New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-01
Tariff PROSPECTS,.

Tariff PROSPECTS.
The new Marquis of Ripon recently ticlled
a British audience by telling it that he trusted
the Americans would soon become Free
Traders. OF course, John Bull cheered but
for what 7 We are to-day his best customer
are buying of him more Railroad Iron than
all the world beside, his own Colonies and
Two Hundred Millions of subjects in India
included we are among the very largest
purchasers of his Steel. his Hardware, his
Cotton, Wooden and Linen Fabrics, &C.,
&c, &c. In return, we send him all
the Cotton, Wheat, Cheese, Hams, Lard,
&c, &c, that we can induce him to
take. We then add about Fifty Millions per
annum of Gold and Silver, and exc out our
payments for his Wares and Fabrics with Mill
lions on Millions of bonds. This country was
never so good a customer to England, ana
never paid her so well, under Free Trade as
now under Protection. Why could MT Bull be
persuaded just to mind his own business,
pocket his liberal winnings, and keep his hands
off of our legislation
Is it urged that well as he is doing under
Protection, he might make still more out of us
under Free Trade' That assumes that our ca
ished but experience long ago refuted that as
sumption. In 1912, we had been at peace for
nearly thirty years; we had no Public Debt
worth naming; we had no duty above twenty
per cent, and this for Revenue exclusively;
yet our Imports were not third of their pres
ent amount, because the paralysis of our in
dustry disabled us pecuniarily. We bought few
British fabrics for the same reason that con-
strains Portugal to similar course. The
orange, once thoroughly squeezed, refused to
yield juice, though squeezed never so tightly
We will whisper to the Marquis secret
that may save him borrowed trouble: There IS
lust no Free Trade party IN this country. There
is Free Trade coterie-perhaps large enough
TO fill four cOaches-who really mean Free
Trade there is great party out of power,
hungry as wolves for Office, and ready to
resolve or denounce as may seem likely to
improve its chance of getting in; and there
are half dozen cliques of manufacturers
who hope to have the Tariff so recast as to
favor their peculiar interests there you have
the elements of hostility to the present Tariff.
Annihilate the earnest, consistent advocates
of Protection tomorrow put the whole mat
ter into the hands of those now fighting the
Tariff, with full power to work their will
upon it, and they would give us new
and much worse schedule of duties than the
present, but it would be in essence measure
of Protection, not of Free Trade.
Take the grumbling ShOe-bOsses for exam
pie: Does any one imagine that they want a
uniform rate of duty-say 20 per cent-impOsed
for Revenue only, on Hides, Leather, and
Boots or Shoes7 Not they They might be
wiling to dispense with all duties on these
articles but then the Debt must be Shout
dered, and the prosperous Shoe and Leather
interests must pay their share. What these
Shoe bosses are after is free Hides and Leather
with taxed Boots and Shoes-in other words,
better Protection
So with the clamoT for free Coal and free
Salt. Mr.. Edward Harris wants free Coal, so
that he may make cheaper Fabrics. We do not
object to his demand we only say that it is
not for Free Trade but Protection. Under
Free Trade, everything would pay alike, for
Revenue; exemption from duty is one phase
of Protection, based on PrOtectiOnist consid-
erations.
The Herald maunders after this hopeless
fashion:
"Protection TO American Industry is hobby which
our people voted nearly thirty years ago. and yet
il troubles us to-day violently Banquos ghost
troubled Macbeth. We are eminently conservative
people, and cling old theories long while after
they are exploded, and nurse our old traditions long
after they dead Consequently Protection and Free
Trade looked at by through different glasses from
those by which they revealed to the English vision
The great body OF our people think Protection
illogical and impracucabIe, but they lack the courage
to adopt outandOut Free Trade. Men like Greeley, who
know little nothing Of the economical principles they
are trying nculcate raise such terrible hue and cry
I'm behalf OF tariffs and conjure up so many inn
agnary evils the consequence OF Free Trade that IL
scarcely TO be regarded with wonder that the people
should shrink from the very thing they desire. The
young men, almost without exception. Free Traders
the West and the South for Free Trade. and even
NewEngland Is beginning 20 show much Free Trade
strength But nobody is willing to take without precau-
ton thai which seems to al a leap in the dark"
Comments By The Tribune.
How can that be "a leap in the dark
in 1871 which we have repeatedly taken in
the past 2 How can our people 81 lack the
courage" to do what they have repeatedly
done already How can they be hide-bOund
by "od theories" and old traditions" which
they voted down nearly thirty years ago ~
Bah
The real truth is that our people remember
what were the consequences of their past
experiments in the Free Trade direction. and