New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-05


be dealt with, why not give relief to the people py
reduction of the tax on sugar. The effort to pro,
duce sugar in the United States in quantities at all
approaching the demand has failed though pro-
tected by the ghest tariff rates. Still. in view
Of the hopeful prospects Of producing sugar from
beets and sorghum cane, as well as from sugar
ing protective duties. except by giving the pro
ducers of domestic sugar bounty equal to the re-
duction of duty on the imported article.
RAW MATERIALS
But it was not Of the duties on food that the
President complained as vicious inequitable and
illogical sources Of taxation" The duties of which
he complained were those for the benefit Of manu-
facturers; and he urged especially a radical reduc-
ton of the duties imposed upon raw materials,
used in manufactures or their free Importation
The great body of crude articles which entered
into the processes of domestic industry, to the
value of 100000, 900, were now free OF duty.
Every imported article of that class was so unless
it competed directly with the development OF
American resources. Duties averaging ~ PEE
cent were now levied upon such Imported articies,
valued at so 1-2 millions, and which yielded q
revenue Of ! 8 1-2 millions The cher OF them
were agricultural prOducts-wool, lax, hemp ana
other textile grasses; hops, 6risties ana seeds
81 1000, 900, Or less than 80 per cent The re,
mainder chiefly metals in ore or pigs; coal ana
marble, of the value Of 22 i2 millions and yield
ing o IA millions. These imports came into d.
rect competition with the productions OF nearly
two million American farmers and of hundreds of
thousands of laboring men. This moderate pro-
lection given to the labor and capital employed IN
mining and agricultural industries was the favor
tie point of assault by the President and all free
traders upon the protective policy.
It was the citadel of the system. The whole
depended upon the principle that it was wise to
give by tariff laws to all forms OF American labor
the degree of protection or advantage which the
imposition of duties on similar foreign productions
necessarily gave That had been the rule since
the beginning of the Government and had been
recommended by every President from Washington
to Polk The same rule had been applied for the
benefit of the farmer, the miner and the furnace
owner, as well as of the manufacturer; and when
ever that rule departed from the whole system
would fail, and properly so. -,
The principle OF protection demanded equality of
benefits and of burdens. The object was protec-
ton to labor, not to capital No reason could he
given why wool should be made free and woOllen
goods should be protected. II there must be cheap
wool theremust be cheap woolens: and if the labor
of the farmer in producing the wool was not pro-
tectod against undue competition with Australia
or BuenOs Ayres, then that OF the clothmaker
the looms of Manchester or Lyons. If there were
low duties on iron ore there would have 10 be low
duties on iron and steel in all its forms. The
farmer performed valuable labor as the artisan:
and the rights Of every producer should have equal
and Just consideration: without fear or favor. And
vet the President had selected that class OF pro-
auctions under the name of raw materials for
destruction, and had especially selected wool as an
article not to he protected His whole argument
rested the allegation that the price OF wool WAS
increased to the extent Of the duty. and that but
for the duty. the merchant could buy this wool
cheaper IN South America and Australia. This
argument was fallacous because the destruction
of the wool industry in the United States would
ut once advance the price Of wool in foreign mar
kcts. But even il the argument were true II
would apply as well to all domestic productions
and to all manufactures Wool was the completed
article of the farmer, lust as cloth was OF the
manufacturer. and as the coat was OF the tailor:
ard the objection that the duty on wool raised the
tIn io1 nc n
the duty on cloth and Of the infinite variety OF
articles produced by American labor competing
with foreign labor This diversity Of production n
alike and The secret 81 the enormous growth,
power nnd wealth ~ the Republic. ~ hal always
seemed to him that the most narrow and selfish no.
tions advanced i'm respect to tariff laws land 10
which the President now lent his name) was that
made on behalf Of advanced industries now sup
.ported by duties greater than those on raw ma
tcrials-that they must he allowed To purchase
Their raw materials In the cheaDest markets OF the
world-that the mineral treasures in every state
and Territory must he left und"velopcd In order
that these advanced Industries might have cheap
raw materials. lie regarded the home production
of raw materials even Of more importance than
manufactures. There was but one rule which had
to be applied to all industries impariallv. and that
was to give to all forms Of American labor which
have to compete with foreign labor that fair and
reasonable advantage and protection which would
rive tho American producer the home market 1or
home products.
MAHUFA CTUREs
Turning from raw materials TO manufactures.
Mr. Sherman said that the imports not on the free
list. and not classed by him as 'luxuries or raw
materials amounted in value to 81 g millions ana
Maid eighty four millions in duties These I'M
portations came into direct competition with do
nestle manufactures, which had been mainly built
I'D by the encouragement OF tariff laws. scarcely
any Of them had existed in the United States when
the Constitution was framed Since then they
have ouri.hed or TO 1dcrcI by the changing rates
of the revenue laws. A careful revision ~ rates
had been made by tho tariff commission OF $50
All branches Of domestic industry had become ,in,
adapted TO these rates. 1t was the system whi e,
was denounced by the President as vicious In
equitable and illogical" That denunciation was
aimed at the principle Of protection. All the IN
dustral classes OF the population were directly IN
tcrested in that principle. The farmers ana me-
chanics had long since learned to look beyond the
narrow view of their interests taken by the PreSl-
dent They looked at it from higher plane Inc
benefits Of protection pcrmcated through the wholc
community, and extended to the remOtest parts OF
the country. but were most apparent In the I'M
mediate ncighborhood Of manu- featuring Industries
The President assumed that the duty on imported
articles was added to the price Of similar articles
of home production; but such was not the TACT. In
the absence Of domestic competition the importer
fixed his own price and added the duty ana eS
pcnses to the cost but, at the first sign OF Amerl-
can competition the price was reduced and often,
in a stagnant market, goods were sold Mt far less
than the original cost and duty. As rule I'M
goods
sold in the American market duties added. In
the great body of articles formerly imported, the
American manufacture was well established and;
under domestic competition the price was reduced
to figures approaching European rates. In some
articles America competed with Europe In the
markets Of the world And this process was now
going on. Home competition wherever
it got fosthold. reduced prices
and Iessened importation. most remarkable
example Of that in the production of glassware
pottery and china ware which had become est a.,
lished industries in this country. He quoted Mr..
Dudley. late Consul-General at Liverpool, to the
effect that there is not single manufactured com,
modify that is not cheaper to-day in the Unlteu
$50 under free trade; and that nine-tenths OF
the manufactured commodities used by American
nitmre implements of husbandry tools etc;) are
as cheap in this country as they are in England
and in some instances, cheaper. The TACT tha'
features OF iron Steel cotton, wool, wood leather
china and glassware was evidence that the duty