St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-12

47th congress, at its first session, created
tariff commission to investigate the whole
subject, and report a basis for a
revision. This commission, composed of
practical men, after the fullest study
of the subject, calling to their aid
representatives, of all interests and all views
made recommendation for the revision of
the tariff, which, with some important
changes, was adopted on the Bird of March,
1888. The law went into effect on the 1st OF
July, 1888, and has therefore been in oper-
alton about eight months, too short time
to have given it a sufficient practical test.
It's effect upon either the revenues or bust
ness of the country cannot yet be ascertalned
or determined 1t should have fair trial,
and its results should be fairly known before
we enter upon the subject again. The re-
duction proposed by the bill now under con-
sideration is 90 per cent, and IT is note
worthy fact, that not single interest in the
United States has asked for it, neither manu-
facturers, miner, lborer, farmer,
nor consumer has requested or demanded
the proposed reduction. On the contrary,
every interest, manufacturing, laboring and
agricultural, represented before the commit
tee of ways and means, have protested most
earnestly against the change recommended
said that no interest has asked for it. We
should have excepted the free trade clubs of
New York and Brooklyn, which were repre-
scented before the committee by number of
so-called political economists, urging
not this reduction alone, but the entire abo-
lition of import duties which in any way dis
criminate in favor of American producers,
and favored this proposition because it is a
in fhn 1irpption of nhCO1ntp FREQ trade
declaring their preference for the collection
of the revenues of the government by
direct taxation on domestic
products, and duties upon commodities that
cannot be produced in this country, such as
tea and coffee. With these exceptions
every interest in this country has
spoken with the strongest emphasis on
opposition to the bill. While al unite in OPP
position to any reduction, some interests as
sert the necessity of an increase OF duties for
the actual maintenance of the industry and
the labor employed therein. The wool grow
ers of the country, representing every state
in the Union, demand,the restoration of the
wool duty of 1867. The undersigned have
sought to respond favorably to this demand
of more than million of our fellow citizens,
representing the agriculture of the country,
but have been overruled. The opponents of
our views, not content with a refusal to
accede to the requests of this large class of
producers, deliberately propose to reduce the
duties still lower. Against this we enter our
most earnest protest. There are some in
CAPABILITIES, however, found in the present
law which it would be only just to correct.
Among these are wire rods, cotton ties, and
tin plates, which have greatly disproportion-
ate duties to kindred articles, and should be
made consistent and harmonious. In
addition TO the foregoing, we
are opposed to the bill because
first, it will disturb business. The dis
cussion of it in the committee has already
done this. 1t will unsettle values, retard in
cipient enterprises, cripple those now estab-
lished, impair confidence among business
men, so essential to our development and
prosperity, and bring no countervailing BEN
efits.
Second-It will, of necessity, force down
the prices of labor in the United States, it
will stimulate imports, increase competition
from abroad, which can only be successfully
met by reducing the cost Of home products
We cannot too strongly emphasize our oppo-
sition to any legislation which ever tends to
reduce our labor to foreign standard either
in price or condition. The maintenance of
a fair and adequate scale of wages OF
American workingmen is indispensable to
their comfort, their well being and the edu-
cation of the families, is essential to the
good order of our society, the stability OF our
institutions and welfare and progress OF our
country.
Third-This proposed reduction will in
evitably increase the foreign importations,
and as consequence will, as all experience
teaches, increase our revenues, to which in
crease every interest of our country is OPP
posed.
Fourth-It is wholly unnecessary, I'm
justifable and in every aspect and to every
American interest only hurtful. The enor-
nous increase of capital and wealth will be
successfully met by reducing home products.
The country during the last fifteen years has
been under protective tariff. Now capital
seeks employment in the development of
all our mineral agricultural and other re-
sources, to the advantage and gain of all our
people, and the change or modification of the
system will create such doubt of success
full enterprises as to check their useful ten
dency, and thwart the rational development
of progress which is without precedent in
the civilized world.
Fifth-It has none of the merits of care
fully matured tariff bill 1t is not the result
of studious consideration of the interests of
our people, their investments and employ
ments, or of the condition of the public
treasury. 1t proposes to impose a like duty
upon every article of foreign import indis-
criminately, and without any examination of
its effect upon particular industries, and
wholly ignoring its necessary effect in adj
yancing prices abroad by the destruction of
competition at home. While nominally it is
a uniform reduction, in fact it is grossly
unequal under the limitations of the bill, and
it will be found difficult, if not impracticable
of execution. 1t is a leap in the dark.
Sixth-That the feature of the bill which
applies advalorem duties to most of the
schedules affected by it, is especially object
ionable, because it will greatly increase the
existing evil of under valuation, and conse-
quent frauds upon the revenue, as well as so
complcate the rule of the assessment of duties
as to greatly embarrass the administration of
the law Against the statement of the ma
jority, as to the effect of protective duties up
on wages, "and on the laboring poor,' is
the statement Of workmen themselves before
the committee. All unite in denying that
protective duties are essential to fair and re-
munerative wages, and that every reduction
of said duties, inevitably results in the low
ering of the standard of American wages. We
dissent, radically, from the statement of the
majority of the committee, that the reduc-
ton of duties lightens, by so much, the bur-
dens of taxation. The whole history of our
national experience shows a constantly de-
creasing price affects the increase of home
competition, and reduction of duties,
which destroys our production and competi
ton, as inevitably results in putting up the
prices demanded by our foreign rivals.
In the belief that the late tariff legis-
latiOn would remain without ma