The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-20
waKgLISG, ". VA. August 20, 1889.


iorly.horse. power hint. II We will keep
our eyes on the English newspapers we
shall vet some hints OF great value touch
ing the important matter OF the tariff.
These newspaper talks are even better than
the pamphlets OF the Golden Club,since the
English newspapers write for home con-
sumption, the Golden Club for export.
The Manchester Guardian is talking
about the "new American tariff" in Its
relation to English pig and manufactured
iron. The Guardian is not entirely salts
fled with what VIC have done, bu. sees a
CLEAN Of hope in the general opinion
that a great deal will depend upon the
Interpretation which may be put upon
some OF the clauses" Discussing the move
in detail the same paper says:
There ia a belief that some loopholes may
be found capable OF being worked" more to
the benefit Of the importer than at present
appears on the face OF the revised scale OF
dItie, aud as an illustration OF what was
done under the old arrangement, 1t may be
mentioned that 1t was q frequent practice TO
nave holes punched In the ends OF hoops so
that thew might pass customs under the more
favorable scale as barrel hoops Although
Iris involved an extra charge OF 10 shillings
p.r ton BY the Euglish maker for punching
holes which were not wanted, but were alter
wards cut of, 1t WIS found TO pay the I'm.
porter. Another consideration which will
largely affect United States imports OF iron
from this district is the probable course Of
action which American makers may take;
already number Of American works, IN.
able TO meet the cost, are being shut down"
and Il Is a q 1estion how far the restriction OF
the output may go.
From an English point OF view the
"working" Of an American tariff so that
loop holes may be made in 1t for the bene'
fit of the English importer is highly sat
isfactory proceeding. The importers have
their shrewd attorneys, whose business is
the making OF such loop.holes. The shut
ting down OF an American industrial estab-
lishment is always source OF joy on the
other side OF the Atlantic.
Besides the hoop game we reveal anoth-
or instance in which Interpretation favored
the importer at the cost Of American CAPT.
tai and labor. In the tin plate case Secre.
tary Fesaenden ruled that tin plates should
bear a duty OF but Is per cent, presumably
under the impression that tin is the chief
element in tin plates. In fact tin plate
is about 05 per cent OF iron coated with 5
par cent OF tin, and under the act OF 1864,
should have paid duty OF q cents a
pound. Terne plate is composed Of little
more iron and little less tin. The
result Of this ruling was all that the
British manufacturer could desire.
1t destroyed all hope and fear Of American
competition. We take more than two
thirds Of Englands product Of tin and
t.rne plates, last year 100000 tons, for
which we paid more than $4,000, 600 in
gold. About sl2,OOO,OOO Of this is taken
from American labor. This is what our
British cousins would call good job"
The next Congress can make no change
in the present tarifI-the Democratic
House can not override the Republican
Senate and President. And let IT be sup
posed that the Congress after that shall
make no change, but We have a "tariG-for-
revenue.only" administration. By inter
probation, working" the tariff for the i'm
porters' benefit, every important schedule
could be knocked so full OF loop-holes that
there would be nothing left OF 1t. This is
one Of the dangers Of a Democratic admins
tration, and this Is risk which the country
will not take.
Let us take choice morsel from the
London Times:
An American visitor put the matter on
Saturday IN its true light when he said that
moral or political arguments have compar.-
lively little effect upon the adoption OF Free
Trade, but that the actual pinching q the
shoe made England Free Trade country.
Mr.. Golden belonged to the class which felt
the actual pinching OF tue shoe more acutely
than any other, and bis opinions are due TO
that circumstance more than to the unpar-
alleled effort OF constructive intellect
which Is sometimes assumed by hisadmirers.
The shoe that pinched England, country
dependent upon the sale OF It's industry ior
the food 1t could not produce at home, did
not pinch America, which contained In Its
own far.reaching territory the means OF satit-
flying every human want.
The admission Is worth noting and re-
Numbering, as well as the essential differ
ence between the two countries. The shoe
Of scant food never has pinched this
country and is not likely to pinch; and a
land which Contains within Its own far
reaching territory the means Of satisfying
every human want" does not need free
trade to make it prosperous and happy.
Let Great Britain keep her Tree trade and
get out OF it what she can, while we pro-
tect ourselves so that she can not get out
OF US what she wants and we can not afford
to lose.