Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-10

On the First and the Last "Great Tariff
Acts"

Acts"
81. Louis Republic.
In his carefully prepared speech at
the Tariff League banquetin New York
Major Mckinley said:
I have always been proud Of that first
great act. Why, 1t was the second law
passed by the American Congress and
signed by Washington on that day men,
orable in American history. The men who
made It had the courage, which we never
have had since, Of putting in the body OF
the bill exactly what they meant. Ap-
plausel They declared that they were
making that tariff bill for two purposes.
First, to raise revenue to conduct the in
FAINT government, and, secondly, to encour-
age manufactures. Applausel
No Congress since has been brave enough
TO do that [applausel, and the farmers
knew Just what they wanted. They had
enough farmers; they wanted consumers
IApplause.l They were all farmers. They
couldn't sell wheat TO each other, for each
raised more than he wanted for his own
nse, and they had no foreign markets in
their day, for they were inaccessible and
expensive, and they deliberately made that
tariff TO build up manufactures that they
might have consumers rather than have
more competitors. [Applause.]
II Major Mckinley will put "that
first great act" side by side with his own
great act," his pride in one Of them
must quickly vanish. No two laws
could show a sharper contrast in spirit
and in detail. 1t is true 1.-The farmers
had no foreign markets in those days,
for they were inaccessible and expen-
sive;" and he might have added that
Hamilton gave as one Of his reasons for
trying to build up home manufactures
that the tariff laws Of foreign nations
abridged the vent" of our increasing
agricultural surplus and shut it out OF
their markets.
Compare what the FARMERS" who
then had no foreign markets, did when,
as he says, they deliberately made that
that tariff TO build up manufactures, )"
with what he does now that they
have foreign market, to support manu-
fscturerS already built up, but still
demanding to be billeted on the farmer
The average duty under their bill was
S15 per cent. Under the Mckinley bill
IL is go per cent. On manufactured ar
ticles generally they put per cent; he
puts from so to over 100 per cent. On
calIcoeS they put per cent; he puts so
per cent. On manufactures Of cotton
they put per cent; he puts over 40 per
cent. They made wool free, manufac-
lures of wool 5 per cent; he puts an
average tax OF over so per cent. on wool
and manufactures of wool. On carpets
they put 5 per cent; his rates run TO SIS
per cent. On all ready-made clothing
they put * per cent; his rates, in some
cases, run over 100 per cent. On earthen
and stone ware they put per cent; he
puts sometimes as high ar 60 per cent.
On manufactures of iron or steel they
put per cent; he puts from so to 100
per cent. They made pig-tin free, tin
plate per cent; he puts cents a
pound on pig-tin and so per cent. on
tin-plate. They put 10 per cent. on win
his rates run from Is TO $50
per cent.
The farmers" were too deceptive to
put a deceptive tax on farm products,
md lett them under the general clause
at per cent; his bill angles for the
farmer vote with a sharp hook baited
With worthless tax of 45 per cent. on
products. When one thus
compares these rates in the bill "de-
iberately made" by those early
farmers" to start to encourage infant
with the rates Of the Nc
Kinley bill for well-established, hunded-
'ear old manufactures, he Is at aloss to
understand hUw uIv ss-srvri % -
# 1890 can be proud Of the act OF 1879,
n nice uerSa. TX the latter is in truth
great act" then the former is in truth
"a great (an indescribable) outrage"
We cannot advance from 81 per cent,
which Major Mckinley admits was
protective measure, to tariff of 60 cent,
which he has given us without passing |
rom the borders of protection very lar
into the domain Of monopoly.