New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-02
THE NEW TARfFF BILL

| THE NEW TARfFF BILL
Part Of the hatred for snakes is due TO the
| fact that they hide in holes in the ground. HAD
| MIR. Mlls's Tariff bill been considered In open
| committee as the rules of the house provide,
with far opporlu unity for it's opponents to point
out defects or to Oher objections, or with any
trace of readiness on the part of its friends to
consider suggestions, there would have been
presumption that the measure was at least the
work of candid and honest men. That is the
open door through which men enter when they
do not fear the ght; he that cOmCth In some
other way, il not thief and lobbcr must at
least expect to be met with doubt IL is another
grave reason for distristing the bill now offered
that there has been a persistent effort for
months to prejudice the public in its favor,
through journals which were carefully informed
Of provisions that were both carefully and
even discourteousy concealed from members
| of the Committee on Ways and Means. Out
Of secret meetings which have lasted for
months this bill comes into the light. ncccs-
sarily an object of suspicion.
| The first impression which perusal OF this
| bill produces is that it could never have been
| framed by sane men with any expectation that
it would pass. 1t makes all wool free Of duty.
with waste woollcn rags and shoddy. When
the Democratic party was in the flush Of abso
lutte power it never dared 10 make such propO
sition, and yet 3O,OOO,O0O people then pro
dnccd only 60 600 600 pounds OF wool; now
cOOOO,OOO people produce about 3OO'OcO'O0O
pounds. The opposition Of this feature alone
would probably suffice to defeat the bill. But in
addition, duties on woollcn goods arc reduced,
| according TO an estimate from the committee,
| as much as Sl7.25O 900 on importations which
| paid only S29 700 900 duties last year. On
| dress goods cloths fiannels. knit goods, blan-
kcts and the great variety Of unspecificd wool
lens on VIII oh the duties now range fhom GO
to so per cent. the bill proposes only an ad
vaorcm duty Of 40 per cent, abolishng the
specific duties which afford the main and almost
the only defence against undcrvalatOns. and
in that respect treating with contempt Sccrc-
tary Fairchlds earnest appeal.
On this part Of the measure the argument is
exceedingly simple. Every defender Of the
bill will declare that free wool will assurcdy
give the farmers a higher price. That is true
for lower prices will first stop or greatly reduce
wool growing and then the vast demand from
this country will make it easy for foreign rivals
to put up the price at their pleasure. Dependent
upon foreign supplies, and paying more for
raw material than he pays now, the manufact-
Ircr has his defensive duty cut down from ono
third to onc-half and the only part OF that
duty upon which he can at all rely as defence
against false swcaring-the duty by pound or
yard-abolshcd entirely. And this. by gro
tcsouc abuse of words. has been styled ga very
conservative bill" If intended to promote
fraud it is extremely well devised.
Removal of wool duties is defended on the
ground that raw materials ought to be free.
Bat refusal to touch the duties on iron ore or
coal is excused because two Southern States
object There is not even a decent fg-leaf Of
pretcnce that regard for public welfare has
shaped the bill With no change whatever in
ore, the duty on pig iron is cut down ~ cents
lyr ton, and the duty on rails So per ton; the
reduction on these two items would be S1,l76,-
OOO but for the certainty that imports, already
large would be enormously increased. On
other manufactured iron and steel the duties
are cut down, while iron or steel in sheets and
coated with tin is placed on the free list Flax
hemp and their substitutes are put on the free
hSt with salt. lumber and a great variety of
articles such as aumina glyccrnc. phosphorus
copper suIphatc and other chemicals. The re-
ducton Of duties on the chemical class is csti
mated at $4,000, and on cotton goods $780,
900. Heavy reductions are also made on glass
and earthen ware, which are supposed u
amount to 81 100000. It is estimated that the
additions to the free list would reduce the
revenue by S22 $50 600.
Considered rs measure which is intended
to affect the industries of the country and its
foreign trade. this bill has rival for astound-
ing fooshncss. Had foreign ore been ad-
United free, some reduction in duties on manu-
featured iron would have found color of excuse
Or had duties on cloths been Of an effective
sort. a duty only per cent higher ready
made clothing might by some have been sup
poscd enough Mr.. Mills can miss the first
premium for ignorance or unwisdom only by
pleading that his bill is merely political trick,
framed with no idea that it would ever go into
elect. Viewed in that light. it contains many
appeals to prejudice. many ingenious bids for
the support OF classes or sections. For OK
amrIe, it is gravcly proposed to make all sorts
of tagging for cotton free of duty.
But Mr. Mills and his co-workers in darkness
have not known enough of this country to con-
trivt a really shrcwd political bill. Within
forty eight hours half the Democratic members
will be frightened by passionate protests from
constituents. whose industries Mr.. Mills pro-
poses to PROSTATE or destroy. The chances are
that he will not be able to recognize his own
bill when he sees it month hence.
NOR ILITi ~ FhANCE.
Tho conviction of NJ. Wilson justifics the
prog uf