New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-04

The tariff is like lcycc. which rc>ifainS
the floods in q great river and protects towns
and farms II Of sufficient height, II does rs
work well But single weak spot in the en-
tho line is enough 10 cause widespread de
vastation I'm the tariff Of 1883 several oi
these breaks or holes in the lcyce have been
discovered Ly experience. or created by adj
verse decisions Of courts or rulings oi the
Treasury. In order 10 make the tariff rs a
whole properly elective the breaks have 10
be stopped by raising duties at the points
where they are too low. This IS IN no way IN
consistent with lowering Of ia" duties Wh'i
ever they are higher than is necessary or eN-
pcdicnt. Nor is il inconsistent with reduc-
ton Of revenue, for the revenue derived from
duties on imports may be rs chcciualIy re-
duccd Nv preventing excessive inpoIta'ionS
rs by lowering rates where competition Is
harmless II was for such a revision IL tins
that the Republican party declared and ma
iorry of the people voted in lSNS, and to carry
out that decision a Republican majority oi
Representatives was elected.
The raising of duties where the lcvcc Is
weak is intended to restrict imports OF certain
kinds and thus to afford larger employment
for American labor But it does not please
the foreign manufacturers the selling agents
in this country. or the importers, who are now
urotosting loudly against such advances as
have been been proposed in the House Dill,
and holding meetings to formulate their OPP
POSITION These meetings are i'll the interest
of the devastating food. The bill is for the
better defence of American homes ana Amcn-
can industries.
LET if not he understood that the committee
is supposcd 10 be infaliblc. 1t may have
made mistakes in judging whether duties arc
necessary or wise one such mistake 1t has
made in the proposed duty on hides, and 1t
would not be strange if others should be OH
served Where tho statements made by OPP
posnc interests differ widely that one or
the other must he intentionally falsliied, tho
effort of the committee TO obtain further in
formation may not always prevent misleading
error. But there has been shown in the com
mjttcc a sincere and praSeworthy desire to
correct errors where they are discovered, and
IN carry ont in good faith and with care and
thoroughnc,s the wishes Of the people and IN
most eases the wisdom Of the changes pro-
poScd is strongly indicated by the very pro-
tests made against them which show that vast
~ profitable traffic by importers or agents OF
foreign manufacturers would be interrupted
for the benefit Of American labor
Where the object is to check foreign i'm
portations in order to give American labor
better employment il is no argument against
the bill to say that it would impede importa-
tons. Moreover, wherever production Is or
mcI,ly can be well established i'll this coun-
,,v and free home connection exists prices
10 American consumers will be determined not
at all by the excluding duty, but by the cost
of production here. In such cases it makes no
difference to consumers how high the duty may
be. provided only it is high enough to stimulate
the home manufacture and competition to the
utmost Viewed in the light Of these prin-
ciplcs, most Of the protests offered by the i'm
porters and agents of foreign producers will be
found high tributes to the wisdom OF the House
Committee and Of the changes it has pro-