The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-08-19
Tariff Reform.

In the national campaign of 1884 the
Independents claimed that civil SER
vice reform was the only real issue of
the contest, and that the tariff was not
an important question. Some of them
still claim that it is not now vital
issue, and will never be until civil SER
vice reform has become an accomplished
fact. But it is absurd to stick to this
assertion, in face of what the advocates
of free-trade and so-called tariff reform
have been doing for some months past.
During the winter the free-trade asso-
Citations were steadily making efforts to
instill their doctrines through the me-
dunn of public addresses and the circu-
lation of documents bearing on the sub
iect. In Boston, New York and Brook
Ign very large number of free-traders,
who style themselves "revenue re-
formers" are mugwumps who are far
more dissatisfied with the republican
party because of its pronounced atti-
tude in favor of the protective policy
than because it has not gone to radi-
cal extreme in furtherance of civil SER
vice reform. The New York Tribune
calls attention to the organization of
National Protective League, the neces-
sity for which it urges on the ground
that american industry stands in
need of a better organized and more
intelligently directed defence than it
has yet had" 1t urges manufacturers
to give financial support to this league,
and says that " if the defenders of
American industry do not mean to
be defeated they must take up the task
of educating American voters with new
zeal and with new liberality"
Indications point to strong move
ment in the democratic house, sus-
tanned by the administration, for radi
cal revision of the tariff in favor of
lower duties. AS the senate has a re-
publican majority, that body stands in
the way of any democratic legislation
that embodies the reduction of tariff
duties to revenue basis; but, all the
same, the democratic free-traders and
their Independent sympathizers feel
bound to uphold the democratic doc
trine and policy on this question. No
one will claim that some revision of the
tariff is not needful; but where repub-
| 1;oope ond Jap,ocro diffor upop tbir
question is that the former would re-
duce tariff duties in all cases where it
could be done without injustice to any
industrial interest, and without elm
mating the protective principle; while
the latter would make the reduction
more sweeping and regardless of its eff
fects upon our industrial interests-their
real and ultimate purpose being to secure
4" a tariff for revenue only" A con-
gresham who is keen TO perceive every
movement of antagonism to protective
tariff recently informed a correspond
ent that the free-trade movement in
congress the coming winter would be
brisk and have assistance from men,
bers of the cabinet. How / know
this" he said, I" l may not tell you, but
the activity of free-trade clubs in Bos-
ton, New York, Brooklyn, Chicago and
other large cities has been matter of
surprise to me. They have been SOW
ing free-trade literature in Wisconsin,
Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois, in the
expectation of swinging those states
out of the republican column. With
out some special encouragement, |
could not see how it was possible to
keep up the interest in this work. On
prosecuting inquiries closely, l ascer-
tanned that these clubs have received
distinct encouragement from members
of the cabinet. In one of the depart
ments those clerks who can be trusted
have been set to work to gather in
formation at home and abroad for use in
congress to promote free-trade legisla-
tion.n This would seem to dispose of
the mugwump assurance that the tariff
is not going to be much of an issue.
We do not think that the great body of
protectionists will make any serious OPP
position to scheme of tariff revision
that avoids radical tendencies and aims
at just and equable reduction of rates,
but they will not consent to have this
proposed tariff reform " carried out
practically on free-trade basis.
Practical Ethics.