Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-12-29
lancaster FnteIligenrer.
Hewitt on the Tariff.


The Albany Argus publishes an elabo-
rate letter from Abram $. Hewitt, de.
failing his views upon the question of
the tariff and the present need OF legis-
lation affecting IL. Mr.. Hewtts views
are those which he has been well known
"a entertain, and they correspond very
we'll with the general sentiment on the
snbiect in the Democratic party, for
which. as well as for himself, Mr..
Hewitt undertakes to speak. His
views are particularly notable because
he is an iron manufacturer and it is
not often that we find iron manufacture.
ers recommending a low tariff on iron.
They are universally for themselves !;
and nearly AS universally they consider
that the tariff on iron cannot get too
high for their own interest This fact
forces the conclusion that mauufactur'
ers are not very enlightened men; they
know a great deal about manufactures,
but very little about the conditions
needed to make their business prosper.
Gus. The effect of high tariff is to un'
duly stimulate business; when large
demand for goods arises, prices rise
and il the demand grows sufficiently,
prices advance till the foreign goods are
let in over the high tariff. Home pro
duction is overtaxed, but the
great profits stimulate capital to
enter in to supply the demand.
Ii does so, with the result of sending
pricessurging downward because of over
production. We lately had a striking
Illustration of this in the Bessemer steel
industry. Two or three years ago rails
were worth seventy dollars a ton, and
home production was unequal to the de-
mand. Fabulous profits were made, and
all the steel mills enlarged their capacity.
Now rails are worth less than thirty five
dollars ton and the mills are stopping.
Mr.. Hewitt states the Democratic
position to be that no greater degree OF
protection should be given home manu-
features than what may be inst
sufficient to project them in times of
business depression. He thinks that an
impost equal to the difference between
the home and foreign wages of labor
would be aproper rate of duty. He argues
that when business is good the manufac
turer needs no protection, and that the
duty should be left low to moderate his
profits, so far as a free competition with
the world will do it but when demand
slackens so that business becomes un-
profitable, then the protective duty
should serve to keep out foreign manu-
facturers and leave prices to be regulated
by home competition. This is a sensible
policy, and will work well for manufactu.
rer and workman. Raw materials of man
ufacture should be imported free. That
terest of the workman as we'll as of the
manufacturer and of the people. The
cheaper the raw material the cheaper
the product, the greater its market and
be afforded.
Mr.. Hewitt states the Democratic
theory to be that protection is uncOn-
stitutlonal unless it is made incidental
to the collection Of revenue but he ad-
mits that thiSisnOt practical question,
inasmuch as we have had protection
almost since the governments begin
ing, and il Is $50 intended In judicial
construction aS to make il idle now Ia
raise the constitutional question" We
do not understand that the Democratic
party has taken the position that prOtec
tion is unconstitutional, nor do We think
that it would be easy to maintain, while
declaring its COnstitutiOnaity when
made Incidental to revenue, with which
1t has no affinity whatever but as the
question is no longer a practical one, its
consideration is not profitable.
Mr.. Hewitt thinks that the true pol.
icy, If the country had not heretofore
embraced the protective policy, would
be free trade. In this conception we can
hardly concur. It seems to us that the
country needed protection to enable il
to develop its mineral and other natura
resources and to cultivate the manufac
tories which tend to make it iudepend
ent of the world. This good the protec
tive policy has done for us; but ou
manufactures, placed firmly on their feet
can now stand with comparatively litt
support from the tariff.