New-York tribune., 1883-03-10
rrrHFYTzRY PRINCIPLES.

Protection of any manufacture may %
strengthened in two ways-by increasing 'no
duty on it's finished product, or by reuucin
the duty on or otherwise cheapening lts mate-
rails. 1t was the aim of the Tariff Commlsslon'
in revising the tariff TO move toward Dlgher
grade of protection by making the raw materlais
of many important industries less costly. a
great deal of ignorant criticism OF the new tar
in has sprung from failure to comprehend tne
simple fact that true protection may at times
reouire removal of duties; that this may some
times place an industry on a solid and safe foot
inc where n mere advance of duties on its pro-
duets would fail. Those who imagine that ev-
ery reduction or removal OF duties must neces-
sarily be hostile to the protective system 90 not
understand its first principles.
On the other hand, the Commission was at
times restrained from reducing duties on mate
rials by the consideration that these were, In
turn. the finished products Of other Industries
that stood IN need Of defence. 1t is not the aim
of the protective system to grant special favors
to this or that kind of industry. but to protect
American industry as a whole. Some part Oh IL
needs no defence, or cannot obtain any In tno
nature of things, but where 1t needs protection
and can he protected, the system aims to de-
fend the whole, and not to grant exclusive
favors TO part. Hence it il that the work OF
framing such tariff presents problems which
can ONLY be solved 10y great care and patient
labor of experts Congress wisely called in a
commission of such persons to inquire whether
this or that duty could be benefcially aud
safely reduced and its Investigations nave oeeh
of incalculable value. Not unnaturally, AFTER
twenty years of marvellous change in methods
of industry, the Commission found that at some
points the production of materials stood In
greater need of defence than the indus
tries by which those materials were used.
Failure to give that defence wonld work MIS-
chef to all interests, and even to the manuiac-
ture that would at first sight seem most Deneht-
ed by having n supply of cheaper Materials
For the effect would be to arrest the production
of those materials in this country; to render
the manufacture wholly dependent upon for
eign markets for its supplies and thus In the
end to expose it to fatal injury. The task OF
Judging in each case how far the earlier forms
of production require defence i'll order to keep
them alive and healthy, and how far that de-
fence is necessary to the safety OF other indus
tries, is a most difficult one.
In the endeAVOr 10 frame COnslSJcnI anu ho'-
norious system tho Commission was compelled
70 raise rates sometimes, as well rs to lower
rates sometimes, because in some cases duties
Lad become relatively too low, and in others
relatively too high. Congress, so far rs 1t has
acted intclligently at all, has been governed by
the same considerations. Amendments offered
by free e-trade Democrats solely with view to
reduce duties, without any regard whatever ID
the needs of industries or the probable effect
upon them, were not intelligently offered or
supported. Nor were those amendments INTEL
ligent which were offered by this or that MEM
Der solely 10 please u set of men In his DIS
tuct.p regardless OF the effect upon the national
industries or the public welfare. But the new
tariff has been shaped In the main by the con-
alterations above stated. Where duties have
been reduced or removed it has been with n
view either to diminish revenue or to afford
higher protection by securing cheaper mate
rials or both Where duties on some materials
have been retained or raised 1t has been IN or
der 10 afford adequate defence to primary IN
dustrics upon the existence and growth oi when
great branches of manufacture depend. The
aim OF the new tariff has been TO improve aud
strengthen the defence Of American industry as
| a awhole while cutting of some excresccnces and
le,.ening the revenue of the Government.