Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-06
The TarIfr Commission BIZ.

1t seems that at length the weary,
stale, fiat and Improbable discussion OF
the tariff commission bill, is coming to
an end, and perhaps by to-day a vote
NAV be reached on the measure. The
country has grown very tired of this
whole tariff commission subject, and
will be glad when Congressional pro-
ceedings are no longer burdened with
long accounts of speeches made by
members thereon, for no purpose other
than either to make capital with con-
stituents, or to delay as long as possible
any legislation whatever upon the tariff
question.
That the special object of this bill sto
give the protectionists as long lease Of
their bonanza as they can possibly hope
for. has been evident from the first. This
object, however, was more distinctly
and openly shown in the House on
Wednesday last than ever before, when
Mr.. Gambler, of Massachusetts,, read
petition in its favor from Northern manu-
facturers representing industries which
employed $2OO,0OO,0OO capital, con-
sumed 1000, 900 bales of cotton year,
and operate 10000, 900 spindles Here
tofore these gentlemen have been active
opponents of any measures looking
to any revision or any reform what
ever in the tariff. Whenever the
subject was mentioned, they Immediately
rose in arms against it, and were loud in
their cutlery that to abolish the protective
tariff at all was an enOrmity which
should not, for moment, be submitted
to by the American people. Such &C
ton, they declared, would at once de-
stroy American industries, which could
not flourish unless fostered, '1n their
infancy" by the government. while it
would reduce American working
men to the base level of ''the pauper
labor of Europe" Now, however, their
tune has changed. Seeing that they can
no longer deceive the people by specious
arguments and assertions into quietly
cOnsenting longer to submit to
extortionate tribute levied upon them
for the benefit of the protected
manufacturer, nor the labOrer into
believing that because he receives a few
dollars month more than his English
brother-but which imaginary surplus
invariably finds its way back
into the pockets of the manufacturer
he is really benefited by protection, they
propose 10 make the best of the iuevita-
BILE, and strive now to keep the protec-
tive tariff in operation as long as may be.
"Half loaf is better than no bread" is
their maxim, and since protection
is evidently doomed, the next
best thing for them is to delay its
death and enjoy its lucrative
profits to the last possible moment. This
is why New England manufacturers, by
wholesale, are now so anxious for the
passage of this commission bill, and
why protectionist members of Congress
are so willing to admit their incapacity
for the positions they hold by delegating
to a commission work which clearly be-
longs to Congress alone.
Unsatisfactory as this commission bill
is, however, the fact that it will be pass
ed at all, is encouraging. True 1t will
defraud the people by not giving them
the revenue reform which they demand
until after the lapse of year or two;
but it is a recognition of the abomina-
ton of our present system, and is an
earnest OF the fact that sooner or later,
the Just demands of the people will be
complied with. 1t is really the death
struggle of the protectionists, who,
though they die hard, yet confess
their inability to stave off death eventu-
ally. Whatever the complexion Of the
commission may be, therefore, the fact
that there will be a commission at all is
move towards the freedom of the people
from onerous taxation for the benefit
of monopolists, and the commissioners
will not be able to, finally, prevent
needed and demanded reform. Congress
will still have the power to legislate upon
the question, and should this commission
attempt to defeat, in any way, the will Of
the people, future Congresses will be
forced to take the matter in their hands,
and enact tariff reform measures with
out regard to any outside commissions.
This proposed law will be the first step
in the direction of a reform revolution,
whose progress all the protectionists in
the country cannot arrest.