Morris tribune., 1890-02-26
Tariff Revision.


ton to an extent which prevented the
importation of certain articles just be-
ginning to be manufactured in this
country. But that time is passed, ana
few there are in this country now who
do not admit that there should be re-
duction of the tariff on large class OF
articles, especially the necessaries OF
life. But the trouble is to decide TO
what extent shall the reduction be
made. Gen. Hancock was correct when
he said the tariff was local question,
but that assertion was the means OF de-
feating his election as President IN 1851.
The Generals meaning, as we under
stand it, was this: In one locallty'
where for instance, the people were
largely interested in manufacturing, they
would naturally be in favor OF hlgh
protective tariff; in another LOCALITY,
where the people were engaged IN agrl-
culture, they would be opposed to
high tariff on manufactured ARTICLES
claiming that they should have the
benefit of the low prices of goods man
ufactured in other countries, and that
the duty on imported articles should DC
30 regulated that foreign manufacturers
could send their goods to this country
and enter into fair competition with
our manufacturers not free trade, out
fair competitor, the same Us the farmer
has to compete with the producers OF
other countries. In another community
the people would be in faver OF free
sugar" and in another, where there
were sugar industries, they would insist
on having those industries "protected'
And so on. Each individual i'll favor OF
protecting" the particular industry IN
which he is interested.
On this question of tariff revision
recent number of the Western Rural,
one of the very best agricultural papers
published in this country, had an article
which expresses our views very complete
". and which we think will meet with
the approval of majority OF our read
ers. 1t says: We recognize, as all must
recognize, that our revenue Tor the
maintenance Of government comes large
II from our custom duties. There is no
question in any quarter that we must
have tariff The question is, on VIVA!
shall the tariff be laid and what shall be
the duty? There is just one class IN the
country who do not favor revision OF
the tariff and only one, That class is
composed of the manufacturers VINO
naturally desire to get all they can, ana
are not at all particular from whom they
get it. We may differ as to just, how,
much reduction should be made ana we
may differ as to just what articles should
be subject to duty. But all political
parties-if they are to be judged from
the utterances of their representatives
favor tariff revision, and all classes
outside of the one before named-tavor
it. We are collecting very much
larger sum of money annually than the
government needs or knows what to do
with 1t seems foolish to maintain
system of taxation that produces SUCH
a result. The farmers are struggling as
no class in country like this should be
compelled to struggle, and while that IS
the case, and more money is being col
lected than there is any use for ana
while much higher tariff is placed up
on some of the necessaries of life, than
even reasonable protection demands,
the farmer should be relieved from the
system of forced taxation.
We realize that it may be to the inter
est of the whole people to protect an IN
dustry; and we have not hesitated TO
designate some industries that we be-
lieved should have reasonable protec-
ton. But we have never advocated di-
rectly or indirectly any sort Of protec-
ton that would not directly benefit the
producer. At the last national election
the issue was protection versus free
trade. That was what the issue really
was, whatever it was intended to be.
The people as a whole came to under
stand that to be the character OF the
issue; and they voted against free trade.
Icy U1u uOL fOGo Vic AOf1oAOh
of the tariff. They want it revised.
But the truth is that the tariff is prof
liable bone of contention among the po-
itical leaders. Settle this question and
there would be nothing under the sun
left for the parties to quarrel over At
least nothing left that they would dare
take up. At every campaign this tariff
business is "a good enough Morgan I'M
til after the election" Then it is found
that the representatives of neither party
agree upon the question, and nothing is
done. The people demand revision, and
if we could have q convention of farm
ers' societies in Chicago and discuss
this question, finally taking conservative
grounds upon it, and go before the pub
lie advocating revision, we should &C
complish something. The Rural tells
you, that our weakness upon all such
matters, is in our lack of unity. One
wants free wool and the other wants
protected wool; one advocates free this
and the other advocates protecting that
very thing. 1t is utterly impossible for
each of US to have all that we would
like to have. Would it not be wisdom
for US to come together and make some
concessions, that we may get upon some
common ground, and reach some prac
teal results. The Rural insists that we
do not fully understand each other, and
that the first important step to take is
to arrive at mutual understanding. A
convention would 60 a long ways toward
reaching such an understanding.