The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-03-07
A Tariff "In Kind.

yet they do not seem to have learn
ed how to do it even to their own
satisfaction. Eight years ago they |
made II tariff which, according to
their own testimony, was u very
poor job. Almost from the day of
its passage they said it had got to
be changed, but they didn't have II
chance to change it, because they |
went out of power in the House of
Representatives the day after that
tariff became law, and they didn't
get in again till December,
1889. They made that tariff after
the people had by large majority
decided that they would rather
have tariff bills made in Demo-
cratic House.
While the Democrats controlled
the House, of course the Republi-
can Senators wouldn't agree to any
tariff bill, and SO the tariff of 1888
remained till last year
The Mckinley law was passed
avowcdly to correct the blunders
Of the last Republican tariff. 1t
cost the Republicans the Novem-
Der election; that is, it contributed
more than any other one thing to
that end it was openly and bitterly
denounced bya considerable section
of the Republican party; it isn't
even keeping out foreign goods; it
isn't preventing the frequent re-
duction of wages, and, on the whole,
it seems to have been a pretty gen
eral failure, politically and COM
mercially.
Specific duties are difficult to ad-
just and ad valorem duties are diff
cult to assess, and both are confus-
ing to the public mind. We beg
leave to suggest to the Republicans
that they go in strong for tariff
in kind. 1t will be perfectly equit-
able as between different articles or
grades of goods, it cannot be evaded
by undervaluation as ad valorem
duties are, and it will have the
supreme advantage of being easily
understood even by the meanest
comprehension.
In the old days Of village milling
the miller took his toll in kind.
Out of each bushel of wheat or
corn the miller took certain
measure and ground the rest for
his customer. Let the custom house
work on the principal of the viii
lage mill. When the collector gets
hold Of piece of silk cloth let him
tear off One-third Of it and h and |
tWo-thirds to the importer who
would then pay 80 per cent duty
on the piece of silk that reached |
him. Where box of window glass
reaches the collector let him take
out half of it.and deliver one-haIf
to the importer. In the case of tin
plates let him take out about 60 |
sheets, after July next, and deliv-
er so. This system Of collecting
duties would be simple and easily
understood, and the entire force of
appraisers could be dispensed with,
and the collector would always get
just exactly the right amount of
duty.
AS the avowed object Of our re-
cent tariff laws is to reduce the
revenues, the tariff in kind would
make it extremely easy to attain
this end. If this foreign merchan-
disc, seized in the New York Gus
tom house, were taken to the Bat
terry and burned up, the revenues
would be reduced, the sale of for
eign goods in the country would be
curtailed, and the most effective
lesson of the wickedness of foreign
trade would be taught.
But if this cut off the revenue
too effectively, a part of the mer-
chandise might be sent back to
Europe and sold there. The Gov
ernment would, of course, pay the |
freight, and this would promote
American shipping, to the intense
delight of the subsidists.
We are proud of having invent
ed the tariff in kind, and we earn
estly advise William Mckinley, Jr.,
to think it over during that leas-
ure which will come to him after
March 4. 1t seems to us that it
would be gem in the Republican
platform of 1892.