New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-09
THE COMMISSIONS REPORT.

Naturally, the Free Traders begin the attack
upon the report OF the Tariff Commission
Naturally, also, they begin 10y Directing that
the addition to the free list is not as large as 1t
should be according to their views. No one
will be astOnlshed at their disappointment. 1t
NAV RS well be understood first as last, that the
tariff proposed by the Commission was not de-
signed to meet the wishes of irrecOncllable cp-
moments of the present system. IL must be
iudgei throughout as a protective tariff. 1t
WAS formed by Protectonsts for the purpose
of rendering the protective system more COM
nlete and useful and more secure from assault
and 1t must be adopted, if at ALL by the votes
of men who wish to be known by their cOnstitu-
euts as in favor of the protection of American
industry. There is no room for misunder-
standing; the irreconcilable Free Trader is
not expected to approve this plan, because it is
| a compromise or adjustment intended to make
the protective tariff stronger and more beneficial
| to the country. Mr. Moore. who takes the lead
in the attack. has been widely known as a
! writer on the Free Trade side. If the Commits
| sion had sought To frame tariff satisfactory to
these men, it would have framed one which
| not fifty members of the House would have sup
ported.
Between the irreconcilable Free Traders and
| the Protectionists proper, there is body of
members who believe in moderate but not in vio-
| lent changes. They reason that the present
| system has been outgrown, IL some respects and
has become more burdonsome than it was
| originally intended to be, through changes in
cost of production and modes OF manufacture.
| The danger of a sweeping and violent indus
| trial revolution they fully recognize. Hence
| they favor moderate and cautious reform, and
| not a wanton Overturning of a system which,
| on the whole, has brought the country wonder
full prosperity With the and of such men the
protective system is impregnable against
any attack for years to come. To effect the
changes that shall satisfy the convictions of
such men, and thus make the system as a
whole stronger in public appreciation than it
ever has been before, is the object which the
| Commission apparently had in view, and TO
which its recommendations are admirably
adapted.
The free list is not the whole OF the tariff,
though it is the only part that interests Its
chronic adversares. The foreign importers,
| no doubt, have an especial interest i'll the free
list. But it is not the object of the proposed
tariff to subject any kind of American industry
| TO runous competition, and the failure of the
Com MISSIONS bill to attain that result is not a
fatal error in the Judgment OF reasonable men.
| Crude materials of s0me' industries have been
placed on the free list by the Commission, and
many others were free before, but almost every
product is also result of some department
| of mining or manufacturing industry. 1t is q
question how tar the law ought IN any case to
increase the protection given to finished ar
! ticles by making their materials free, and this
| question the Commission has answered after
! much careful invest CATION. Possibly some
| theorist. who has never given the matter any
study can decide more wisely than the Com
mission has decided. Possibly, also, some
member of Congress who THINKS only OF the in
terests of a twentieth part of his own constitu-
| ents may Judge more wisely. But the people
are not inclined to accept that idea. There is
an impression that the Commission has made q
report which, ON the whole deserves approval
That impression it will require very strong
evidence To remove. If Congress is prepared
to show that the report of the Commission Is in
| this or that particular maniiestly erroneous,
| changes of duty can then he defended. But
the public presumption Is strongly in favor OF