The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-12
rArNrHEARrED CRAFTSMANSHIP.

In the House of Representatives, last
Wednesday, Hon. Alfred Taylor, Of illi-
nois, introduced bill TO reduce the tariff
on tin plate from 2-io cents per pound for
plate and IS per cent. ad valorem for man.
ufactures TO cent q pound for plate and 45
per cent for manufactures. This of itself
would not be at all remarkable. 1t relates
to a matter about which differences of
opinion are entirely permissible, and con-
corning which member of congress, act
ing under the obligation of his oath, might
reasonably act upon an independent judy
ment.
But it happens that this same Hon. Al
fred Taylor, then as now representing an
Illinois district, a little over two months
ago voted for bill to increase the tariff on
tin plate from cent pound for plate and
As per cent on manufactures to 2 2-10 cents
for plate and So per cent. for manufactures,
the change to take effect on the LIST Of July,
1881, something more than months hence,
and to be abrogated after certain time, if
in the meantime it had not accomplished
anticipated benefits.
In other words, Mr.. Alfred Taylor pro-
poses on the 10th of December, 1890, to
undo what he did on the 9th of October,
1880, acting under the obligation of an
oath and of official duty. For this change
of front on the part of Mr.. Taylor there
can be no pretense of an excuse or explana-
ton, except that in the interim-viz., on
the 4th of November, 1S90-there was
general election which in several states, in
Guiding Illinois, was unfavorable to Mr..
Taylor's party; and large packing firm of
Illinois-P. d. Armour & Co.-have ex-
pressed their dissatisfaction with the pros
pective increase in the tariff on tin.
1t cannot with any show of reason be
claimed that the people have passed upon
the effects of the increased duty upon tin.
That is out of the question. The increased
duty has had no effect. II has not gone
into effect, and will not for more than six
months yet, so far as consumers are con-
cerned. But it has had the effect of induc-
ing large subscriptions to the stock of sew
eral corporations that are preparing for the
manufacture Of tin plate in this country on
large scale.
And in one state, more largely interested
in the question than any other, in proper
ton to wealth and population, the pro-
spective effect of this increase was pre-
sented, discussed and passed upon. In
the packing of fruits and fish California is
an enormous consumer of tin. But that
state demanded and obtained heavily in
creased protection on fruit, and by way of
offset Zone of those compromises that are
unvarying incidents of all tariff measures)
consented to the enhanced protection of
tin. California's utterance at the polls was
most emphatic, and especially so in the
districts most largely devoted to fruit
growing.
Mr.. Taylor processes to be Republican.
1t is but fair to assume that his profession
is based on principle. Then he must be in
favor of the Republican policy of protec-
ton. He must be aware that any compre-
hensive scheme of protection necessarily
involves compromises, and that the in
creased duty on tin was no exception to
the rule. He must know that other duties
were conditional on this. He must know
proposed reversal of congressional action in
respect to tin. And thus the whole pro-
teotive superstructure will be undermined
and must fall to pieces.
Those who are intelligently and con-
scientiously in favor of protection, and
who intelligently and conscientiously voted
for the increased duty on tin with direct
reference TO the results that are already in
active course of accomplishment, will not
follow Mr.. Taylor in his fainthearted abne-
CATION of principle because of temporary
defeat and the selfish protests of grasping
Chicago monopolists. In postponing the
time for its taking effect, and in making
its continuance conditional, the tin clause
was one of the most carefully guarded por-
tons of the Mckinley bill. Let it have a
fair trial with the rest.