Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-07
THE TARIFF LAW.
a Measure With Which Nobody Is
Satisfied.
Mr.. Hewitt's Analysis Of its Proyisions-No
Redu ction in the Interest of the
Consumer-Destructon to ex-
isting Industries.
PRESS OPINIONS FROM ALL SOURCES

ion upon the tariff measure is worm more
and few are worth so much as that OF Mr..
A. s. Hewitt, of New York. He is manu-
facturer in several branches and on large
scale, and one of the most intelligent man
ufacturers in the country. He has been Ill
at home for several weeks, but came back
here to vote against the DILL because on his
sick bed he had been able to study it sutti-
ciently to sho v him that it ought not to
pass, and he came to record his vote against
it as measure in several ways injurious to
the country and TO its manufacturing in
terests.
To get the opinion of Mr.. Hewitt cor
respondent approached him and the tol-
lowing conversation took place:
Effect OF the New Law.
Question-What will be the effect, in
your opinion, OF the new law?
Mr.. Hewitt-This legislation will fail OF
its intended effect, for the reason that the
industries of this country are suffering,
not from foreign competition. but from
the domestic competition arising out OF
the protection we have had for the last 20
wears. The result OF this long period OF
protection is an excess OF production at
home, for which no market can be found
because we have no access to foreign mar.
kets as other nations have who have free
raw materials. The result OF this pernicious
system is that failures in every branch OF
business have already begun and they will
proceed with accelerated rapidity until the
weaker concerns, which cannot compete
with their stronger neighbors, Will be drlV-
en- to the wall. The only sensible and POS.
sible relief that could have oeen extended
to the manufacturers would have been to
Tree raw msterials from destructive duties,
so that goods might be produced at lower
price and thus linda wider market at home
and abroad. Thus the issue is at last fair
ly raised between true revenue reform.
which will remove inpediments TO the
cheap production OF manufactured arti-
cles, and protection for the sake OF protec-
ton, which first produces dear goods and
finally brings ruin on their producers.
Organization of the Next House.
81 think the passage OF this bill makes
the Fundamental issue between revenue
reform and unprotective protection so
clear that the organization OF the next
House will be determined by it and by it
alone"
Question-You believe, then, that this
question will control the election OF the
Speaker?
MIR. Hewitt do not think that any man
can be or ought to be elected Speaker OF the
next House who advocated and voted for
this conference committee. The organiza-
ton Of the next House must be in the
hands of the revenue reformers il the DEM
ocratic party is in earnest in this business,
and If it is not in earnest ii had better dis
solve in the same general chaos which has
overtaken the Republican party. BY revenue
reform let it be distinctly understood do
not mean free trade, for which we are not
vet pIe pared, but do mean the freeing OF
raw materials from duty which can be
done without in Jury to any existing inter-
est, and the reduction of all taxes which
enable favored industries to prey on the
rest of the community when the demand
happens to exceed domestic supply. So
far as know the revenue reformers will
be very conservative, and they will take
care that no existing interest that has a
right to live in this country-that is to
say, which can be carried on in this coun-
try with as little labor as in other coun-
tries-will be disturbed or impaired.
The workingmen.
Mr.. Hewitt continued: The working
men of this country need not fear that
their wages viii be put in peril by any &C
ton of the Democratic party. On the
contrary the effect of cheapening the cost
of many commodities which workingmen
are compelled to buy will be to increase the
purchasing power on the wages they now
receive, and which will not be reduced in
actual amount by such action as will give
steadiness to business and prevent the ever
recurring periods Of action and inaction
due to the protective system. The cheap.
ening of raw materials by the removal OF
duties upon them will tend to increase
and not diminish wages, because the man.
ufaCturing employers will have just so
much money out Of which TO pay higher
wages. No Tariff can hereafter raise the
rate of wages IN this country, but whatever
tariff is adopted must take knowledge of
the fact that wages are higher in this coun-
try than in any other because we have
greater natural resources. A revenue tariff
properly devised will fully provide for this
difference in the rate OF wages whenever
the competition becomes severe, as it does
in periods of depression. In times of great
prosperity it is the owner and not the
workman who gets the extra profit"
"ln conclusion said Mr.. Hewitt, 81
wish to say that so far from nything being
settled by this new law it is in my iudg-
ment the beginning of the real aud solid
revenue reform demanded by the people Of
this country.