The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-28
BROWNE on THE TARIFF.

Strong and Convincing Presentation Of the
Protection Issue.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WAsHrSaroS, April 27.-There will be large
numbers of General Brownies tariff speech, de-
Iiyered IN the House on Wednesday, ordered by
members representing agricultural and manu-
featuring districts in all parts of the country
The speech is an extremely popular one in the
North west whore the propositions in the Mills
tariff bill to make inroads the agricultural
interests are received with indignation. General
Browne. besides being lawyer. is o practical
farmer, and spends most Of his time when not in
Congress at work in the open fields, on his farm,
near Winchester, and he knows what the farm
ing industries are at the present time, and has
watched their development closely during the
last third Of century. The Generals speech
was all that the farmers, manufacturers. me-
chanics and laborers hoped for. and he has been
already warmly congratulated by number of
bis constituents. He showed that he was an
dent friend Of tariff protection. and yet he ia
yors reduction Of the present tariff duties-a
reduction, however, with the broadcast view to
protecting the industries while reducing the in
comes.
There are some features of General Brownies
speech that are remarkably strong for their
logic aud the terse manner in which they are
cal Mills tariff bill, which proposes a reduction
so destructive, so inequitable, inconsistent
and sectional as not to be acceptable TO the peo-
pie. the General said:
At no time have opposed revision of our revenue
system. Human wisdom has devised statutes
of taxation methods for industrial encouragement
perfect not to be subject to just criticism De-
Heve the tariff ought to be revised and if it were pos
sible would now take up this legislation, line by
for the general welfare. Wherever duty is too high
would reduce it: wherever too low, increase it. In
making changes would keep constantly in view the
interest of the whole people not that of mere sec
tion In adjusting taxation would tax the ightest
the necessaries Of life and put the heaviest burdens
upon luxuries. No legitimate industry should be
harmed and put in peril.
Our revenue laws the creatures of the Repub
can party, fashioned by that party, when to avert
the Union. immense revenues were required It
made them, IL has redeatedy amended them. and 10
revenue system and within period of less than
twenty years reduced nternalrevenue taxation from
$3O9. 1865 900 to SIG 000O 900. Changes in trade,
IN commercial ard economic conditions render fire.
quent modification and amendment necessary. In no
important particular has these laws been modified
save by the Republican party and that party stands
pledged to-day when the question Is committed to it.
to correct their inequalities and to revise them. al
ways having regard TO the interest of the taxpayer
the aborer and the product interests OF the coun
try. It believes in protection, but believes also in
fair and equitable taxation, and in tax reduction
whenever and wherever it can be made without in
The President to be congratulated that he has at
last compelled his party TO tender an issue ON the
l
the industrial classes by such seductive phrases
TAX reduction must be so made as not to injure
without deprivinr American labor Of the ability TO
compete with foreign labor"
The masquerade Is over. The party now fights I'M
der it's true colors The question of to-day and the
question of the future H. shall system be
guard of free-trade policy. 1 am more concerned
about the fate of this issue than of this bill.
proteotion as vicious and illogical and assume first
that the of the duty the imported article is
the sum of the duty and is paid by the consumer;
second that the duty en- imported articles not only
raises their price to the extent of the duty paid but
has the effect and raises the price to the
extent on all domestic manufactures of the same kind;
third that protective legislation does not the
wages OF labor except as TO those who are employed
IN the factory and the mne ana .haS O. TN IN
wsgeworkers in other emPloyments; that in fact the
employee of the mine the factory is not benefited,
for while it increases his wages it at the time
robs him of larger by compelling him to pay
increased price fer everything he consumes.
The central thought here is that a tariff is tax.
that it is added to the article and paid by the
without any returning benefit. that the con-
pays this tax for the benefit of the producer,
and that this is negotiable.
Sir, this is too narrow statement OF the PROPOSE
ton 1t avoids the main issue in this contention. The
question is not whether the duty is added to the price,
but whether the article in market actually costs
the consumer more than he would have paid had
protection been given to the American competing in
dusry In other words, has protecron tested by its
results increased the price of the protected artclel
This problem is not be solved by the dry husks of
theory bnt by living facts furnished by expert
It is within our knowledge, it is undisputed
history that protected article made by
pie in quantities approxmating our home demand,
has steadily down under the fostering of our
protective policy.
could demonstrate this by the statistics of hun
dred industries, but few notable examples must
answer. Saginaw salt sold in 1886 for 81 80, and
price for tom Of steei r IN 1857 was sIes to-
day it commands but S3i so, and has sold as low
competitive one, plate glass was worth 90 cents
foot and it sells at 3S cents. large plate, then
costing SlO5, can fe bought to-day for $31 so. Pig
iron found its lowest level under freetrade
tariff at $3l Is per ton. wnils under protection it
under protection. need not parlicularizs further.
There has been during the past twenty years steady
wooden goods of all kinds of textiles of shoes of
furniture, household goods. manufactures of steel
In the presence of these facts the say
he has lost the of whatever duties he may have
paIds Are not the articles he consumes, with the
duty added cheaper now than before they taxedl
to capital stimulated American enterprise and devel
oped an industrial competition until the American
been given the best and cheapest market
he ever hadl Has rot the building up of home
nanufactur not only cheapened their product here
Would free trade have given cheaper marketl Let
him who thinks himself robbed by the tariff charge it
with the of the duty paid and then credit it with
his savings in diminished prices under its operation
and sec how the account stands he viii find that the
debted to protection for its savings without counting
the other benefits and conpensatons of the system.
Mr.. O'Neall, of Indiana--Eow does the gentleman
justify the duty copperl
Mr. Browne, Of Indiana-I want the privilege of
saying to my friend that IT had the opportunity
would put copper the free list quickly that
il would make his head swim.
We produce come manufactures here more chearly
than they made abroad Do these need protection2
Perhaps not, but the duty do possible HARM
Is there any occasion for repeating it? But Europe
could we are told but for the duty, supply mar
ket with many articles cheapy than we can pro-
duce theIh and why should the duty be taken eff
that the consumer may have the cheaper goodsl But
IS Il not true that home products haye been con-
etanty cheapening; and il continue our favorable
conditions for labor and capital not with our
unlimited resources ultimately undersei the woridf
wrought great prosperity
But suppose abolish tariff duties, and give Eu-
rope the unrestricted of markets. will we get
cheaper goodsl The very contrary viii happen
Free trade is only safe between nations having equal
industrial conditions. The nation possessing indus
trial advantages always destroys seriously crippes
the trade of its weaker and less fortunate rival The
purpose of tariff is to equalizs these conditions
Labor is the chief factor in the cost of production
large per cent of the cost of every manufact
IRE is the paid labor. In the United States