_PUCK, January 18th, 1888._
Another phase of the tariff question is illustrated in this cartoon,
which was designed to serve as an offset to the impudent accusations of
disloyal desire to serve English interests so frequently made by high
protectionists against all those who questioned their divine right to
profit by their ingenious scheme of taxation.
Adapting Sydney Smith’s famous formula to modern American use, PUCK
said on January 18th, 1888:
“You may sit down, O well-protected Average Citizen! at your protected
table, in your protected arm-chair; and button your protected coat
about you, and dream that your protective tariff is a drain on the
wealth of the English. But the fact remains that you pay every cent of
the duties that you impose upon foreign goods, and that nobody is the
worse off for the increased price, except yourself. The fact remains
that you pay for goods manufactured in this country the same price
which you pay for foreign-made goods of the same grade; that price
being greater than the fair price by the amount of the duty imposed.
And, above all, the disgraceful fact remains that all these goods on
which you pay a tax are brought to this country in English ships,
sailing under the English flag, which take back, on their homeward
trip, your American money, O Average Citizen! in payment of freight
imported by you in English bottoms. And yet, before we had a protective
tariff, we were able to do our carrying trade for ourselves.”
[Illustration]