Morning journal and courier., 1891-10-13
TESTED BY RESULTS.

A Sensible and Truthful Expedition
 Of What the Tariff has Accom-
 plished.
 From the New York TrIbunel
 It is almost year since the new tariff
 went into effect. among interpretations
 and misunderstanding which were dis
 creditable to the country What have been its resultsi
 It was said that it would stop exports But within the last twelve months exports have been larger in value than they ever 1 were before in any year. For the first time the marvellous year 1881 has been sur passed within the last twelve months in spite of the short crops of wheat and corn
 last year.
 It was said that the tariff would "tax
 everything from the cradle to the grave" ]"
 But since it went into complete operation full half of all the imports have been free of all duty, thing which has never hap
 pened before under any party or tariff during all the seventy years in which | records of dutiable imports have been kept.
 It was said that the tariff would not les 1 sen taxes or burdens, but only made frau dulent pretenee of reducing duties But the fact is that the duties paid in five months since the new tariff went into full opera tion have been smaller by S36, ,576 co than for the same month of the previous year, | a decrease of about thirty-fvo per cent Exclusive of the receipts from sugar 6u- ties, there has been an actual decrease in the amount of duties paid on other i'm ports.
 Ts st.,g .r,r Il Al. gar duty was & cheat, would not benefit the consumers, and would only enrich other countries or the sugar trust. The fact is that the cost of sugar to consumers has been reduced more than two cents per pound, which means an actual gain of mors than five dollars year for every family, rich and poor. 4 year ago granulated su- gar sold for S6.62 per one hundred pounds,
 and now it sells for S4, g per one hundred pounds.
 It was said that prices of every article consumed would be enhanced by the new tariff. The fact is that retail prices to con- sumers are almost without exception as low or lower than they were under the old tar iff ,and this is particularly true of clothing,
 cutlery and other articles on which duties
 were really advanced. But in fact duties
 were reduced by the new tariff on more articles than were advanced in rate of
 duty.
 It was asserted thst even if retail prices were not immediately advanced they would inevitably be at no distant day, because wholesale prices of all products must be enhanced aud the cost of producing every thing. But the average prices of all com modities this day 1 8 per cent. lower than the prices of the same articles and grades in the same markets a year ago, be fore the new duties went into effect. The cost of production, and the cost of living. so far as either has been affected by the
 wholesale price of commodities, have been not increased, but diminished. What has it donel It has built and started numerous manufacturing works, and given employment to many thousand additional American workers already. It
 has transferred several great industries from prostration to prosperity. It has
 started many more works on their travels from foreign countries to the United States. It has thus insured greater home l demand for the products of American farms and the work of American lA-chan- ics. It has opened to American trade Bra gil and Cuba, and will open other profita- ble markets. It has conferred such bless | ings already tha, the democrats who boast
 ed that they were going to wipe it ont at
 the very next congress are now solemnly giving each other reasons why it would
 not be best, with a tremendous democratic
 majority in the next house, to try to do l anything about the tariff.