The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-11-05

cvcrybody else is
|hcir benefit"
which forces its author to
20 clearly erroneous, one is
Bihat the opening declarations
must be equally indefcnsible, and they
are. "How strange il is" he writes,
'that any American citizen should say,
when asked his views upon the tariff
.question, Il don't understand it," and
again, before beginning his argument,
he says: "But first, / want you To stroll
with me down into the valley of humilia-
ton and blush awhile for having ever
been compelled to confess that you didn't
understand the tariff question
Indeed! William +. Gladstone, the
abest statesman IN England, looking at
the problem from an English point of
view, set no an elaborate argument
against the American system. Follow
ing Immediately upon its publication
came an equally exhaustive article from
james e.. Blaine, in which every promi-
nent feature of Mr.. Gladstone's reason
Ding was attacked, and, from an Ameri-
can standpoint, completely upset
Congressman Morrison, of Illinois,
after months of study and careful con-
sideration, presented bill for the modi-
ficaton of the tariff, which, 20 major
ity of his associates, seemed wOfully at
fault, and the bill and It's author were
both set aside, as additions TO political
ruins.
Roger O. Mills came forward later
with another complete revision of the
existing schedule, and Immediately
thereafter the most animated and per-
sistent discussion of this complex ques-
tion that has yet taken place in the re-
public was begun. The bill was be-
headed, dissected, revised and recon-
structed by the senate and the house,
but it never assumed an aspect which
promised improvement upon the sched-
ule in force, and was therefore put
away as another conspicuous failure.
When the last session of congress be-
gan, with the republican majority in all
its branches, and a republican president
in office. il was we'll understood that the
party whose foresight and Judgment for
twenty-four years had given TO Ameri-
can industries their magnificent develop
ment would cndcaVor 10 revise the tariff
upon the basis Of greatest good TO the
greatest number" Whether or not the
Mckinley schedule will work out the
benefit that is hoped for. time only can
tell. No man, nor set OF men, in ma
ton where interests are so diversified as
they are i'm ours will ever be able TO ''un-
derstand" this wide-reaching problem
sufficiently to tell, in advance of test,
what measure could be adopted that
would satisfy all the desires of every
element in our national family. Nc
man, nor set Of men. can frame bill
for regulation of tariff whose provisions
would not be assailcd. 1t is easy to I'M
derstand the simple matter Of charging
an importer a fixed amount for the priv
ilcge Of bringing 10 one country for sale
the products and wares Of another, but
this part of the question hss about the
same relation 10 the problem, as whole
that an alphabet bears TO a language.
The people OF New England, and OF
other manufacturing districts, whose
prosperity depends upon the success OF
the industries about them, are certainly
consistent in demanding that measure OF
protection which is essential TO their per
manency and success. The lumbermcr
and others who are dependent upon then
in Michigan and Wisconsin may be blind
TO the interests Of New England, but
they are fearfully in earnest when TN,
tariff on lumber is threatened. Tho
raiSers of tobacco I'm Virginia and Ken
lucky are willing that the duties or
lumber and woolenS, and a multitude o
articles they cannot produce, should be
removed or reduced. but the tariff or
tobacco must never be disturbed, except
TO be raised. In the west, whore farm
ing is the chief occupation, men ar,
.clamOring for heavy reductions on every
thing that the east produces, but the
man who would hint at removing the
tariff on potatoes and grains would b,
labeled by the farmers as an enemy. Al
sorts of arguments have beck brought
into service by democratic speakers tC
prove TO the farmers and mechanics how
disastrous the outcome must be will
McKinley's revisionS in force. And they
are cunning about it, too.
They refer 10 the increase of duty OF
tin as an outrage, but they fail to inform
the Industrious husbandman that Tho
duty on potatoes, for the protection o.
farmers, has been almost doubled.
They see glazing injustice in advanc
ing the tariff on glass, but they rarely
allude to the 80 per cent. that was added
to butter and cheese.
They talk of alleged oppression i'm al
increase of duty on woocns, but are
always too busy 10 explain TO the farm
ers that the tariff on barley is NOR,
than doubled and that duties on al
other grains have been proportionatcly
raised.
They foretell disaster from the tariff
on a number Of protected commodities
but they rarely refer TO the most con
spicuous of all the changes, one made il
the interest Of a multitude Of farmer,
who are raising tobacco, whore the dat,
,on Sumatra leaf has been raised from
an average OF So cents TO exactly So pc
pound. Nor do they state To the farmel
that duties on beans have been raised
from 10 per cent. ad valorem to A. cents
per bushel; on bacon and hams from {,
3 cents per pound; on apples from moth
ing TO Is cents per bushel; on beef from
10 cents per pound, and on cattle anC
horses in like proportion.
These are the articles which ente
most largely into active competition will
our own agricultural products, and thu
farmers are entitled TO protection.
Now the impatient free trader will
say: "This tariff is oppressive to tn
mechanic" And so IL goes. The farme
Il -