000,600 more of American pork; and in putting (his down as so much gained, they neglect to make any deduction whatever for the Gorman duty on pork. According to the oftrepeated teaching of our high-tariff foreigner pays the tax” in this /Country. Bpt if the .foreigner pays the tax when we Import from Europe, then we must pay tariff taxes in Europe whenever Europe imports from us. Now Germany has a tax on pork and bacon of more than 2 cents a pound. Are farmers ready to pay that tax in order to sell their hog meat? That'is what they must do if there is any truth in what the wise Republican editors so often tell us Look into the editorial columns of the New York Tribune and other high tariff papers, and you will find frequently assertions of this principle: When we put a duty on foreign goods there is no increase of the price of those goods in our own market, since the Europeans are compelled by our tariff to reduce their prices by the amount of the duty. It is a poor rule that will not work both ways; and what is sauce for the European goose must also be sauce for the American gander. Of course our farmers will see that German lawmakers with this brilliant protectionist theory in their heads, must argue in this way: “We have put a duty of more than two cents a pound on pork, but that does not make it any higher to German buyers, since the American farmers have had to knock off more ifhan two cents a pound from their price, and thus j ay our tariff tax. ” This is an exa t reproduction of the “argument” so often made by our protectionists. Now, one question for these protectionists: If you believe your own teaching, why do you rejoice over the fact that the -American farm rs will have to take two cents a pound less for all the pork th'ey send to Germany ? The protectionist organs are pointing out, too, the benefits which both countries are to get by the renewal of trade in pork. Not simply America but Germany, too, is to ba benefited. But this knocks down another protectionist idol. Have we not heard over and over again that when a nation imports what it can produce itself and is producing, there is a loss to the community? Labor, the high tariff wiseacres assure us, is made poorer by every pound of competing foreign goods brought in. But Germany produces a very large number of swine; and it was to protect these that Bismarck prohibited our pork upon pretended sanitary grounds. Notwithstanding this excellent opportunity to apply their native-grown American theory on German soil, our high tariff organs are actually claiming that Germany will be much benefited by taking our pork. When they make this statement they forget also that other cardinal principle of the protectionist crew, viz , that when you buy an article made at home you make a profit and the seller makes a profit, and thus yon keep two profits at home; but when you buy a foreign article only one profit stays in the country. This is venerable protectionist teaching, but they shrink from applying it to Germany. They reserve it for use upon home-grown American fools. But our protectionists are right for once. Get them off American soil and they throw their theories to the winds and indulge themselves in the unwonted exercise of ordinary common sense. The American farmer will not pay the German tax; and our pork Is really good for Germany. They see it! «