Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-09
THE TARIFF
1t Can Pc Made Nom Partisan by Having a
Bureau for the Readiustment
OF Rates.

No one claims that the tariff is in no
need of REIMBURSEMENT of rates. No one
denies that it is likely to need readjust-
ments in years to come. In q nation
where industrial changes come with such
rapidity as in America, it is useless to
think of framing a schedule of rates for
several thousands of dutiabls articles
which shall be satisfactory in all points
ten years after. To be even tolerable a
tariff system must be moderately fex-
ible, not rigid.
The readiustment of the tariff from
time to time is, or should be, essentially
a business question, as much so as the
REIMBURSEMENT of the Internal revenue
rates or the rates of postage. 1t should
an appeal to popular political prejudices
and passions, but by a'bureau or a COM
mission duly designated for that purpose.
OF course, in any contemplated radical
change in the nature of the tariff, the
people should decide. But to endeavor
to decide whether the duty on steel rails
should be S17 or SI9 per ton, whether
sugar should be taxed eighty or sixty
cents ad valorem, by an appeal to the
votes of the people, is for a reasons
unwise.
|. The people do not wish to decide
su, b points. The 'ttariff question, -
when it presents itself in such a phase,
hos % In IitarnIlz F0rn,5 ,,,0on Sho rao
pie.
2. The people cannot settle such points
If they wish to-. Out OF 1000 articles,
more or less, on the schedule, how
NAM voters, even of the most intelli-
gent, can tell in the case of a half hun
dred, just what degree OF ''protection''
should be given to each? Yet how can
one decide i~ntelligently between the two
bills readjusting the rates until he has
mastered the details for q large proper
ton of these 1000 articIes? The result
must be as it has been in the past, that
prejudice and self-interest will be ap-
pealed to to settle questions with which
calm reason alone should deal.
3. The tariff is kept in a state of per-
petual uncertainty. The industries of
the nation are to a certain extent, and
sonnet mes a very serious extent, placed
at the mercy of the politicians. Each
recurring year brings in a new bill in
ard new tinkeriug by aspiring
statesmen anxious to make a name, or
by political leaders anxious to score a
point for their party.
4. The tariff is made a mere football
between the two parties. The Mills
bill (DemocratIc) puts salt on the free
list, but leaves 80 per cent. or there
abouts on sugar. The senate bill (Re-
publIcan) retorts by leaving the duty on
salt unchanged, but cutting the rates on
sugar down one-half. Sugar Is chiefly q
Southern, salt a Northern produoti
It Is doubted whether congress has
power to delegate to q commission or q
bureau full powers for the readjustment
OF tariff rates. 1t Is claimed that the
power is, by the constitution, lodged
with congress alone, and it canuot shift
the burden. The point may not be well
taken. The constitution also lodges with
the right and duty to regulate
interstate commerce, yet all the detail
work is performed by an interstate COM
mission, appointed by the president,
upon the recommendation OF congress.
Some are appalled, at the idea OF plac-
ing in the hands OF a comparatively few
men such immense interests as the con-
troll of the tariff. Tbs answer is that
these interests are likely to be safer in
the hands of a few men, selected with
special reference for their fitness, than
now In the hands of tina members of
to many Of whom it is a poIiti-
cal issue, pure and simple. The inter-
state commission has in its hands to-
to a great extent, the interests OF
$50 600 miles of railroad, and the power
has not been abused. The delicate and
banking intesests are to a |
extent In the hands Of a compare
lively few bank examiners, but this also
. worked for good. Why not place
sfetails of readjustment of tariff rates
per ye