The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-02-25
SAFE TARIFF REFORM.
From the N. Y. World.l


The general plan on which the dem
ocrats of the ways and means commit
tee are building up their bill to reduce
the surplus is clearly described by our
Washington correspondent elsewhere.
His account, evidently based on accu-
rate information, will be read with in
terest by manufacturers and by their
workingmen also. Both will see that
their interests are to be carefully con-
sidered, and that with free raw mate.
rial the committee will arrange duties
on manufactures which, though they
will be apparently lower than at pres
ent, will in fact be SO much higher as
to give to the manufacturers a complete
control of the home market.
This, obviously, Is necessary, be-
cause the main object is TO reduce the
surplus taxation, and this CAL be done
only by lesseling, and not by increas-
ing, importations. Some republican
organs have cried out that the demo
Gratis meant to ruin home manufactures
by their tariff revision, but that is
mere partisan nonsense. To ruin home
manufactures would be to largely in
crease impOrtations and revenue.
But, if the committee carries out its
present plan and congress adopts il,
something better will be obtained for
American manufacturers than a more
complete control OF the home market
than they have under the present i'll
arranged, so-called protective tariff.
With free raw materials our manufac-
turers will be able to sell their surplus
products In the worlds markets, i'm
competition with their European
rivals, which they have never been
able to do under the SO called protec-
tive tariffs: and thus will be built up,
also, an American merchant marine,
which will have something TO carry
both ways.
Every workingman can see the enor-
nous advantage this will be to him,
because the enlargement OF the market
will enable the manufacturers TO keep
their mills and men steadily at work
all the year round, instead of stopping,
at frequent intervals, as they have done
for years, to enable demand TO catch
up with supply.
The proposed democratic tariff bill
might very properly be entitled "A
bill to secure American workiugmen
work and wages all the year round"
Our correspondent states that the
republicans OF the ways and means
committee are also busy with a bill.
All right. Let us have as many bills
as anybody wants to bring forward.
But we do not see how republicans are
going to oppose such bill as our cor
respondent reports the democrats will
propose. That, however, is for them
to consider. In this case "all baggage
at the risk of the owner" II the re.
publicans choose to put themselves
against reasonable. safe and carefully
drawn bill, which will benefit manu.
facturers, workingmen and the mass OF
consumers, they will hear from the
country next fall.
The Chicago Tribune has lately urged
the republicans to join hands with the
democrats in the work of tariff reyis-
ion, 50 as to take the tariff question out
of the presidential campaign. That is
wise advice for its party. II the re-
publicans oppose such a measure rs tho
democratic propose, they will lose halt
a dozen republican states next Novem-
ber which are absolutely needed to give
them even chance to eiect their candi.
date