The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-09-14
TARIFFS COMPARED.
PRINCIPAL SCHEDULES FROM 1889
CAREFULLY EXAMINED.

summary OF the Changes In Duties from
the First Tariff Imposed by tho United
States Government to tho Present Time.
4 Changes Proposed by the Mills Bill.
Copyrighted by the American Press Association
No other subject in American politics has
been 50 often and so continuously debated as
the tariff. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
that the rate of duties upon imports into the
United States has been changed no less than
dfty times since the establishment Of their
government. But emitting minor changes,
Of which there have been as many as three in
one year, the different tariffs adopted by
congress may be clasSed under eleven heads,
viz:
l. Tho Hamiitonian or Federalist tariff,
the first adopted, signed by President WASH
ington ON July 4, 1889, and amended many
times in tho following twenty- years
and generally by higher rates. 1t was sus-
pended for a time by the embargo" Of
President Jefferson, which practically pro
hibited all trade with Europe.
3. The war tariffs of lSl2-15, nominally
moderate, but made prohbitory for time
by the British blockade. ~
3. The Lowndes- Calhoun tariff Of 1916,
avowedly protective and designed "to pre-
Derve those industries called into existence
by the exigencies of tho war and by the
blockade"
4. The first 'Clay tariff sometimes called
the Republican tariff" of 1924, raising the
rates of 1916 and adding many articles pro
duced in the never states. This was the first
eariff levying duties on wool.
8. The tariff OF 1928, the highest before the
war, Denounced by its enemies as ''The
Tariff Of Abominatious
G. The modifying tarff'' of 1852, designed
to correct the inequalities" of that of 1929
q Tho compromise tariff of 1888, designed
to pacify the nulhfiers of South Carolina and
providing for taking Off one-tenth of tho
higher duties each year until all should reach
a uniform rate Of 20 per cent. ~
g. The Wing tariff of 1912, adopted on the
plea that the treasury was empty and the
manufactures Frustrated, and designed to be
both for revenue and protection.
o. The Poll-Walker tariff of 1916, abolish
sh all existing duties and providing, for q
lower scale of duties on what was alleged to
DO a scientific plan" The rates averaged
about % per cent, If Injuries be included.
10 The Democratic Republican or second
compromise tariff Of 1857, reducing the rates
OF the Poll-WallSer tariff on tho plea that
The revenue was excessive. t.lA
II. Tho Morrill, tariff Of 1861, the first
tariff providing for general system of COM
pound and differential duties, specific and
ad valorem, and making differences between
goods imported from different parts of the
world. This tariff was frequently raised
during tho war, revised in 1866 1867, 1860
and 1870, reduced 10 per cent in 1872, raised
to the old rates in 1875, and slightly reduced
10, .,
1t has been avowedly protective throughout
The Mills bill would make certain reduc-
tions on the rates left in 1888 and place sew
eral articles, of which wool is the most i'm
portant, on the free list.
The student of American tariff legislation
should keep constantly in mind the fact that,
until 1870, the tariff question was always
complicated with the questions of banking
and currency, and that change in the one
often produced results now enormously
charged or credited to the other While
there have been eleven general tariffs and
some forty minor changes under the general
heads, there have been no less than eight dis
tinct systems of currency and banking,
which may be thus titled: The Hamiltonian
United States bank era, 17So to 1911; the
Madisonian state bank era, 1911 to
1917; the Clay, ETC., United States
bank era, 1917 to 1S36-'37; the Jack
son-Benton ''hard money" experiment,
1887 to 1871; the general state bank system,
1s4f to 1862; the greenback and national
bank system with suspension Of specie pay
ments, 1862 to 1879, and the era of ''equaliza-
ton" Of coin and paper, from 1870 to the
present. The student who attempts to study
the currency alone finds his scientific conclu-
sions constantly set at naught by the facts
the interfering factor is tho tariff If he at
tempts to deduce general conclusions on tho
tariff from admitted facts, he is perpetually
thwarted by revulsions duo to the currency.
III he attempts to combine the twoin ono he
is still often perpleSed in forriin.; correct
conclusions.
The following compilation presents com
parison OF tariffs from lTs9 TO tho present
upon those articles tho duties upon which
would be affected by the Mills bill were it to
become n law. Limitations as to space, how
ever, have made it possible to show the most
notable changes only. Tho items aro CLASH
fled alphabetically, the nomenclature of the
Mills bill being observed so far as las been
found practicable Tho first date given in
dicateS the year tho article under consdera-
ticn was first placed on the schedule, tho
next date the first change of note, etc.
In every case, however, tho rate of the
schedule of 1888, now in force, and referred
to here as "1SSS, " is given just before the Gg-
ter Of such articles az wool, iron, sugar, etc,
it has been thought better to give one short
explanatory paragraph than To attempt to
give tho schedules in full. In fact, this would
bc impossible, as n comparison of tho schedules
on wool alonc would quito ill this page. The
letters IN. o. p. E." stand for mot otherwise
provided for" Here ere the figures
Acetate OF Lead, browns 1912, 4 cts. lb;
1861. 80 cts. H.; 1878. cts. lb.; 1885, cts ID;
NILS bill. cts. ID.
Acetate of Lead. white: 1912. A c.s. h.;
1872 10 Cts. lb; 1882 cts h.. Mills BILL cts h.
Acid, fannie or tannin; 1864, $500 ID;
1875. SLIGO H.; 1858. 81 b.; Mills bill. 60 eta ID
Acids, acetic, ncetous and pyroliS-
neous. exceeding specific gravity of l7Hooo per
h.; 1912 90 per cent; 1884, so cts h.: 1876 80 cts
h.; 1883. 10 c:o. ID, Nils bill cts. Id.
Acorns a nj Dnndeiion Root. end all sub
stitutes for coffee p. e. 1870. free; 1875 cts.
lb.; 1885, cis.lo.; Mills bill. free.
Aiums 1916, si.co and s2.oo cwt.; 1924. %; cts.
H., IS42. ~ cts H.; is4o 20 per cent; 1861 cts
H.; 1888. cts. To-; Hills tili free.
Aufifrae OIL and its hornolop,,ca, 1870 fra.