The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-03
PROGRESS ON THE rARIFF.

From the Missouri Democrat
The reduction of the duty on railroad iron,
carried in Committee of the Whole on motion
of Mr.. Benjamin of this State, is a legitimate
sequence of the reduction of the duty on pig
metal. Indeed, if four dollars a ton is to be
taken off from the duty on pig, as the COM
mittee has voted to do, the rail makers will
gain on the cost of the raw material for ton
of rails about six dollars, and with reduction
of the duty on rails only two dollars o ton will
still be better off than they now are by four
dollars ton. In other words the reduction
of duties will help them Just as much as if
four dollars ton had been added to the duty
on rails without any change in other duties.
This we'll illustrates the principle for which
we have SO earnestly contended, and upon
which q majority of the House seems to be
acting-that the true way to protect Ameri-
can industry is not to increase but to
lessen its burdens. If these changes
in the tariff should be adopted by both
houses, the burdens of the people weuld be
reduced, first by four dollars ton on all pig
iron consumed, say eight millions of dollars;
and second, by two dollars ton on all rail
road iron used say two millions of dollars;
so that the entire reduction of taxes on these
two items alone would be ten millions of dol
lars. Meanwhile, the rolling mills, being in
better position than before, would be able to
use the cheaper iron more largely, and por-
ton of the rails now imported from Great
Britain would be shut out-not by increase
but by decrease of duties
The people of the West, to whom cheap
transportation, cheap railroads, and cheap
iron are prime necessities would have great
cause for thankfulness if these most excellent
changes of duty should be carried into effect
by the adoption of a bill with the rates on
iron as now fixed in committee. Hearty
thanks are due from them to General Butler,
who moved the reduction on pig iron to five
dollars, to Mr.. Allison, of Iowa, who moved
the reduction on bar and other forms of iron,
and to Mr.. njamin, of Missouri, who
moved the reduction on railroad iron, and to
| the good and true men who carried these
! reforms by their votes. We regret that the
| votes in the committee are not recorded and
| cannot be given, but believe they would show
that every member from Illinois, every men,
Der but two from Missouri, every member
from Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota, and
! every member but one from Iowa. voted for
the reduction of duties
Some of the Pennsylvania men still hope
to put back the duty on pig iron when the
vote is taken in the House. But it is most
encouraging fact for the much-taxed people,
and most discouraging one for the mono
polists, that the majority for reduction in
committee, though not large, is apparently
very sure. dozen votes have been taken
on vital questions, and in each instance the
iron ring has been beaten, though the majo-
rity has never been more than fifteen, and
once fell to only one. In the committee,
where there is no record of votes, some men
vote against reduction of duties who would
never dare to do so on the yeas and nays in
the House. The absentees are generally
paired. Thus Pennsylvania people ascribed
their defeat on iron to the absence Of some
of their members, but it turned out that
their absentees were paired with others who
would have voted for reduction, and though
they have since returned, the majority for
reduction is larger now than it was then. We
begin to believe that there is small but
safe majority of the House to sustain the
reductions already voted in committee, to
make others of importance, and then to force
through the bill.
The steel duties will come up presently,
and it seems reasonable to expect that the
majority for reduction of duties will be sufi-
cient. When the committee comes to vote
on coal and salt, we may with confidence ex-
pect other important changes in the interest
of consumers. 1t will not then be surprising
the same strength suffices to cut down the
duties on woollen goods and possibly on cot
tons. And then if the protectionists choose
to rally all their forces for the defeat of the
bill, the issue may be made in very satisfac-
tory form. On the other hand, if the COM
bination of special interests succeeds in re-
versing the action of the committee or in pre-
venting other essential reductions, the test
question may come on one of the short bills
proposed as substitutes, such as the one re-
Gently proposed by MIR. Judd.
On the whole, the doings in the House are
very much more encouraging than we had
reason to expect. The members of the pre-
sent Congress, chosen without regard to the
tariff question except in districts where spe.
cial interests control, were originally protec.
tionists by large majority, and the change
which has been brought about by manifesto
tions of public opinion, by the influence OF
the press, and by the report of Mr.. Wells
people speak by their ballots, still greater
change will be witnessed.