Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-01-12

MAS of the manufacturer and rs the coat
was Of the tailor; and TIE objection that
the duty on Wool raised the price 70 the
consumer applied as wei If true, to the
duty on cloth and on every article on
TIE tariff list. The all sufficient answer
was That the duty encouraged the pro-
duction of wool, the manufacture of
cloth and of the infinite variety of arti-
cleS produced by American labor COM
peting with foreign labor. This diver
sity of production Injured to the ben
eft of all classes of the people alike
and was the secret of the enormous
growth, power and wealth of the Repub-
lie. 1t had always seemed to him that
the most narrow and selfish notions ad-
Yanced in respect to tariff laws land to
which the President now lent his name
was that made on behalf of advanced
industries, now supported by duties
greater than those on raw materials
that they must be allowed to purchase
their raw materials in the cheapest
markets of the world; that the mineral
treasures in every State and Territory
must be left undeveloped in order that
these advanced industries must have
cheap raw materials. He regarded the
home production of raw materials as
even of more importance than manu-
factures. There was but one rule which
had to be applied to all industries i'm
partially, and that was to give to all
forms of American labor which have to
compete with foreign labor that fair and
advantage and protection
which would give the American produc-
er the home market for home products
Turning from raw materials to manu-
factured, Mr.. Sherman said that the. i'm
ports not on the free list, and not class
ed by him as luxuries or raw materials,
in value to S219,000,000, and
paid SS4,006000 in duties. These I'M
pOrtatiOns came into direct competition
with domestic manufacturers, which had
been mainly built up by the encourage
ment of tariff laws. Scarcely any of
them had existed in the United States
when the constitution was framed Since
then they had f1Ourished or fOundered
by the changing rates of the revenue
laws. 4 careful revision of rates had
been made by the Tariff Commission of
1882. All branches of domestic indus
try had become adapted to these rates.
1t was this system which was denounced
by the President as ''vicious, inequitable
and illogical" That denunciatiOn was
aimed at the principle of protection.
All the industrial classes of the popula-
ton were directly interested in that
principle.
The farmers and mechanics had long
since learned 10 look beyond the narrow
view of their interests taken by the Pres
ident. They looked at it from higher
plane. The benefits of protection per-
meated through the whole community,
and extended to the remotest parts of
the country, but were most apparent IN
the immediate neighborhoOd OF manu-
featuring industries. The President as
;umed that the duty on imported articles
was added to the price of similar arti-
cles Of home production, but such was
not the fact. In the absence of domes-
tic competition the importer fixed his
own price, and added the duty and ex-
DenseS to the cost, but at the first sign
IF American competition the price was
and often, in stagnant mar
zet, goods were sold at far less than the
original cost and duty. AS a rule, i'm
ported goods competing with American
goods were sold in the American market
cheaper than in the European market,
iuties added. In the great body of ar
jicles formerly imported the American
was well established, and,
lnder domestic competition the price
was reduced to figures approachingkEu-
'0pean rates.. In some articles America
competed with Europe in the markets
If the world.
And this process was now going on.
Home competition, wherever it got
'oothold, reduced prices and lesSened
lmple of that was in the production of
glassware, pottery and chinaware, which
lad become established industries in
his country. He quoted Mr.. Dudley,
ate Consul General at Liverpool, to the
fleet that there is not single manu-
,actured commodity that is not cheaper
O-day in the United States, under the
system, than it was in 1860
mder free trade; and that nine-tenths
If the manufactured commodities used
" American farmers (including cloth
ng, household goods, furniture, imple-
OnOtc of hI1c hnn1 tools N \
heap in this country as they are in
and in some instances cheaper.
rhe fact that large importations were
low made of manufactures of iron, steel,
.Otton, wool, wood, leather, china and
glassware, was evidence that the duty
N certain grades of these goods was
lot beyond the revenue standard. If
he present system were maintained,
American home industries could and
would compete with European produc-
ions in articles essential to human life
md comfort. AS to the Presidents as
ertiOn that more than four thousand
.rticles were subject to tariff duties, that
Mr.. Sherman said) was a gross but
common exaggeration. He would agree
With the President. however, in saying
hat if, on a careful examination, it
hould appear that any duty on any ar
icle could be dispensed with, without
Ietrimcnt to American industry, it
hould be done: and that, if any article
low paying taxes could not be manu-
actured here, it should be placed ON the
rec list. The object of the tariff laws
vas to encourage home manufactures in
with foreign rivals, as well
S to secure revenue; and therefore these
avs should be as permanent as possible,
consistent with the needs of the Gov
rnment. American citizens were en-:
to invest their money in ex-
,ensiye machinery and buildings, but
hey had no special privileges, no mo-
lopoly. All the world might in this
ountry enter into competition with
hem. The President, however, seemed