New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-11
DEMOCRATS AND The TARIFE.

DEMOCRATS And THE TARlFF.
| A sacacious foreign observer remarked be-
fore the rebellion that ii it was the purpose OF
the Democratic party to split itself and destroy
itself. it could not have managed more adroitiy
| to that end" The party has lost none or lts
ancient capacity for self-destructlon. Ii is
hard at work, at present, to divide itself on .he
| Tariff question Most of its representative
journals are expanding all their wit and logic
in assailing the bill reported by the Tariff Com
mission. They affirm that it is a device OF
amonopolistsr to prevent a genuine reduc-
ton of duties that it will really increase the
public burdens while pretending to tighten
them that it ought to make far greater reduc-
tions in the duties on iron, wool and wooIlens'
cotton goods. and many other products OF MAJ
ufacture. There are persons, no doubt VINO
believe these things and will remember them.
| How will they appear when reproduced yeal
! heneef
Next year the Democratic party will have
working majority in the House of Representa-
| tives while the Senate will be- as now, almost
equally divided. 1t will become the duty of
that party to frame tariff. Whether the pres
emit Congress does anything or nothing, Demo-
Gratis will be equally bound, by the declarations
| which they are now making, to sweep away
what they are pleased to call "intolerable bur-
| dens 4" and infamous ne nOpolies" 1t will not
answer to say that the tariff has just been re-
| formed, if the Commissions bill should then
have been passed, for these Democrats are TAX
| ing much pains to declare that the bill is not
| a reform. If IT does not lessen burdens, us
tLey now assert, it will be their chief duty to
4 A u a. mt
the great monopolies," as the Democrats now
affirm, they cannot let single session pass
| without uprooting those monopolies, unless
they wish to drive into open revolt the people
who believe what they are now saying And
the duty and political necessity will be just the
same if the present Congress adjourns without
doing any thing.
But trhdfis the Democratic "rcfOrmer 60
ing TO do A reduction of twenty or twenty
five per cent he has denounced as shamefuly
inadequate. Will he attempt to make a
greater? Duties that barely hold part of TIE
home market for producers Of iron and steel,
for instance, lac has denounced because they do
not open the doors to cheaper foreign products.
Thus il Ia said every day in Democratic journals
that this or that reduction is " a mere CHEAT"
because l. still leaves duty high enough to
restrain foreign competition. But will the
Democratic tarff-maker propose duties so low
az TO permit unrestraned competition
At the first step he will be met by distin-
! guished Democrats like Mr.. Barnum and Mr.
Randall, who have no chance of continued ex-
istence in public life if they vote to PROSTATE
great industries The Democratic tarif-maker
will be told that any serious prostitution OF IN
dustries will make the success OF his party next
year impossible. lie will be reminded by iniir-
entail Democrats that these industries have now
been adapting themselves for more than twenty
years to a condition of projections that they
have grown up upon that legal condition as a
basis that they are In ten thousand ways SO
interlocked with it that tho uprooting OF the
protective system will inevitably uproot these
industries also He viii be warned that it is no
longer possible TO make, without a tremendous
commercial reyulsion, the changes which could
have been effected twenty years ago without
shock. Then be will have to decide whether
the party can afford to tear up industries EN-
pl0ying million voters, on the very threshold
of Presidential election.
II he has any common sense, the Democratic
legislator will seek to avoid any action, or else
TO adopt some moderate and cautious measure
not unlike the enc proposed by the Commission
But he cannot do either without making HIM
self contemplate in the eyes Of those who be-
lieve his present declarations. IL, as he now
asserts, it Is dishonest for Republican to post
pone action, it will be even more dishonest "a
year later To refuse to act. Ii il is treachery to
the public interests, IA he now asserts, to favor
a reduction which stops short Of permitting UNI
restrained competition, it will be both treach-
cry and stupidity to adopt or initiate the meas
ure which he is now denOuncing The men
who are now being taught that protection is
robbery will then tell him that it is a. much
robbery to steal peck rs to steal a bushel. If
he hesitates to uproot the protective system,
two thirds of the voters in the Democratic
party will be angry. If he tears up the system
and the industries that are interlocked with It,
tho workmen in threc-Quarters OF the States
will express their Indignation at the election.
And this ugly dilemma will come, in just the
same way, whether Congress does anything at
this session or not.
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UEATHER.