Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-13
The Tariff Problem.

Every time the tariff question is packed
off as settled and done with it comes right
back and claims that it isn't settled and
done with but wants attending to at once.
A correspondent of the Boston Journal
has been visiting Senator Morrill, at
STAFFORD and the senator and the CORE
spondent soon got to talking about the
tariff
This is not at all remarkable for when
any prominent man is interviewed, or
when a mayor gets up to talk at political
dinner or Kantucky or other editor goes
to writing about the mayors speech or
the resolutions of convention, they all
get to talking about the tariff. pretty quick.
So the only difference between tho talk at
STAFFORD and most other political CONVEX
sations of the day.is that Senator Morrill,
talked very reasonably and some of the
takers do not do that at all.
The senator for one thing does not go
off into any unstinted praise Of many
patriots who visit Washington to get their
pet industry taken care of by protective
tariff that will shut out all foreign compe-
tition. but says frankly that some protec-
tionists ask too much. That is just it;
men engaged in some particular line of
production would be glad to monopolize
the trade in it and the crowd under the
doctrine that diversified industries are
good thing for a country and that In
raising needed revenue many useful
industries may be founded or fostered by
iudicious tariff. They try to have that
doctrine cover their pet scheme; while
others whose particular line of business
makes it convenient for their pockets that
certain things should come in without any
duty get on the other high horse and
advocate, of course disinterestedly, the
doctrine of free trade.
The tariff legislation of last winter was
on the whole reasonable and had it not
been hobby of Senator Morrills the bill
would probably have failed and the main
question left open for the present congress
to deal with from the beginning. Now
such reforms as were of pressing conse-
quence to tho country have been adopted
and general hauling over the Goals of
the whole matter again will not be sue
cessful enterprise to the party that goes in
to it.
One branch of the democratic party will
90 into it however and this branch is COM
posed of a crowd that is rabid on the
subject of free trade. Free trade is what
they want-they can see some logic in
having an open market where the buyer
can find easily the cheapest seller; and
they cannot understand why everybody
cannot be persuaded in that line Any.
way they will eonoede nothing further
than tariff for revenue "only."
So there is brewing serious trouble
between Watterson and his followers in
the democratic ranks and Ex-Speaker
Randall and those who with him have
knowledge that practically something OF
protection works we'll mixed in with the
simple raising of revenue. Just now it
seems as if Carlisle of Kentucky is getting
ahead of Randall in the race for the
speakership on this very issue. Which
ever way the thing comes out there will
be trouble in the democratic camp when
the present democratic congress gets
together and gets to work again.
The republicans very generally believe
with Senators Morrill, and Sherman that
tariff judiciously protective is of great
good to the country as whole and Sena-
tor Sherman in addressing the OHIO
republican convention last week did not
have to balance on the top of the tariff
fence as democratic orators will be found
doing at conventions during the coming
year. Sherman's balancing was mainly
on the subject of restricting the liquor
traffic.
In the campaign of next year it will be
interesting to see the effect that the
prominence of the tariff question will
have; and in the northwest at least the
quarrel over regulation of the liquor
traffic will make another disturbing force.
Meantime if others talk and act as sensioy
rs Senator Morrill, on the tariff matter
the business interests of the country will
not be disturbed by useless and rash
inroads on a system that has worked to
the material advancement of the whole
land.