Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-01

HoN. THOMAS B. REED discusses the
tariff with striking lncidity and force.
His article in the New York Independent
is valuable and worthy of special atten-
ton for the through and effective manner
with which he exposes the present talk of
the Clevelandites as to the small percen-
tage of production provided in the Mills
bill. In this ably written paper Mr..
Reed says.
THE friends of the President, looking at
the Oregon elections and seeing also other
like signs in the heaven, have now become
alarmed, and Mr.. Mills himself after having
delivered four years ago pointed declara-
ton in favor of free trade calling it by its
very name, and just after having been ex-
amined personally by Henry George and
pronounced free trade from the base up
declare that no Democrat wishes free trade.
THE newspapers of his party also are
now full of disclaimers. They take refuge
in the doctrine of percentages, and declare
tual II Is CTutl W thth WIN AANN
trade when they only take off seven per cent
and leave forty. This doctrine of percen-
tage is a mere juggle with figures, as will
show. 1t has had great vogue, for both par
ties have used it. was presented early in
the debate and the Democratic figures were
| taken by their opponents, because the then
Democratic doctrine announced by all their
speeches was that protection forced the peo-
pie TO pay 81 900, 000,0O0 to manufacturers
in order to give the Treasury $1,000, 900 Of
revenue, and was, therefore,, system of
| robbery To which the quick and uncOm-
Portable answer came: If this be robbery
why do you still sanction what you say is
forty per cent. of robbery
This percentage, therefore, seems to
have the sanction of both parties, whereas
it is only the assertion of one. Now how
ever since the Presidents friends are trying
to claim that their retention of forty per cent
shows them TO be the real original friends of
Protection, it is time to call attention to this
fallacy and to show how this percentage
doctrine is managed. 1t is time to show
what they call merely a seven per cent
reduction really is Some articles we use
much Of OF others we use very little. In
this new doctrine of percentage quantity
plays a part. Tannic acid a; 1917 per cent,
of which we use ounces, counts as much as
metals at thirty-eight per cent. of which we
use thousands of tons. We import $500
worth of the acid and 100000 worth of
the metals
Anybody can see the folly of adding
these percentages together and saying that
the average Protection on fannie acid and
the metals is III per cent. And yet just
in that way is the sleight of hand per-
centage doctrine manoeuvered. A better
test is in the very figures which Mr.. Mills
himself furnishes in his last speech, July 2l,
IN the table at the end. The total duties
collected in 1887, on the articles named in
the BILL were Sl79 ,64l 330.7l. The amount
of duties RENTED by this bill is $50 ,59l, :
636,S9, or more than twenty-eight per cent.
Even this statement does not show the extent
of the disaster, for it shows only an average
after all. Some articles are cut much more
than twenty-eight per cent, and the whole
free list, from its very nature, is stripped to
the extent of 100 per cent
''flow severe is the attack on our indus
tries the length of the five minute debate on
the items-which extended over weeks full
of very long days--is the best witness For
most of the time was occupied on the Re-
publican side, and it was occupied not in
speeches for delay, but naturally and for
the most part in explanation of the injury
each item would nhict upon the industries
of the country"