Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1882-09-09
SOME GOOD COMING OUT OF IT.

It IS we'll understood that the tariff
commission will not reduce the tariff. IT
was not created for that purpose. 1t is
the offspring of the protection party
under which the tariff inlquity has
grown up. and 1t will be a6edient to
that party's behests. But it is evident
to any one who has follO W ed the reports
OF its session thus far that it will result
in considerable benefit to the cause OF
free trsde. Though it was devised for
the sole purpose OF defeating tariff re-
folms in the last congress, and post
poning tho question OF protection until
it could have no effect upon the next
presidential election. the revelations
daily before 1t regarding the working
oil the high tariff system furnish free
traders with much new capital and open
the eyes of the pubic to the significance
of the system which they are taxed 80
heavily TO support. knowing that
every member is friendly to high tariff,
that the commission was appointed 10
devise ways aud means TO perpetuate
the present policy OF protection, the
protected manu- facturers who appear
before 1t express themselves with great
irankness. Their open admissions
throw some very strong side lights on
the whole business and reveal deforml.
ties in the system which they would
take pains to cOncpal ii there were any
free traders on the commission. The
other day cultivator OF jute was found
who was quite willing to admit the
manufactured article free of duty If he
could be protected by heavy tax on
the raw material, the particular form OF
]ute in which he is Interested. He is
followed by the nnselfish patriot " no is
! willing to admit the raw material free
| if the manufactured article which comes
INTO competition with his business is
excluded by an enoromOus tariff. A
manufacturer of morocco made some
very pathetic appeals for q higher tariff.
| which was absolutely necessary to save
| himself and family from impending
starvation. In the examination which
| ensued he made lew admissions,
however. which were sufficient to- con-
vince the strongest tariff man on the
commission that the business of this
patriot is Il monopoly of the baldest des
cription. From his statements the con-
c!usion was inevitably that the country
could we'll afford to pay him what be
now makes IN his business it he would
close up his establishment entirely and
permit the importation Of morocco fres
OF duty: The qninine manufacturers
were also obliged to make certain ad-
| missions which show that their demand
Tor restoration of the duty on that
drug is utterly uDjustifiable. They
were, moreover, met with the testImo-
ny OF well-known druggist In New
York, which exhibited the enormous
profits of their business and proved that
the free admission OF quinine had not
curtailed its manufacture in this country
or diminished the profits below a point
as yet excessive. A day or two ago a
m snuiacturer OF bicycles appeared, who
stated that he would be able to carry on
his business with great satisfaction il
the duty on steel was abolished. He
wanted no protection. wonderful as II
may seem, he merely wanted to be re.
level OF its effects. Instances innu-
merable have come before the commits
sion demonstrating the rot,enuess, the
selfishne>s, and injustice of the whole
prot c.ion system. They will. howev.
er. doubtless be carefully excluded from
the commissinn's report. But neither
the commission nor the party it serves
en- prevent the facts from reaching the
people whom this infamous system
robs. The appointment OF tariff com.
mission may lave been fatal misster
for the tariff thieves who created It.