Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-11-20
"Roek-Botton Facts."

Hon. Edward J. Phelps of this state. eX-
minister to England, is quoted as saying in
an interview at Troy, y. Y, last week
that he did not think the recent elections
had settled any of the important questions
which would confront the two parties next
year either i'm the choice of candidates or
i'm the making of issues. 'The tariff, -
Mr.. Phelps said in substance, will be the is
sue along which the fight will he made. and
this is as it should be, for the tariff ques-
ton is not settled in the minds Of the peo-
pie, and further discussion of it will be
beneficial The fact that the country has
had p years of prosperity under pro-
tectve tariff does not prove that the pros
perity would not have been as great under
a lower rate OF taxation on imports. Nei-
ther free trade nor any very near approach
to it has been given a trial Consequent
~ further enlightenment of the people and
a testing of their sentiments on the tariff
question would be beneficial"
The New York Tribune uses Mr..
Phelps's remarks as a text for the presen-
tation of "some rock-bottom facts on the
effect of the present tariff which may be
read with interest and profit as an anti
dote for the stream of condemnation and
Misrepresentation steadily poured out by
the Democratic papers:
What Mr. Phelps says is true enough if he
means that the people air' always ready to be con
WINGED that changes are desirable. Nothing is set
tied forever in the mind of an Intelligent man. A.
situations change he changes. The American
people, however are distinctly conservative.
They arr now supplying their governmental Ieve-
Hues and conducting their foreign trade under
system Of duties which has contIadCted every
prediction its opponents ventuTpd to make when
il was under discussion IN Cong rt-s. They said il
would swell the revenues, but il has reduced them
in the first year ul its operation precisely S4 1896,
i2j.4 They said il would diminish imports. bnt
II has increased them by precisely S25.6Sl.3l6
They said it would diminish exports but it has in
creased them 10y precisely SiS.3l6WB. and thr to
tai Increase Of the country foreign trade il double
the average annual ncrras,. during the last ~
Years They said it would impose upon tine peO-
pie heavier rate Of taxation than they had ever
paid before but the rate is actually only S3Ui per
capita. 13 cents less than the per capita rate in
lSSg@, and n 'euts less than the annual average
rate collected since the war
The enemies of the new tariff said il was am
Increase of duties all around but. a matter OF
fact it has added To the free list increasc
the percentage of free impurtatious from - per
cent tu S. providing much the largest percentage
of free imports known in the entire history of our
county. whether ullucf a protective or n Tree
trade tariff. They said the new tariff : burdens
would fall with especial severity un the farmer.
and they predicted the utter ruin of bis export
business. But the proportion of agricultural eX-
ports during the first year of the new tariff was
exactly the same as during the last year of the
old and during August 1891. they amounted to
12.4j per cent. rs compared with 6l.54 per cent in
August. 1880. II stuutIy maintained by the
Democrats that the new tariff would cause a gen
eTHl rise Of retail prices. whereas they are GER
tainly as low as they were in the spring O 1922
and probably. on the whole. SomcW hat lower. II
alleged that the new tariff would gTievousy
hurt domestic commerce. whereas the country
was never 50 prosperous as il is at this moment
The Tribune in conclusion accords to
Mr.. Phelps the honor of being "a Demo
crat who especially represents that element
of his party which is most competent, most
progressive and most patriotic and wei
comes from him such a clear and straight
forward statement of opinion to give shape
to the issues of 1892. But with such APP
pealing facts as those cited to place before
the people, the Republican party will well
come tariff campaign with peculiar salts
faction, serenely confident that the truth
will prevail against Democratic theory, as
it has overcome and ridicued Democratic
prediction