The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-04-29

bill 1t is intended as a sample
of democratic reform, and as such
will be welcomed by republicans.
When this bill was under considera-
ton in committee some things occurred
which may well be recalled to mind.
was to make wool free and to cut off
only the duties on wooden goods which
were imposed as compensation for the
duties on wool, leaving the manu-
facture exactly the measure of pro-
lection that'it has enjoyed. Such was
the democratic pretense, but it was
quickly shown that abolition of the
compensatory specific duties would in
reality take away large part of the
protection for the manufacture, leav-
ing only ad valorem duties, which can
be easily and almost indefinitely evaded.
Not content with this, southern mem
bers of the committee insisted upon
even greater reduction in the duties on
woolsn goods. They were confronted
at once by some of the most experienced
and competent democratic manufactur-
ers in the country, who told the COM
mittee that such reduction would be
fatal to the industry. The abolition of
all the specific duties, they declared,
was of itself more than the industry
could safely stand. To make further
reductions in the ad valorem duties also
would close hundreds of works, de-
prive many thousand workers of sub
IN
this country so that the domestic de-
mand for wool would be ruinously
diminished. These influential demo-
Gratis warned their political associates
that they would drive great host of
voters away from their party by ex-
cessive reduction of duties and would
sacrifice all that the party had gained
in New England and other states by
adroitly recommending tariff reform"
to voters instead of the principles OF
free trade. But all expostulation was
in vain. The southern democrats in
sisted. the specific duties were taken
off and part of the ad valorem duties
besides: and, as if to make the bill even
more offensive, shoddy and waste were
also admitted free of duty to destroy
the market for American wool.
This is the bill which democrats will
have to meet next fall. 1t will every
where be taken as an Interpretation of
their demands for tariff reform. Voters
will rightly reason that, if the demo-
cratic party obtains the power, it will
not only enact the wool and woolens
tariff substantially as it has come from
democratic committee, but will pro-
ceed to treat other industries as it deals
with wool growing and wool manufac-
ture. Duties on ore and pig iron must
be swept away, and duties on manu-
featured iron and steel reduced far be-
low the figures that represent the diff
ference in labor cost here and else
where, so that foreign producers may
enjoy a distinct advantage over Amer
leans in selling in our markets. So
with other industries; the purpose of
the democratic party, as illustrated by
the wool and wooleus bill, is to sacri-
fee the industries of this country in the
illusory hope of getting cheaper goods
for consumers. When voters realize
how wooden goods have been cheap
enSd by home competition, and how
they were not enhanced in cost by the
duties imposed in 1890, it will take a
great many explanations and excuses to
reconcile men to the closing of works
upon which their livelihood depends.-
N y. Tribune