Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-08
Low TARIFF ARGUMENTS WASTED.

Low TARIFF ARGUMENTS WASTED.
One of the features of the week was the
carrying of the war into Africa by number
Of the shining lights among the Democrats
in Congress, who held great meetings at
Philadelphia to persuade the Philadel-
phians of the blessing of tariff reform on a
strictly revenue basis. Springer, Bynum,
Breckenridge and other national celebrities
were on hand. The burden of their speeches
was that tariff on any sort of raw material
kept back, in place of promoting, our indus
tries. They pointed to the failure of many
woolen mills near Philadelphia for proof;
anG made the air sulphurous with denuncia-
don of the Mckinley bill. which simply
puts the duty on wool and wooden goods
higher.
Anyone who may have read these mis-
sionary speeches intended for the conver-
sion OF the Philadelphia heathen-and THE
DISPATCH has taken that trouble-might
be impressed by the seeming that the Demo-
cratic orators make out at least super
fcially specious case in respect to some of
the raw materials. But Mckinley we'll an
ticipated this sort of criticism when he
pointed out how hopeless it was to expect
that upon every one of the 5000 dutiable
articles the Committee of Ways and Means
should frame schedale so perfect that no.
body could find fault with any part of it,
1t is not to be wondered at that debaters
like Springer, Bynum and Breckenridge
could pick flaws here and there, and pre-
sent arguments upon this or that item,
which, until experts on the other side were
heard, would to the casual observer seem
entirely valid.
There were two points, however, which
the Democratic champions did not under
take to explain. One was why the country
has been so prosperous under protective
policy, if that policy is not wise one; and
the other was. how it can promote the indus
tries of the United States to have the prod
ucts of cheap European labor competing
with home manufactures in our own mar
ket. In one breath these apostles OF low tar
if, or absolute free trade, as may be, claim
that if everything used in manufactures
were made non-dutiable, the wheels of in
dustry would Immediately be multiplied
manifold in this country; and America
would supply not only the home market, but
all foreign markets. In another breath they
say the tariff is taxa robbery" of con-
sumers; that if taken of, the people of the
United States could buy low-priced foreign
goods where they are now obliged to buy the
high-priced American article. In other
words, they seek to charm the American
manufacturer and the mechanic by assuring
him that low duties will multiply the sale
of their product; but in the song they sing
for the farmer and the general public, it is
by supplanting American goods with the low
priced foreign-made article that the eco
nomic millennium is to be ushered in. They
are good enough to admit that free trade, or
low tariff might cause a drop in working
mems wages in the United States, but then
they say it won't be big one, which assur-
ance is not so conclusive in its consultations
as the workingman might reasonably desire.
The Congressional missionary party will
not leave any very profound impression in
Pennsylvania. Without any sort of doubt,
there must in any tariff bill, covering thous-
ands of Items, be mistakes which experience
will show. And, as to raw materials, it is
very likely that some of them,
not now on the free list, might,
with advantage to the country, be put there.
But we had rather trust the Republican
doctors, who are standing before the coun-
try responsible tor the tariff tonic, to correct
their own mistakes as those shall be dis
closed, than to put the patient in the hands
of the opposite school of physicians, whose
cardinal principle is against protection
altogether, and in favor of tariff merely
for a revenue. Messrs. Bynum, Springer
and Breckenridge had better look to keep
ing the South in Interpretation doctrines
are spreading there-and leave Pennsylva-
MIA to the policy from which it is not likely
to be converted, so long as times keep as
good generally as they have been for the
past ten years.