The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-30
FRUITS OF THE M'KINLEY TARIFF.


year of Cleveland's administration the
balance of trade turned against us to the
amount of $33, Al, 97l. The Mckinley
tariff arrested this drift and in 1891 we
sold abroad more than We bought abroad
by $l42, 1913, 636. The Democrats said the
new tariff would kill our commerce, but
our first years trial under it was the
largest in our history 1t was larger than
the annual average for the last ten years
by 1888, ol3,3 1867.
OF all the great volume of imports dur
ing the eleven months ended November
80, 1891, those which competed with our
own industries were less by $3.50. 53S, $50
than they were for the corresponding
period of the year previous
In 1889 the percentage of dutiable i'm
ports was $40, and of free 345l.
In 1890 the dutiable was 65.l3, and the
free 34s7
In 1891 the dutiable was 1852, and the
free 5O3S.
More than one-half of all imports come
free of duty under the law that the De-
mocracy termed an impossible Chinese
wall, and at the same time domestic pro-
duction has increased and the prices of
goods as a whole have declined. Within
the last two years both the wholesale and
the retail prices of nearly all products of
iron and steel, of wool and worsteds, of
cotton and silk, and the boots and shoes
worn by nearly all the peaple, have been
lower than ever before.
Under the Mckinley tariff twenty-eight
tin plate industries are now established
where there were none before the passing
of the bill. No prices have gone up be-
cause Of the bill, and many prices have
gone down. Our foreign trade has in
creased far beyond what it ha: ever been
in the history of the country, and our
domestic trade has taken an upward
bound. The foreign commerce Of this
country, which the Democracy predicted
the Republican policy of protection would
repress. was greater on the whole in the
fiscal year 1890 than in any previous year
in the history of the country. but tho rec
ord of 1890 was far surpassed in 1891. and
the record of 1891, as of all past years, will
be far surpassed by that of the fiscal year
1892
The sugar tariff was revenue tariff,
and for this reason the Republican party
placed sugar on the free list. 1t was di-
rect tax upon the consumer, because it
was anon-competitive product, as We pro-
duced only one-eighth of all the sugar We
consumed, although we had tried by pro-
lection all our days to increase its produc-
ton. Seven-eighths of all our sugar, de-
spite of years of effort to increase our pro-
duction, came from abroad. The foreign
sugar grower that raised seven-eighths Of
the sugar we consumed of course fixed the
price of sugar to the American consumer,
which was the foreign price with the
American tariff added. To continue this
revenue tax upon a non-competitive pro-
duct would be as absurd as il would be to
| attempt TO protect the banana industry in
the United States, SO the Republican
party placed sugar on the free list. and
the American workingman in consequence
pays less for his sugar today than he ever
did before.
Now the Democracy asks the American
workingman TO vote for tariff for
revenue only, which means absolute free
trade on all articles produced or manu-
| featured by American labor and capital,
! means tariff duties for revenue only on
| tea, coffee, sugar, molasses and other nom
| competitive articles, which under the
Mckinley tariff are admitted free. The
| Mckinley tariff is the fulfillment of the
| pledge of the Republican party so to re-
| wise the tariff that while the aggregate
revenue should be diminished protec.
| ton to American labor and capital
! should not he impaired. While nobody
! pretends that il is perfect law or that il
may not in some respect require modiiica-
! ton, nevertheless il has accomplished
! both these ends, for il has SO enlarged the
! free list that for the first time in the his
! tory of the country the value of goods inn
! ported free OF duty exceeds that OF duti-
able goods. 1t has, to quote Senator
/ Dawes, of Massachusetts,, lat the same
time so readjusted the duties on the
| dutiable goods, after this greatest al
dition in value TO the free list ever
| made. that the duties paid on the GOODS
| still dutiable do not now exceed in per
cent. those paid under the old law, in
Guiding duties then paid on those goods
| now added to the free list, being 47la pei
cent. both before and since the passage OF
the Mckinley bill; while the percentage
| OF the whole duty on the value Of the en-.
tire imports has been reduced from 81 per
cent. before. to 2lIs per cent. since the
passage of that law"
To this result of reducing by enlarge.
ment of the free list the aggregate oil
duties imposed and of making protection
to the American producer more effective
the reciprocity clause Of the tariff has
most largely contributed. Under this
clause We admit free of duty raw material
and other products not prodnclbie here At
profit and in quantities needed. aud We in
turn are admitted into the markets 81
other nations, free of duty, with articles
We make and they need.
This policy of reciprocity, which is no.
free trade, but fair trade, makes proiuc
tjon at home cheap and multiplies it ~
enlsrging our markets. This increase:
oIr export trade. already reaching II,
enormous sum Of 81. lea. 600 oooin a single
year. and with that will increase our car
rying trade, our shipping interest and our
commerce. Under the Mckinley tariff
| there has been . reduction IL eleven