The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-04-07
TARIFF REFORM METHODS.


ough and Radical Reform Needed.
The following is the second Of SEE
Pies cf letters now being addressed TO
President Cleveland by Thomas q.
Shcarnmn. The first letter simply
asked permission To address a number
OF letters to Mr. Cleveland. with the
idea that they bc made public. Mr.
Cleveland In giving his consent stated
that he regarded Mr.. Shearmau as well
vcrsed on the tariff question and capa-
BILE OF giving valuable suggestions At
Mr. Cleveland's suggestion the letters
are given To the public mt the same
time they are given To him through the
columns Of the New York Times:
Dear Sir: In pursuance of the plan
approved by you in our recent core
spondence, beg TO submit To yon some
preliminary considerations with regard
10 the general work OF tariff revision,
reserving questions Of methods and de-
tails for subsequent letters
The first necessity of the great work
OF reform. 10 which the Amer ican pco-
pie have called you with such an i'm
pressive majority, is that it should be
the necessities OF government revenue
created by he reckless extravaganza, IL
not actual corruption, of the last pro-
tectionist congress. have made ii inn
practica bic at the present time to con-
struct new tariff upon a perfectly
sound basis. 1t may he admitted. in
deed, that an ideal revenue tariff has
been made impracticable for the next
four years At all events, 1t is certain
that the nearest approach to the stand
ard of tariff for revenue only which
can be made at the next session OF con-
gress must he a tariff that secures the
largest public revenue with the small
est private gain
Unless taxes are restored on sugar.
tea and coffee, ii seems evident that no
adequate revenue can be raised with
out imposing IA large number of duties
which would have some element of So
called protection" in them. and there
fore increase the profit of some indi-
viduals at the expense Of the community
at large. But whatever tariff taxes
have been repealed ought to remain re-
pealcd. The trainers of the Mckinley
tariff, in their greedincss for prohibi-
tory duties for purposes of private gain,
caused this nation to take a long stride
toward the broadcast free trade, and.
believing this to be the ultimate result
at which we should aim. am not dis
posed To advise any step backward,
simply for the sake of banishing all
elements OF protection from the tariff
All that is therefore practicable just
now, from any point of view. is the
abolition Of taxes upon crude materials
for manufacture and the reduction of
other protective taxes to that point
which will put the largest proportion
Of such taxes into the public purse and
the smallest proportion into private
purses
The only danger to the cause Of tariff
reform lies in the possibility that a
timid and unwise conservatism may
prevent the fulfillment Of those pledges
upon which the people have justly re-
lied and that somo weak compromise
may be adopted which will do little or
no good. will disappoint the rightful
expectations of the majority and will
lead the people to seek relief from OPP
preston in disastrous experiments.
The danger of the present political
situation lies in the depressed and dis
couraged condition Of the farmers and
planters Of the west and south For
some years past they have not had good
prices for their crops. except when, by
reason of some disaster. those crops
were small. Both wheat and cotton
have been selling until recently at the
lowest prices ever known to the pres
ent generation. and multitudes Of
small farmers and planters are now in
a condition of poverty of which the
prosperous people of the east have alb
solutcly no conception.
Nothing is more natural or more in
evitablc than that, under such circum-
stances. millions of honest and faithful
toilers driven almost to despair should
catch at any political straw which
promises relief. II the party to which
the American people have now COM
mitted the charge of their government
does not devise some measure which
will bring speedy relief to the farmers
and planters, the people will certainly
call into power some other party which
will promise such relief
But it is entirely in the power of con-
gress to lift this heavy burden from the
agricultural classes and to restore pros
pcrity to them and To the whole coun-
try. There is but way in which 1t can
be done, and that is by prompt and
large reduction OF duties upon foreign
imports-so large rs to strike down the
Chinese wall which Is now erected
against importations from Europe, our
best customer, and SO prompt as to give
admission to those goods. in large and
generous measure, long before the con-
gressional elections Of 1924 come around
For the only way in which the prices
of farmers products can be increased
without lcsscning their production,
and therefore the only way 10 which
the aggregate income Of American
farmers and planters can be increased.
Is by opening our doors to an immense
increase OF importations, every dollars
worth of which will be paid for imme-
diately by the export Of American farm
products
Let us now. while retaining all the
free trade features Of the Mckinley
tariff. add to them free trade in raw