New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-22
THE TlRIFF on LUMBER.

INCONSISTENCIES OF MR.. MORRIsoNs TARIFF BILL.
TO me Edttor Of The TrtGWR {.
SIR: No one subject has been discussed more
lnelBg gently during the last five years than that OF pro-
tectng American forests This discussion does not
seeu TO have made much impression upon the gentleman
from Illinois Mr. Morrison from the fact that If there
are any articles should be entered upon the froe list
they are sawn lumber. pine hemocs. spruoe slaves OF
wood pockets and p4Ig, LATIN, shingles etc casks har
rels sugar box shocks and al the articles nehuOed IL
schedule ID " under the class o. wood ani wooden
wares IL will noticed that IN section ?, lines IL aud
ID Of Mr. Morrisor's bill is mentioned timber, hewn
and sawn and timber used for slats and IN building
VIII arves the free list; and lines 10 and TO- wood
manufactured not specially enumerated or provided
Tor in this act that every article In schedule D. ex
Dept the list mentioned would como under the ahdn.
scale Of eighty per of duties that were formerly
eyied.
presume that efcurths % the people irrespc c7e
OF party of free humber almost every fam
fly uses more Of IL; and the American forests Of
white PINE spruce and heml0ck fast being depleted
These woods enter largely into manufactures Of different
kinds In NewYOrk and NewEngiand almos. all or the
pine spruce and hemlock has been cut off, There are
some belts of spruce and hemock In the counties OF War
rem Essex Fulton Hamilton and Clinton which would be
Of moro value the future than TO removenow II safe
90 say that injury would he done ana greater benent
derived by putting lumber and the articles mentioned In
Sohedule Ou list than any other article or
articles that Mr. Morrison has named in the free list
Why should Mr.. Morrison admit Canadian ores Tree,
and also Canadian hay and place duy 81 - % C GPUs
upon hemlOck lumoerf on the free list
b. has x RsSeS 9be 4' = ao 5 gp anu
aud left above stated the main article IN pidlne
lumber which aboring man I'm The great west ana
IN ali and Northern states wishes 10 pnrcn st
ss cheapy possible 10 ond his Itte dwel-ht 10 Ut
sure there Is a good zeal Of lumber lett ia michigan
3so mn IN NINA. ali nf tAe southern states Perhaps
those States uecd protection for their umher ana tbt
votes may be essential 70 carry the Ign tu'osh 'n7
House. . 49,,
the Hon William Morrison and tne Hon ram : hr%,
it, devoted 20 free trade ana liz Ilnclpcs IL Womb
hardly seem possible that they wcud let TINS pass ui-
potioed M Hewitt did not forget t. have iron ore en-
tered on the free u! I, OF winch tb'If Is S, ''DVg
tons mined annually, IN the min- OF Which II i
bic for American iDers to compete with the cheap 'oor
II any articles are TO be on the Tree list, think the
great farming states Of the west which hive ~ bay "
her houses barns and fences all Of theic lumber vH
say that this essential commodity VIII be the one GN"fe
81 others that should be entered on the Tree l' oi'
truly, ih'IL' Il'N'
lin the above letter Protection calls attention 10
another of the many inconsistencies in the Morrison
tariff 1t does not put lumber OF the free list
though it preteDds 70 aim at tine removal Of duties
that have been found unnecessary Or unduly bur
densOme, particularly on the raw materials OF IN
dustry II Mr. Morrisoa's theories have any sense
fl them whatever il is not possible 10 defend any
duty on lumber II by retaining that duty he con-
fesses that his bill destitute Of principle and was
not meant 10 have any sens in it, the sooner mem
bers of Congress pitch it into the waste-baskct the
better. We cannot afford t. have all industry Dis
ordered indefinitely by political tricks. II Las
been a fayorte pretence of the Morrison wing OF the
Democrats that tLey were anxious for the welfare
of 1.-THE poor farmer" Well, the farmer Of the
West knows no duty that bears as heavily on
him as the duty on lumber HIS fences and his
dwellings and barns, throughout the prairie
region especially. are greatly enhanced in cost by
this duty, The PTotect0nist, il Is true holds that
the advantages which the farmer secures by the
protective system greatly outweigh its disadyan-
tsges But the Morrison Democrats do not They
denounce that idea az q thin cloak for shameless
robbery In that case, what deccncy is there M
their maintaining the duty on lumber' They
clamor day and night against monoPolies. Their
speeches can be- found 10y the carload for quantity
denounclng as one OF the worst of mOnOpOhcs the
control of the supply OF lumber in the Northwest.
What delightful speeches these viii be 10 quote, II
Mr.. MoTrisOns tariff becomes the platform of tho
Democratic party! But this is only a sample Of
one Of the most shameless political tricks ever
palmed of upon Congress " a measure of states
manship." There is not even the pretence OF con-
sstency Of regard for any principle whatever in
this extraordinary bin. Nj. Woods tariff was dis
graceful IN this respect. But tho Morrison tariff s
even WOrse-EdI