Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-07-17
Hon. W. L. Wilson on the First and the
Last "Great Tariff Acts"

In his carefully prepared speech at
the Tariff League banquet in New
York Major Mckinley said:
| have always been proud Of that
first act. Why, it was the second law
passed by the American Congress and
signed by Washington on that day
memorable in American history.
The men who made it had the cour-
age, which we never have had since,
of putting in the body Of the bill ex-
actly what they meant. Applause
They declared that they were making
that tariff bill for two purposes
First, to raise revenue to conduct the
infant government, and, secondly, TO
encourage manufactures. Applause
No Congress since has been brave
enough TO do that Applause ana
the farmers knew just what they
wanted. They had enough farmers;
they wanted consumers. Applause:
They were all farmers. They couldn't
sell wheat to each other, for each
raised more than he wanted for his
own use, 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.
If 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 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 expensive;" 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 Incl easing 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 tariff to build up manu-
features, with what he does now that
they have foreign market, to sup
port manufacturers already built up,
but still demanding to be billeted on
the farmer. The average duty under
that bill was 81 per cent. Under the
Mckinley bill it is 60 per cent. On
manufactured articles generally they
put ) per cent; he puts from so to
100 per cent. On calicoes they put
5 per cent; he puts 80 per cent On
manufactures of cotton they put 3
per cent; he puts over 40 per cent.
They made wool free, manufactures
Of wool 5 per cent; he puts an av-
erage tax of over so per cent. on wool
and manufactures of wool. On car
pets they put per cent; his rates
run to So per cent. On all ready
made clothing they put y per cent.
his rates, in some cases, run over 100
per cent. On earthen and stone ware
they put 5 per cent; he puts some
times as high as 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,
tinplate per cent; he puts cents a
pound on pig-tin and so per cent. on
tin-plate. They put 10 per cent. on
window-glass; his rates run from 10 to
$50 per cent.
The farmers were too deceptive
to put deceptive tax on farm pro-
ducts, and left them under the gen
eral clause at 5 per cent; his bill
angles for the farmer vote with a
sharp hook baited with a worthless
tax of 45 per cent. on agricultural
products. When one thus compares
these rates in the bill deliberately
made" by those early farmers" to
start to encourage infant manufac-
lures. he is at loss to understand
how the patron of the act of 1890 can
be proud of the act of 1889, or rice
rerSa. If the latter is in truth a
great act" then the former is in
truth "a great Gan indescribable) out
rage" We cannot advance from 81
per cent, which Major Mckinley adj
mits was a protective measure, to a
tariff of 60 cents, which he has given
us, without passing from the borders
of protection very far into the do
main of monopoly.-S Louis Repub-
hc