The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-12-20
TARIFF REFORM.
The Opinion of McCullock, Sec
rotary of the Treasury. An
Extract from his Report.

| NcleIIlHS 10 the trade QepreS-
sion the Secretary says:
THE all-important question that
presses itself upon the public atten-
ton is how shall the country be
relieved from the plethora of man.
ufactured goods, and how shall
plethora hereafter be prevented
1t is obvious that our power TO pro-
duce is much in excess of the pres
ent or any probable future demand
for home consumption. The exist
ing iron, cotton, and wooden mills,
if employed at their full capacity,
could meet in six neutrality-suspicious.
in shorter time-the home demand
for a year. 1t is certain, therefore,
that unless markets now practically
closed against US are opened un-
less we can share with the trade
monopolized by European nations,
the depression now SO severely felt
will continue, and may become
more disastrous.
The question how shall our for
eign trade be increased is the ques-
ton which now comes to the front
and demands prompt and careful
consideration. Manufacturers are
primarily interested, but the whole
country has a stake in its solution
In its investigation the tariff will
be necessarily involved, inasmuch
as the relations between it and our
foreign trade are so close that they
cannot be considered separately,
but it need not be involved except
SO far as it stands in the way of in
ternational trade. If the duties
upon raw material are distractions,
those duties should be removed.
If the duties upon other articles
are an obstruction they shold be
modified. Whatever may be re-
CURED to increase our foreign trade,
whether it be repeal or modifca-
ton of existing duties should be
demanded by the manufacturers
themselves. A commission of in
quiryis suggested, to be composed of
Representatives, the Secretary ofthe
Treasury being a member ea o6ieio.
FREE RAW MATERIALS.
All the leading nations of the
world are now engaged in manu-
featuring, and all but Great Britain
are fencing themselves in by pro-
tective duties. Among them the
United States has been conspciu-
Gus. Has not the time come when
new departure is demanded
Golden, one of the ablest and most
farseeing of British statesmen, pre-
dicted that the United States
would in time not only become a
great manufacturing country, but
would become a competitor with
Great Britain in the South Ameri-
can markets.
When the real condition Of our
foreign trade and the character of
the competition in which we must
sooner or later engage are fully un
derstood, it will be found that our
inability to make that trade as free
as our best interests require, lies
in the necessity which exists for
heavy import duties, which, al
though they may be levied for rev.
enue only, must be in a large de-
gree protective.
In the commencement of its work
the Commission should, | think,
regard the following points as being
settled:
First, That the public revenues
are not to be in excess of what
may be required for the sup
port of the Government, and the
gradual reduction of the public debt.
Second, That our manufactures,
which under the fostering care of
the Government have attained such
gigantic proportions and whose
prosperity is essential to the welfare
of all other interests, are not to be
put in jeopardy by radical and
sweeping changes in the tariff; and
that all reductions of import duties
should be made with a view to their
ultimate advantage by opening to
them markets from which they
are now in large degree excluded.
In the proceeding remarks the
tariff has been only indirectly re-
ferrcd to. From this it must not
be inferred that l am not in favor
of a reform of the tariff, but rather
that the subjects of the tariff and
foreign trade are so intimately con-
nected that they must, in my
opinion, be considered together.
Have we not reached the stage
when a policy should be adopted
which will embrace and harmonic
the great interests of the country?
First, That the existing duties
upon raw materials which are to
be used in manufacture should be
removed. This can be done in the
interest of our foreign trade.
Second, That the duties upon the
articles used or consumed by those
who are the least able to bear
the burden of taxation should be
reduced. This also can be effected
without prejudice to our export
trade.
INTERNAL TAXES,