The New York herald., 1870-04-01
IT,. pcbus. .. .s. rar,r BIN.

Al last Il is onded.' For more weeks than
we care 10 count up the merits ard dsmerits Of
9 protective tariff have been ventilated and
discussed In tho lower branch Of Congress.
Day and nighi the mill stream OF words, carry
ing along some few ideas, has been
rolling rapidly, Keeping the ponder
ous machinery OF the Congressional Globe
10 perpetual motion, aud furnishing
heavy reading matter for postcrity, which
posisrliy win have sense enough TO avoid.
Dn' At last The patient. long suffering, gentle
Chairmsn Of the Commiie, OF Ways and
Means has let down the gates, stopped the fur
ihcr Tow OF clcqaence In that direction, and
brought relief 10 The ovorbarjencd miad OF
The people. win tho result bring relief to
their ovcrharienea shouldersg "Ayi there's
the rub" Such II evidently not the aim OF
those Who suppor. the pending bill. Prolec-
tioa II their hobby, and they soem determined
10 ride u, without regard 10 the feelings or
rights Of the vast majority OF the people TO
whom protection Is bu, another word for Inn
poscrishmens.
Toe arguments which have weighted Tie
speeches on both sides OF the question may be
condensed iaio Few paragraphs. Tie pro-
tecflenisfs claimed that the natural aud inevit
able rcsslis cf the system which t.cy advo-
cate are,--Firsi, eventually 10 cheaper tho
article projected by stimulating rivalry aud
competition al home, second. 10 improve the
condition OF the iaborlng classes by enabling the
payment Of better wages 10 them; aud, third,
10 benefit the agricultural interests by the
creation cf local markets through thc building
up Of manufacturing establishments. These
three positions the FREQ traders and those who
would not class themselves as such, bat WHO
favor tarlG for revenue purposes merely, COM
bated and deaiei. They showed that The
prices Of protected articles hal al increased
under the influence OF the hi IA tariff, sad that
that incrcass WIS 30 much bounty extoriei
from the eonsnmc for the benefit OF home
capitalists and monoPolisis; that the condition
OF the working classes was not Improved. but
made worse, ilasmuch as the increase OF
wages had moi KEEP, pace with the Increase In
tie cost OF the neecssariss of life, and inas-
much a. many gccai branches Of industry,
such rs ssipbuildlug, were utterly paralyzod
through ite effects Of the high tariff. and that
the imaginary beaoat 70 the agricultural inte-
rest was all mooashine, re proved by statistics
or prices OF produce uadcr high aud under low
tariffs, the prices being not only relatively
but absolutely lover under The former than
under The latter.
Those were tho argamcais pro aud con,
with variations more or less Ingenious. To
listener 10 an extent 10 induce him 10 change
the vote whicli he had intended 10 give would
be 10 show Ignorance OF the purpose and effect
Of Congressional debate. Speeches are never
made with any hope Of winning over converts
from the opposite ranks, and never have such
an effect. For sll practical purposes debate
might as well be abolished In Congress and
business hurried NJ under the spar or the pre-
yious question, az Is, indeed, done 10 O pretty
considerable extent. AZ TO enlghten'ng pub
lie opinion on important questions, that may
sefely be left to the newspapers. Little light
Is shed abroad from Washington.
All this general tariff talk on the bin was
merely preliminary 10 lhe actual conflict which
will now take place In discussing and acting
upon il in clauses for amendmeut--that stage
where arguments for and against propositions
are confined to FIVE inmates. That is the
practical stage Of The question, and q very
fair Indication will be afforded by IL as 10 the
fate that awaits the bill. AT present the lndi-
cations are that It will be recommitted TO the
Committee Of Ways and Means, with insiruc-
tons to report back bill removing altogether
the duty on some articles, such as ten, coffee,
sugar, &C., and diminishing II on all. Such q
result may be hurtlul to the feelings Of Penn
sylvania prOteciionists, but the great mass Of
the people will say "Amen."