New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-18

uotur,i and unhealthy growth Of manufactures. In
orher words. | would nave the duty so adjusted
that every great American industry can fairy i've
and make lair pfohtS; anu yot 10 low tlat II our
mann acturers attempted 10 put M prices unreas-
onahlv the competition from abroad would come
i'm and bring down prices 10 lar rate Such tailu
/ believe will be- supported By me great majority
of Ann ricans We are not lar from having sum
a tariff la our present law. in some respects we
rave departed from that standard. Wherever IL
loes We shoud amend 1t, ana ~ so dolng we small
secure STABILITY and prosperity ','.,,,.n.
The chief charge ! make against tins bll Is tlat
il seeks 10 cripple the protective FEATURES Oh INC
law II Increases rates where increase ~ not neceS-
.orv and IL cuts them down whore cutting VIII XII.
One of the " sest provisions OF our present law Is
the establishment OF definite free iiSt. IRON wear
10 wear when u has been found ihat any artlcIe
cold safely he liberated from uuty 1t has been put
unon the free list. large number OF raw materials
ho.,. inns leeu made free OF duty THIS has light
encd the burdens of taxation aud ~ tnc s'ihe YIN"
aided the industries Ol the country. 10 snow Inc
progress that has been made III tins direction, IL
should be remembered that IN 1867 the Vaue OF
all articles imported free OF duty was nut
$50 900. 900, while in 1877 the Tree imports
Amounted 10 SlSl 100000. As l have already
sal the Secretary of the Treasury recommends
still further increase of the free list But Tins Dill
abolishcs the free list altogether and imposes duties
upon large share OF nItcies now nee Aiu thlS -
done i'm order to make still greater reduction upon
articles that must he protected IL their manufacture
ls maintained IN tins country.
Let me notice few OF the great Industries az
Which tliis hill strikes In The group OF textile
fairies of which | have spoken, reductions are
made uuon the manufactures of cotton WHEN VIII
stop thrcequarters of the cotton mills 81 the c0,
try and hopelcssly PROSTATE the business Sthl
greater violence is done To the wool and w0Ollcn
Interests The attempt has been made 60 snow that
the business of wOOgrOWlbg mas ueollhcu III CON
sequence of present law, aud Inc IacI mas o''iI
n,tnfrd ont that t1le number OF sheep has Dtcn
steadily falling OH in the Eastern States. The
truth il that sheeD-culture IN the United states
was never in so .hcalhy condition as II IS today
In 1850 our total wool product was 90 OOOOUU
pounds. In 1877 we produced 2Oo,OOO,OOO
Before closing | wish to notice thing which
| believe has not been mentioned IN TINS debate.
few years AGO had considerable premium
on gold, and our tariff duties were paId III com
there was thus created an increase IN the tarif
rates. III 1870 for instance, the ~ era@e currency
value OF coin was one huuired and fourteen cents;
in 1876. one hundred and eleven cents; In 1871,
one hundred and tour cents row. thahhs TO inc
resumption law and the rae OF our exchanges ara
credit, the premium on gold Is almost uoW sd, 20 20
zero. But this fall in the premium mas operated as
n steady reduction OF the tarlh rates, because inc
duties were paid IN gold and the goods were sold
i'm currency. Now, when gentlemen say that the
rates were high few years ago, it should ne re-
membpred that they have Deen 1alIIng year Dy
year - the price OF gold has been coming Gown.
When. therefore, gentlemen cftlSIse the rates as
fixed in the law of s72 they should remember that
the fall i'm the premium 90 gold has wrought
virtual reduction of per cent IN the taTh rates.
Mr. Chairman. the Committee OF Ways anG
Means has done q large amount OF work on TINS
bill The chairman has labOIed IN season al out
of season. and he deserves credit OF his friends TOT
Tho energy and caruestness with which he has adj
dressed himself TO this task But the views which
have found expression III his bill must he criticised
without regard TO personal consideration. A Dill
80 radical in it's character dangerous to our bust
"a prospcrty would work infinite mischief at this
time when the country Is Just recovering Itself
from n long period of depression and getting again
uuon solid ground Just comI up out OF the Wild sea
OF panic and distress which has tossed as SO long Let
if he remembered that - per cent of all the aDor1ng
neoDla of this country are artisans engaged IN man
ufoctures Their culture has been fostered by our
tariff laws II is their pursuits and the SIKH
which they have developed that produced the glory
of cur Centennial Exhibition. 10 them the country
owes the spcndOT OF the position 1T hoids before
the world more than to any other equal NUMBER OI
our citizens If this bill becomes law. II strikes
down their occupation and throws into the keenest
distress the brightest and best elements OF our popu-
,ation | implOre this House not to permit us to
I've thrown into greater confusion either by letting
.his hull become law or by letting 1t hang over the
country menace. And IN al Kindness To me
chairman OF The committee and the gentlemen no
think with him. / hone we will SIT here tO-nirht
until the second reading of the bill Is commenccd
When the first paragraph has been read l VIII pro-
pose To strike out the cnacting clause lAbpau~e
upon the Republican side OF the nouse.l II the
committee will do that. can Kill the bill to-day.
Ii Is not Simply "a stalking-horse upon which gen
tlrupu can lean to show their hOrSrWanshlp m de-
bate; il is not IN innocent lay-hgure upon winch
gentlemen may spread the gaudy wares Of then
rhetoric without harm: but IL Is great. dangerous
monster very olyphemus which stalks through
the land.
Monstrum horr nd, informe, ingens. cu lumen ademp
tum.
IF its eye be not out. let take it ont and end tbs
apouy. IApDiarsD %" tho l'oHuN'i ~ sluc