New-York tribune., 1878-04-15
MR.. WOOD,S MONUMENT.

Tn the concluding sentences OF the speech
by which Mr.. Wood hoped last IuesdaY 10
Justify his tariff bill, he expanded, Ike AinaS-
char in the Arabian tale, into revere on the
great things that were to come to pass "hen
his projects became reality. Mr.. Wood per-
mits il TO be known that he is fired by the
ambition of standing well with posterity. lie
tells us that they who will think out, suggest
and practically apply measures for the pubhc
good such as he has indicated, will create Tor
themselves names that will stand side by
side in history with the fathers OF our coun-
try, and transmit to their descendants valid
claim to just pride of ancestry. Yet WIN
the close of his rhapsody Mr.. Wood might have
heard the crash of his crockery and his hopes
for he had kicked his basket over Ills
speech il as queer q mixture as his original
tariff bill, and will supply more arguments Tor
than against the measure, even i'll its present
amended condition.
We are now informed why Mr.. Wood did not
wish to be interrupted by anybody who knew
anything about the subject, or whose interests
were concerned, when he was preparing the
new scale Of duties. He was "lOOking to the
"adoptOu of new system of political econo-
"mics." He further ntimates that nothing of
past experience could have been allowed to
impede his interior logic. for he says: " In
"my Judgment it is not necessary to study
"hstory, and draw from it examples which
"sbould govern our own policy in tins re-
"gard." More than tins was not needed to
tell us what it's author thought OF his blll;
but one more quotation will shed further hight
" At no time have we been so circumstanced,
"until now, that we could adopt political
Economies purely American. That period
"has arrived" We have the hour and the
man. 1--WE must encourage and promote the
"adoption of such relations with other ma
" tons as will open up the markets OF the
"world, and make the whole universe con-
"tribute to our prosDcrity.n But may we not
be carrying this thing little too far, IN
that case Possibly it might be well to wait
after the Wood Tariff has fully opened up or
down the markets Of this world, before we
stretch out its influences to the rest Of the uni
verse.
With mind quite free from history as well
rs from contemporary influence Mr.. Wood al
lcgcs that nearly every one of the tariff acts
from 1861 to 1876 was the creation of some
spccial domestic interest or to subserye some
partisan purpose. Perhaps 1t is sound Demo
cratic doctrine to pronounce the mlslng OF n
great revenue to put down the Rebellion and
to establish the National credit during the
war a partisan purpose" Certainly that was
the object of the war tariff. Subsequent leg
isatiOn has adjusted and diminished the bur
dens then imposed, till now they press lightly
Next Mr.. Wood discovers that some OF the
dutiablc articles are subject alike to specific
and nd yalorcm rates. The system is uuqucs-
tionably complex, but it is growth OF yari-
ors needs. and measurably attained desirable
objects. Mr.. Wood put all the history OF these
matters aside, and simplilied things in a won
derful way. Then the committee revised the
bill in spots. As a result, for instance, 1t will
give considerable protection to the lowest
grades of woOen goods, while for the higher
priced fabrics the duty will be exceedingly
small. But Nh. Wood is sure that under the
present tanif the luxurics Of the rich are less
highly taxed than the necessaries of the poor.
The fact that the new bill Will do just that
in many instances, is one Of the strongest ar
euments against the proposed change of tariff.
Some light does seem to have dawned on
Mr.. Woods mind while he has been studying
these subjects, notwithstanding his efforts to
nrcsent tariff are so outrageous that it is diff
cult to speak of them with patience, and yet,
he saws, we do not propose to deal with
"them as their dement's deserve" lie was
willing, if he had the power, to reduce duties
80 per cent but be thinks he has only re-
duced them 10 on an average He pretends
that the farmer is taxed by duties upon lum-
her. nails, screws, wallpaper, carpets, starch.
and even on his wool hat, yet elsewhere in
the speech Mr.. Wood indicates that he has
heard something of the advances of our do
nestle industry and that he glories in them.
II is one of the queerest thugs i'll this queer
production, that it adduces evidence to show
the prosperity of our manufactures, and en-
larges handsomely on the theme Mr.. Wood
octually claims that he is the friend of the
American manufacturer. His object III giving
this evidence of their prosperity is to show
that these enterprises are strong enough
to exist with diminished protection. He totally
ignores the fact that the protection they have
sbad was the chief factor in their success. Hi
quotations are altogether from what foreign
ers have written on the subject Curiously
enough there is an argument for protection
RIGHT in the middle of one of the quotations.
It is the lettor of an English slk-weaver to
one of his friends at home; he remarks: 81
"venture to say that England, mother of free
trade as she is, will find herself compelled
/" to impose duty on the importation of Amer
lean silks, in order to prevent her manufac-
"turers from being beaten in their own mar
"kets." All these things seem to have come
before Mr.. Wood in his troubled day-dream.
And finally. out of the pure kindness of his
heart, he admits that while firmly convinced
of the justice and necessity Of abolishing the
protective policy he does not now propose to
IL 4hn nnnlinntinn Rnnllv the Lnannfnn