The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-10-24
THE TARIFF ISSUE.

The Republican party forced the tariff into
this campaign when there was no real ne
cessity for it. They thought they could
make it tell especially in Pennsylvania.
They have played it for all it was worth. They
asked General Hancock to write a letter ON
the subject and he did SO, and indOrsed the
Eaton bill" which proposed to organize a
commission to revise the tariff. This was
not satisfactory to the Opposition, who want
ed to make political capital out of the ques-
ton. And now the petitions presented to
Congress have been dragged from their
pigeon-holes and given to the public, and it
appears that the Pennsylvania manufac-
| turers, who employ thousands of men, in
dorsed the Eaton bill as the best solution Of
the tariff question. Thus the wind has again
been taken out of the Republican sails, and
the people who do the voting will understand
that the tariff cannot longer be made an
issue except for purely campaign purposes.
The Philadelphia Times well says on this
| subject:
Those Pennsylvania manufactures who have allow ed
their partisan prejudces to carry them into excited
tariff campaign may feel somewhat surprised this
morning read their names attached to petition
asking Congress to pass the very measure which they
profess to believe 40 fraugbt with peril and thus
10 take the tariff out OF politics. The sO-caed Eaton
bill which our manufacturers then favored, pre-
sented by Democratic Senator reported by the Demo
cratic chairman Of the Finance Committee and passed
by Democratic Senate; that II was not also passed Ia
the House Of Representatives mainly due to the
distractions put In the way OF legislation by the Re-
publican minority under the lead of Mr. GARFIELD; but
1t stin represents far appears from any pub
Iished utteranee, the attitude Of the leading men IN
the Democratic party with relation to revision Of the
tariff and II has lately been explicitly commended by
the Democratic candidate for the Presidency. II thi
bill them met the almost unanimous approval OF III,
manufacturers Of Pennsylvania six months ago. wha
has since occurred TO turn their mindsi II they heI
approved the measures proposed by the Democrats Ia
Congress looking revision OF the tariff, why
they loudly clamoring that the tariff must b,
Let aone2 The tariff has not been changed In the In
terya There is evidence that those who voted fO
the Eaton bill have changed. And yet the very mes
| who six months ago wished 10 take the tariff out o
politics have unjustiAabIy dragged II int
politics, 10 the disturbance OF business and the peri
Of Industrial stability. Our manufacturers were righ
when they urged that the tari should be taken
| politics. Az Mr. Henry Mccormick, one of IN
largest Iron manufacturers In Pennsylvania, says II
a letter printed this morning, "except for campaig
"purposes the tarin Is no longer party question,
and those who seek 10 make II party question and
submit the most delicate questions OF financial egls
latiOn 10 the excited discussion Of the hustings do
wrong TO themselves and the country that they wi
not easily repair out OF their own mouths they vii
| be condemned,