The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-23
REDUCTION OF FaE TARIFF.

} pointed for thai purposes anu dlS
reports in regard to petitions, bot
: for the reduction and still furthe
increase of import duties. In tn
coming debates, Utah will also tax
some part, as she has already sen
to Washington a representative t
demonstrate against the reductioi
of the tariff on lead, as the mimi
industry only is likely TO be affected
: unfavorably by the proposes
changes, that is so far as thii
Territory is concerned. We have
always taken a democratic stand
point, believing it is the right o
| everyone to trade wherever he cal
do so with the most profit to him
self. and that the natural laws Of
Exchange thus developed viii secure
Ito mankind the greatest good with
the least outlay of labor and means
and that thus the natural resources
of the earth will be applied to the
benefit Of the human race with
least waste; and we know already
that there is misery enough in the
world caused by the niggardly pro-
vision Of nature without imposing
difficulties in addition to those laid
on US by nature. There are excep-
lions, of course, to this free trade pol
icy, which even the most radical
free-trader is willing to admit; as
when we are certain that, by en-
couragiHg for a few years a certain
industry, the product Of which will
eventually be sold cheaper than
can be imported from foreign coun-
tries, and thus by a slight add.
tional expense for a short time, we
secure a reduction in price for an
indefinite period in the future.
But cno matter how radical we
may be in our own democratic SEN
timents, we still can not persuade
that the only way to right
a wrong is to commit a still
greater wrong than we were
suffering before. No matter how
unjust or how unwise the tariffs
may have been when they were
first imposed, the fact still remains
that they were imposed, and that in
consequence of this pledge to the
men of our country, they
have embarked vast amounts
Of capital in the new industries
thus protected and we can not
hastily remove these duties, with
out working an incalculable injury
to those capitalists, whose conf
lence in our laws led them to in
vest their means. or is this the
1nly evil result that would follow
from an unwise reduction, for this
arge invested capital would be
lost, not only to the proprietols,
out to the nation as a whole, as by
Tar the greater part would be in
such a condition that it could be
turned in no other direction, but
must be utterly wasted.
Still, a reduction in tariffs does
not mean that our industries are no
longer to be protected; but rather
that our national income NAV be
decreased, and imported commodi-
ties may be sold at a lower figure
in our own country, for it is quite
that VIII ever a duty thor
oughly protects a home industry. no
revenue can be collected from that
source as there are no goods
imported. The reYisions proposed
~ the tariff commission, and so
oudly demanded by the great body
If the people of whatever political
'arty. are intended for the general
FOOD of the nation as a whole and
lot ofany Particular part.
1tWould be unreasonable to sup-l
'ose that q wise revision of tbei
ind proposed could be effected |
Without being disadvantageous to
Il parts of the country in a small |
1easnre, and Utah not excepted
ut the advantages, whether direct
+ indirecE, will be great enough to
0 much more than counterbalance /
Il the losses that may thus
e sustained. A reduction
| the lead tariff, if but
be not too great, may apparently
ssen the profit on that mineral
roduct; but on closer examination
e cannot fail to discover that a
neral fan in prices, whether ON
ticles used directly in mining or
cannot fail to produce a
responding decrease in the costl :
producing the lead: thus COM
nsatlng for the loss in one wav
a oain in a7,otbor
n an important work of this kind.
very best judgment, a tboroueb (