St. Paul daily globe., 1893-12-01
NO CAUSE TO GROWL.

The attitude of opposition to the bill
framed by Mr.. Wilson's committee
generally assumed by Republicans is so
plainly and demonstrably purely fac
tious that their assumption of it is only
predlcable Of very short memories or a
partisanrY so intense as to compel oppo-
sition to measures simply because they
are brought forward by the opposition.
If there are any people or papers who
are entitled to criticise the bill with
severity, and to demand its modification
in the direction of reduced rates, they
are of the Democratic party. 1t has
many rates which are practically as
protective as are the Mckinley rates.
Some of them, as that on pig iron and
manufactures Of wool, are confessedly
so, Mr.Wilson saying of the former that
the rate was made higher because iron
is freighted from abroad so cheaply, and
of the latter that it Is temporarily nec-
essary because our manufacturers have
been so long excluded from two-thirds
OF the wool of the world that they will
have to learn the art of manufacturing
with free woels."
But while Democrats may Justly COM
plain that there is too large measure
of protection in the rates to be re-
demption of the Chicago pledge, Re-
publicans, If they are consistent with
their platform declarations, if they
meant what they.declared at Minneapo-
lis, can only fault the bill because tn g
| rates imposed are beyond those de-
manded by that plank, and should be
largely reduced to comply with its
standard of tariff taxation. Instead of
denouncing the measure as a free trade
bill; instead of bemoaning the visionary
destruction of the foStered inGsstries :
instead of lugubriously prophesying
the disasters which it will entail, they
should denounce it as excessive either
from revenue or protective stand
point.
This becomes apparent when we ex-
anime the plank On which the Repub-
Jicans went to the country last year and
compare the rates proposed by Mr.. Will
son with the standard adopted by that
| plank. The Republican national con-
vention at Minneapolis adopted the fol-
| lowing as its idea OF tariff taxation and
what should regulate its rates: 1--WE
believe" thus runs this declaration of
Republican faith, THAT on all imports
coming into competition with the prod
ucts of American labor there should be
LEVIED duties equal to the difference be-
tween wages at home and abroad. u
Here we have the latest Republican
conception of the rule for the adjust
ment of .aXes on imports. They should
be equal-neither more nor less than
not to the labor cost here or abroad, but
to the difference between the labor cost
of the article here and abroad.
This is matter capable of easy ascer-
tainment. Here and abroad statlsticians
have been at work for years examining
into the conditions of trade and labor.
and an analysis of manufacturing. seq
regating the different factors of cost
until the cost of labor in any one article
| OF leading manufacture in this country
or in any competing country of Europe
can be had with approximate accuracy
Tariff making, then, would be simply
the ascertaining of the cost of labor OF
an article made here and that In the one
of foreign make aid the levy of an i'm
post equal to the bum remaining after sub