Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-12-11
Mr.. WINDOW ON THE TARIFF ACT.

annual report, holds that four months
too short time in which to determin
fully the merits of the Tariff law, ant
that in its operation thus far it seems t.
have justified its enactment.
He says: THE purpose of the Tariff
act of October last was to effect needed
reduction of revenue. and such an ad
justment of duties as would adequa tel
foster and encourage home industrie
while maintaining the standard o,
American wages. This end, it is be
lieved has been accomplished. Nor,
articles than ever before have, beeI
placed upon the free list, rates have beer
reduced on many others, and increased
duties have been imposed when deemed
necessary to the adequate protection OF
our agricultural and manufacturing
interests"
Mr.. Window holds that for many
years the United States will be better
market for our own products than al
others combined, and that "this very
superiority of the United States as a
market is an inducement to foreign pro-
Gucers everywhere to seek access to and
control of it. To permit our own pro-
ducers to be driven out by foreign COM
petition would be to expel them from
their best and most natural market, and
compel them to seek inferior competitive
markets elsewhere. Free trade can never
be successfully established or perpetu-
ated in any country whose home marke t
for its own products exceeds its aggre-
gate markets abroad"
After stating that reciprocity is not
hostile to protection, he closes this i'm
portant part of his report as follows:
The law has been too short time in
operation to warrant discussion herein
of its many details. 1t is believed that
the measure is sound in principle, and
that its several classifications, rates, and
other provisions have been adjusted upon
comprehensive view of the vast inter-
ests of the whole country The law
embraces so many and such complex
interests that it is quite possible a
practical test may disclose the necessity
for some notifications and corrections,
but stability and certainty, in the revenue
laws, are so essential to our financial and
Industrial prosperity, that it is earnestly
hoped this law may have a fair trial
before any radical and sweeping changes
shall be attempted. The new industries
which it was confidently expected would
spring up under its fostering care, and
the new home markets which would
thereby be opened for American labor
and products, will certainly fail of
if any well ll-grounded fear
shall be aroused as to the stability of
the law, or of the principle of protection
which it embodies. Especially will this
be the fact if the continued agitation of
this question shall cause serious appre-
hension that the protective principle is
to be discarded and tariff for revenue
only is to be adopted, whereby our home
market is to be exchanged for an uncer-
tain and vaitly inferior foreign one, and
the country is to depleted of its gold and
silver to pay for foreign labor and ma
terial which should be supplied by our
own people.
The continuing controversy between
the American system of wisely adjusted
protection. and the opposite system of
unchecked industrial competition with
all the world is the inevitable contest
between two irreconcilable standards of
civilization. The conditions under which
we are enabled to make the contest for
the higher standard of living for all
classes of our citizens are peculiarly
favorable. The United States, with ab-
solute freedom of trade, and perfectly
industrial competition
among 100000 of people, unsurpass-
ed in energy, industry, and inventive
genius, and with the widest possible |
range of climate and natural products,
are by these conditions assured the
owest range of price compatible with
return to producers, and the
of higher standard of
civilization for the industrial classes.