Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-03-22
THE PRESENT AND COMING ISSUE.
Democratic scheme for Reducing
tariff,
where Republicans stand.

2
Talk as we may, the tariff will be tn,
eading issue in the next Presidentia
campaign. One good reason is, Their,
will not likely be tariff bill passed a
the present session of Congress. A
Democratic House, a Republican Senate
and Democratic Executive contro
present national legislation. A tariff
bill must originate in the House. Il
purely Democratic measure, represen
TING the view of the President as to what
the tariff system should be, the Senate
would most likely and very justly, re-
iect it, or amend il so that the House
would never concur in the changes. As
the matter will not likely be adjusted
this term, it will naturally become a
theme for party, platform and debate
In the ensuing presidential canvass
President Cleveland has thrown down
the gauntlet and declared, as the head
of his party upon what terms he wants
to make the race, and his party has
universally endorsed him. What does
President Cleveland (and his party)
mean to do concerning the tariff, and
whereindoes his policy differ from that
of the Republican party? 1t is matter
of Importance that we know where we
stand, if this subject is to bc the dividing
issue of the next campaign And this
inquiry becomes somewhat more peril
nent when it is believed that in conse-
quence of the specious and carefully
worded phrases of the President in his
late message many Republicans think
he stands where the Republican party
has always stood--that he simply wants
to reduce taxation fairly in order to re-
duce the revenue.
This is certainly an inviting scheme
but there are men in this country of
great renown who are mean enough
and suspicious enough to believe there
is a gigantic conspiracy on foot to
crush the industrial and manufacturing
system Of our country. 1t is not that
Republicans do not believe in meeting
the emergency of an over plus in the
treasury, but they do object to the
manner by which the present tariff sys-
tenn is to be attacked. And speaking
of revising the tariff the Republican
party in congress has six times since
the war adjusted and revised the tariff
schedule to meet the requirements of
the Treasury-both as TO over plus
and prospective deficits and it was
done without alarming the country,
without jar, without parade; in fact,
hardly any one can call to mind when
these great changes occurred, though
most of us will remember the tariff
commission of 1882. But what does
the Democratic party intend to do about
this tariff business? 1t has had three
years to do something, in which it has
done nothing, and now proposes to do
something. What is the scheme?
President Cleveland proposes to re-
duce the revenue now pouring into the
government Treasury by cutting down
the tariff On what? lie is not in favor
of reducing internal revenue tariffs be-
cause he says, "there appears to be no
just cause of complaint of the con-
sumerS of the articles subjected to in
ternal revenue, and there seems to be
nothing so well able to bear the burden
without hardship to any portion of the
people. p" But he proposes to attempt
the reducing process on all articles sub
ject to import duty, on raw materials
he says "a radical reduction of the
duties upon raw materials used in
manufactures or their free importation
and by adding to the free list.
Let us consider the first proposition
reducing taxes on imports. Does re-
ducing the tariff on imports reduce the
revenue?-for that is the object. We
take the ground that all experience
shows it has an opposite effect that
it is only by increasing the tariff you
diminish the revenues from it, BY de-
creasing the tariff you increase imports
and necessarily the revenue thereby.
The annual report of the Secretary of
the Treasury shows this clearly. BY
reference to it we find small decrease
of duty on wool. manufactures of wool,
on iron. steel and silk, while the in
crease revenue in 1887 over 1886 from
these articles alone was Sl0,908, 400.
Knit goods fairly illustrate this position.
By the act Of 1888 the duty was reduced
10 per cent, now about Is. During the
years 1881, 1882, and 1888, under the
old tariff, we imported 1873, 807 pounds,
and collected as duty Sl,733,483
For the years 1884, 1885, 1886, under
the reduced duties, we imported 3,433,
$50 pounds, an increase of 2,114,573
pounds, and there was paid into the
Treasury S3,617, 864, an increase in the
revenue from this source of S1,S94,58l.
Worsted cloths afford another illustra-
ton. The act of 1883 made a slight
reduction on the wool and on the cloth
but an unjust classification resulted in
a reduction on the cloths of from Is to
90 per cent. What followed? The
year before this act took effect our i'm
portations of these cloths amounted to a
little less than 100000. Then an in
crease commenced which resulted, last
year, in an importation of nearly 3d.
100000, a decrease of duty of 20 per
cent, an increase of revenue of 500 per
cent. The same result followed the
reduction on yarns, on dolmans, cloaks,
and other outside garments, on raw,
combing, clothing, carpet woods and
shoddy.
Now suppose Congress, in response
to the message Of the President, reduces
the tariff along the whole line 20 to 80
per cent Is not an increase of revenue
inevitable? The only effect would be to
cripple our manufacturing industries to
that extent, nor shall the object pro-
posed be in any wise reached. There is
~ ,,,;dJla cot,r-a IN chic r,,aftar fof. ap.y