The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1891-04-23
SAUK CENTRE HERALD
THURSDAY April %, 1891.
THE MCKINLEY BILL,

THE MCKINLEY BILL.
The practical operations of the much
abused Mckinley bill are already so
apparently beneficial that the ultra DEM
ocratic free trader is at least silent rel
alive to the matter. He has been COM
PEELED to admit that facts are better
arguments than theory. The tin indus
try is rapidly being developed, and con-
tracts have been made with American
tin plate manufactures at less rates than
imported tin can be purchased for
The great and extortionate advance
so confidently predicted in wooden goods
etc., has not only failed .veriication, but
there has been marked decline in quo
tations in many lines ofmechandise upon
which there is tariff duty.
But the most remarkable feature ofthe
situation at present is that shown by
Major Mckinley himself in speech re-
Gently delivered in New York upon the
occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the
founding of the New York Tribune as re-
ported is that paper:
"A thrill of surprise went through the
great audience af THE TRIBUNE Jubilee
when Mr.. Mckinley stated in that delib-
crate manner which assured his hearers
that he made no statement carelessly or
without full belief of its truth. "The
new tariff gives us wider and freer trade
than was ever enjoyed under any other
tariff law" Probably nine-tenths of his
hearers were astonished. Some wonder
ed If the statement could be strictly true.
Yet it is the fact that at this very hour
greater proportion OF the importations
into the United States from other coun-
tries is free of duty than under any pre-
yious tariff since tine Government was es-
tablished.
Washington, Jefferson and thefounders
OF the Republic imposed duties on nearl
all imports. The first tariff which they
enacted, that of 1889, after imposing
specific duties on many articles, and on
others moderate ad yalorem duties, add
ed 5 per cent duty on all other articles
imported. As late as 1921, the free i'm
ports were but acknowledgements part
of the entire imports in value, nor were
they at any time as much as one-tenth
in value under any tariff until the COM
promise tariff of 1888.
Under that tariff the free goods were
at first a quarter of the whole, and grad
ually rose i'll proportion until in 1910
and 1871, they were nearly half of the
aggregate. But under this tariff as a
whole, the proportion of free imports
was only 40 per cent, and it is now, as
will be shown, more than As per cent.
The tariff OF 1912 reduced the proportion
OF free imports to about a fifth, and un-
der the low revenue tariff enacted by the
Democrats in 1916 the proportion never
rose as high as a quarter of the entire
imports. Since protective tariffs were
imposed in 1861, the proportion of free
goods has ranged from quarter, and in
some earlier years much less, up to about
one-third in the later years.
During the FIVE months ending with
February, the latest month of which
there are complete returns the new tariff
has been in force excepting in the first
six days of October.
If sugars had been free of duty in these
five months as they are now, and yet not
more largely imported than they were
when subject to duty, the total of duti-
abe imports would have been only 81 g.
673, 037, and the total of free imports
would have been $157, 1877 .5SS, or 1872
per cent of the whole. Beginning with
April, in all probability the imports of
sugarwill be largely increased by the re-
moyal of duties, so that the proportion
of free imports is likely to be nearly if not
quite so per cent OF the whole. Never be-
fore has the proportion been as great ex-
cepting in the single year 1871, and if
the free goods during this month rise a
boye 40 IL per cent of the whole, as
they probably will, the proportion will
be larger than it was even in the year
1S41. Mr.. Mckinley was absolutely
correct in saying that trade was more
free than it had ever been under any
other tariff, and yet the imports during
the current fiscal year are already larger
10y nearly $40 900, 900 than in the same
snoaths of any previous year in the his
tory of the country, and larger in pro-
portion to population than they ever
were under any other kind of tariff. .