, 1881-11-19
LESSONS OF THE TARIFF CONVENTION.

Ilil ilf3t leS8UM taught by tho lNte Thrill
Convention and emphasized III Its proceetl-
tngs was that tho earrying-tra.lc, by land a,ll
water, Is crippled by tho t,tgh tnritf. THO
la,.d-carriors are obliged to submit to tax
Of ia5 per cent OH steel rails but rs they have
tho means Of shifting tho burden upon ship
pers, ntll espccinlly upon the farmers, ind
l,nye ITO competition 10 contend with, they
can ike ntia prosper. but tile WatOs-cArrierst
having 10 cdmpota With the free ships Ut al
nations, asld llo manufactured products Of
consequence to tako away FROM tho UnIted
States, llavn been starved out Of existence.
Wo 10 not know what tho managers Ut the
convention conla have been thinking Ut
wleu they determined tu put Mr.. JOHN
Koacil OH tt1e starsd as n solitary witness to
tho !anguis1tng slate Of nAliyu American ill.,
d,strles. Thu foreign carfylng.trada il not
md cauuot be Il tluMcslic institution, and
such NrAslips us 1t has undergone
luse beel, directly duo to high
tarilT. 1t must be elcnr to tho dull
est comprehension TINT, II Mr. l,onch
Ind merchant marine built for Him
by the government l,0 could not carry On
any very ucs!ye foreign tratlo with 1t ~ lomg
us tito cost Of American manufactures should
remain from p to Iii per cent nDaye those Ut
foreign competitors The convention Inns In
this connection slono nuthlllg ST valuable III
Il, malt!ng tho facta known concerning the
drsiructlun Of tie OCEAN carrying traIu aud
tic tax On tho Internal transportation ifs4r-
csts, all4 through ttlem oil tte faslnurs.
s'rlm 6eco,id Important services reltttercl by
tho convention was III calling attention to
tho conspicuous Injustice Of tilo laslT tnxes
Oil raw materials. Tllesu taxes ara 4 tluulal
of tho truu theory Ut thu taritr-tha only ono
OH Which it cnli bu successfully Iefclacd-
namely: thatlt Is designed to aid ln tho
deyotopn.ont of manufactures. Dllt tic taxes
on chelu!cnls, 6llocmtukers' M,tertuls, wool
for mixing, and raw Ink, to say notttnx Ut
copper, iron. ula4 lead IN ptga, aro ubstruc.
ttusls t0 thu development Ut manufactures; !;
and this fAct was CLEARLY brought out In tlle
deliberations Ut the convention,
Another at,d possibly tho lAnst Important
consequence Ut Tho convention Is, TINT fur tl,o
first lnla It distinctly commits lilo subsidy
bcggars md Wort:-taritf " aKltators to MI
aggressive !,ollcy. 'rlo tartlG-,nen In tho lust
Presidential ealnpa!gn llau tho advantage Of
tlul,tlNg OIL tlla defensive, From tho first to
the last noso Ut tho campaign they were ba-
hind lntrol'cllmrnts. They beat olt the
stor4nlng purity, ai,A lid It eirectuallY. Hut
II IL question. whether they would iIaYe
co,ue aif victorious 1t they Ind beel, ti,s ~.
satlants. Tie aecls!ye verdict OF The eol,n.
try. putting tic h,ost favorable protcctioulst
construction upon II, WIS that tla tngltr slloul
be "let alolle." 80 fur as the meaning Ut TIL,
elections caM holnturpretet!, tlloy were simply
M affirmation OF tltis lafsset-s.tlcr policy,
They meant ITO moru that the thrill should
bo Increased than tllat 1t should b. reduced.
The "ua1Ft+tar!u agitatosa nov propose
to drag tho whole tariff interest out into tho
ope, field an4 commit It to program Ut
avowe1 aggression, Will. all tie Incident
risks Of exposure and danger. TIley arc not
eontcnt to lot "well enouyh" alons, but
must lead those manufacturers who i,ayu
nothing to complain Of iu.o tho deuAly