The morning call., 1890-11-10
BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE.

General Grant once said that the Demo-
cratic party could be relied upon to DO the
wrong thing at the right time. In this way
it contributed unintentiOnally to the contin-
ned ascendancy Of the Republican party.
The Democratic habit of doing the wrong
thing at the right time has given American
history for the last quarter of century the
appearance of continued Republican DOM
inatiOn. 1t remains to be seen If the DEM
ocratS will profit by past experience so as to
realize in a Presidential year the pOssibll-
tiles which their success this year seems TO
place within their reach. Ii is already ap-
parent that the Democrats will assume that
the verdict of the people is against pro-
tective tariff. The election Of pronounced
free-traders 10 Congress will give courage TO
the free-trade wing Of the party. A re-
vision of the present tariff on protective
principles will be denounced by the free
trade wing as an accel lance Of the Repub-
lican policy. 1t will be urged by the free
traders that if we are to have a protective
tariff the Republicans should be allowed to
shape it. OF course, men like Cleveland
will not call them selves free-traderS. They
viii pose before the country as revenue re-
formers. But it can be demonstrated that
there is not any considerable difference be-
tween free trade and tariff for revenue so
far as protection TO American industries is
concerned. All the revenue the Govern
ment needs can be collected from articles
on the present free list, with home duties on
whisky and tobacco. The Democratic pol
icy of tariff for revenue only would i'm
pose duties on the $500, 100000 of imports
which the Mckinley tariff places on the free
list. The imports for last year were S741,-
49,, 1893. On this total. duties were collected
on S4S4 $50, 768. The Mckinley tariff act
adds S110,000,000 in round numbers to the
free list. In respect to the Mckinley bill
the author said, in summing up the features
Of the new bill:
During the first thirty years of our history
nearly every article was made dutiable. In 1924
less than per cent Of our imports was free; in
1888 only 5 per cent of our imported goods was
free; III 1912 only 27' per cent free; 10 1876,
the great revenue tariff year, only 2 per cent;
in 1857 only 8 per cent. From 1873 down 10
1888 80 per cent only was free, and In 1889 80
per cent was free. This bill makes about one
half OF them absolutely free 10 the people. The
Mills Bill, that famous Democratic tariff bill,
only made free in all about Al per cent OF our I'M
portations. Under the new law one-half of our
importations, or nearly so. are made free.
This shows the evolution of the protective
idea. We began by taxing almost every
thing. We have reached the point where we
impose duties on one-half of our imports.
We tax foreign products which home indus
try will supply, and leave mtaxed foreign
products which home industry will not sup
ply. The Democratic success of 1890 threat
ems the peTmanency of the protective sys-
TEN. If the Democrats carry out their
avowed policy of a tariff for revenue with
only Incidental protection, the bulk of the
revenue will be derived from duties on arti-
Giles which we are compelled to import. The
tariff debate will be continued in the next
Congress with revenue reform Democrats in
the lead. The proposition will lie 70 subsli-
tute for the present tariff one which will
tax foreign articles we cannot produce and
leave untaxed foreign articles which we can
produce. This is the wrong thing the DEM
ocrats will do at the right time The Presi-
Dental election will take place at the close
of the long session of the next Congress-