The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-07
The Tariff.

If any are discontented with their state
here. ii any believe that the wages or prices.
the return for honest toll, are inadequate.
they should not fail to remember that there
is no other country in.the world where the
conditions that seem to them hard would
not he accepted as highly prosperous. /
believe that the protective system which
now for something like thirty years has
prevailed in our legislation has been a
mighty instrument for the development of
our national wealth and most powerful
agency in protecting tho homes OF our
wot kingmen from the invasion of want. /
have ielt most solicitous interest to pre-
serve to our working people rates of wages
that would not only give daily bread, but
supply Il comfortable margin for those
home attractions and family comforts and
| en- joy ments, without which life is neither
hopeful nor sweet. 1t is not my purpose to
renew here the argument in favor OF pro-
tective tariff. The result of the recent
election must be accepted as having intro
duced new policy. we must assume
that the present taritf, constructed upon
the lines of protection, is to be repealed.
and that there is to be substituted for it Il
tariff law constructed solely for revenue;
that no duty is to be higher because the in
crease will keep open an American mill or
keep up the wages of an American work
inpman, but that i'll every case such a rate
of duty is to be imposed as will bring the
treasury of the United States the largest
returns of revenue. The contention has
not bee between schedules, but between
principles. and it would be offensive to sue-
gest that the prevailing party Will not carry
into legislation the principles advocated by
it. aud tho pledges given to the people.
The tariff bills passed by the house
of representatives at the last
session were, as supposed,
even In opinion of their
p. omoters, inadequate and justified only
hv the fact that the senate and house of
representatives were not i'll accord and that
general revision could not. therefore, be
| undertaken. l recommend that the whole
subject of tariff revision be left to the in-
coming congress. 1t is a matter of regret
| that this work must be delayed for ut least
| three months, for the threat OF great tariff
changes introduced 30 much uncertainty
| that an amount not easily estimated, of
business inaction and of diminished pro
duction will necessarily result. 1t is possi-
BILE also that this uncertainty may result in
decreased revenues from custom duties for
our merchants will make cautious orders
for foreign goods in view of the prospect
of tariff reductions and the uncertainty as
| to when il will take effect.
Those who have advocated protective
tariff can we'll afford to have their disas-
trous forecasts of u change of policy disap-
| pointed. IL system of customs rnles can
be framed that will set the idle wheels
and looms OF Europe in motion and crowd
our warehouses with foreign made goods
and at tho Same time keep our own mills
busy; that will give us an incraased par.
ticipaaion in the markets of the world.
| of II greater value than the home market
that we surrender; that will give increased
work to foreign works upon products to he
consumed by our people. without dimin-
shlng tho amount of work to be done here;
that will enable tho American manutact-
urer 10 pay his workmen from 30 to 100 per