Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-06-20
rHK aRAB nag sWINDLE.
A Protective Tariff an unSpOssibiiity
and mn EmprObAbllitY.

and an fmpTObAbitttys
Editor Gazette d Journal: In reality
"proteotionn Is mere theory, never car
ried into consistent and efsectual prac-
tice and o theory so thoroughly unsound
that it's most energetic defenders, when
entrusted with the responsibility Of prac-
tical aifaire, shrink from carrying 1t INTO
full effect. II is not worth while for me
to review the frantic attempts, which
were made by half-consigtent statesmen
in old times to carry out this theory N
Great Britain, France aud other coun'
tries. Let us look only OF what has been
done in America. No tariff was ever
formed In this country or ever will be
which ia syen half consistent In Its details
with any theory advanced by protection
ists, whether intelligent or unintelligent.
Every American tariff has always been
flally opposed to any thsory ever offered
by the advocates OF protection. BY wey
of encouraging manufacturers, the ma
terials used in manufacturing have
always been and still are, to large ex-
tent. taxed more highly thau the
finished manufacture itself. In number
OF cases the tax upon the crude material
ia fixed at a rate two or three times as
high as that upon the finished article.
This has been especially the case with
regard to wooden manufactures. 1t has
been shown agnin and again by the testi-
mony of experienced manufacturers, that
in many oaaes tax Of 100 per cent Is
imposed upon the wool out OF which arti-
Giles are made which, when finished, are
only taxed 60 per cent.
The truth is that every protective taiin
| Ia kind of grab bag, into which duties
of 10, 90, SO, 100, $50 per cent are thrown
at random, and the man with the Longest
arm and the greatest persistence, and
| imprudence succeeds in thrusting his
1 hand first and securing the best prize
Thus the tax upon one size Of glass 10 only
| 40 per cent, while the duty upon another
size of precisely the game article is lot
per cent. The duty upon one kind Of
wool is 80 per cent, and the duty upor
another kind, equally necessary, Ia l0l
per cent. The duty upon the rich mans
grade of wooden cloth is about 90 pei
ce It, but the duty upon the poor mans
grade of wooden cloth Ia 90 TO lb0 pei
cent. Articles intended for wearing
apparel OF women and children are taxed
much higher than articles of the sams
general nature which are used only fol
men. When that famous conference
committee, of which Judge Kelley and
,,Loyar' Malone were the ruling spirits
ground out the tariff bill Of 1883, which
was blindly adopted by congress
knowing next to nothing about its con
fonts, they raised the tax upon glass
bottles to three times It's former amount
while reducing the amount of other kind
of glass by O small fraction, and In
| La Aaw nv mhYfa "a
ducing it on iron.
In the final adjustment OF every tariff
taxes are put up or down without tn
slightest regard to the needs OF tn
revenue, the interests of the people, O
even the interests Of manufacturers u
general, but solely in accordance witt
the dictation of few rich men, who ar
personally interested In taxing their fel
low citizens under the guise of tafiti
The idea Of reason or public considers
tion having anything to do with the sci
Element of such questions ia Homethin
which to an experienced congressman
ineffably ridiculous. The truth is tha
the framing of o really protective tasii
would require superhuman wisdom. Whe
such o tariff is let down fror
heaven, like the great goddess Dianf
! we will all promise to look at It wit
reverential awe, but the tariffs which al
now framed are nearly the production
, about the smallest amount OF wisdom
, consistent with the possibility of writin
q statute. There is not enough sagacity
!, skill, sound Judgment and accuracy {
expression 10 be found among all th
,, Wisest men Of the world to frame on
single line OF protective tariff whic
| shall work exactly as its trainers intend
or even with reasonable nearness to sucl
exactness unless the trainers are aotuate
,, by purely selfish interest in the manu-
! facture Of one particular article.
JAMES B. WEIGH.