Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-08-17
ATKINSON'S PROJECT.
HIS PLAN IS A COLD TARIFF FOR
REVENUE SCHEME.

h1NGN0- 0O'l-
Hon. Z. EIlery Anderson's Comments
The Moral Question Ignored-It Would
Neither Relieve the People Nor Garry
Out the Chicago Platform.
The tariff reform committee of the Re
form club, which printed its proposed
tariff bill as number of Tariff Reform,
has Just printed Edward Atkinson's
scheme as another number of Tariff Re
form. 1t is supplemented by brief re-
view by the Hon. E. Ellery Anderson,
chairman of the tariff reform commit
tee. After complimenting in unstinted
terms Mr.. Atkinson's ability in arrang-
ing statistics so that they shew clearly
the sources of revenue and the direction
of expenditures and simplify the problem
of levying duties to produce the re-
quired revenue, Mr.. Anderson says:
"But is this all there is Of this great
question: The tariff message Of 1887,
the obstinate and nearly drawn battle OF
1888, the uprising of 1890, the rout OF the
Mckinley bill proclaimed by the election
of a house well nigh unanimously Demo
cratic, the great campaign of 1892, the
declarations of the Chicago platform, the
nomination of Grover Cleveland and his
triumphant election after bitterly con-
tested battle, in which the tariff reform
issue was debated, argued and presented
to the people by an endless army of ora
tors on both sides-is all this to go for
naught, or must we accept the peoples
verdict as q mandate to their servants
that their will il to be made the law OF
the land2
"The essential point of the great con-
test Of 1892 was that it was unjust to
compel the mass of our consumers to pay
increased prices to American manufac-
turers and producers in order to enable
those engaged in these particular indus
tries to make them profitable. This was
the burning point Of the campaign.
"It is no longer pretended, even by the
most dyed in the wool protectionist, that
the consumer is not compelled to pay an
increased price on all articles Of domes.
| tic manufacture which enter the field OF
production. Ever since the tariff reform
bill proposed by the tariff reform com
mittee made its appearance the protec.
tionist organs have flooded the country
with statements that the proposed reduc'
ton of duties would enable the hated
foreigners to deprive Americans of theil
market; that they would be driven out
of business or be compelled to reduce
wages, and that the foreign goods, ever
after paying the rates contained in the
proposed bill, could be sold in Americs
at prices with which our manufacturer
could not hope to compete. This is tht
burden of the song Of manufacturers
declaring that if the reduction proposed
by the reform bill become law they
will no longer be able to serve theil
American customers.
"It must therefore be conceded tina
American consumers pay more for al
these manufactured articles referred tt
above than they would pay if these arti
ctes could be imported either free from
duty or subject only to moderate rates
1t is not asserted that the increased pric
paid by the consumer is always equal t.
the duty. The only assertion is that tn
price of the domestic article to the con
sumer is higher than the price Of til
same foreign article, or its equivalent.
"It was against the injustice of thi
compulsory exaction of tributes, small il
the detail, but enormous in the aggre
gate, levied at all times, and from ever
one, that the people rebelled. They de
clared by their vote in 1899 that the
did not choose to be taxed in order tina
special industries might flourish. We ar
, in full sympathy with this rebellion
We plead guilty to feeling of deep II
sentiment against the iniquitous syster
which it was designed to abolish. Will
we approve entirely Of the protection c
American industry, we are opposed t
, it's protection at the expense of the Amel
, ican consumer.
"With all due respect to Mr.. Atki1
| sons scheme, he seems to have lost sigh
of this phase of the great question. W
go with him and agree with him entirel
in his advocacy of the enlargement of tl
) free list, not only by including therei
the great elements of industry, but b
4 adding thereto all articles which produe
l but little for revenue. We welcome |
/ the free list, that commercial roll of ho1
or, Mr.. Atkinson's numerous recruit
from classes A. B, G, D and E, but "
: insist that the heavy burdens impose
t by the present tariff on manufactures {
, silk, of woolen, of cotton and of met
: shall and must be largely reduced, NJ
for the purpose of increasing the rev
nue., but for the purpose of relieving ii
people. Any tariff reform measure whic
A fails to repeal the Mckinley bill will Mt
9 fulfill the pledges which were given
Z the people in the Chicago platform, an
. on the faith of which Mr.. Cleveland WI
/ elected to Office.
0 cit is quite true that the bill propose
o by the tariff reform committee does nj
q cover all the requirements ce revenu
( but fortunately we are not reduced
q the alternative of robbing the people
submitting to a deficit. An increase
the internal revenue taxes on spirits al
d beer, duty on sugar, on tea and coff
g or an income tax can be resorted to wit
Q out subjecting the consumer to the gro
wrong of being compelled, in addition
: the taxes required for public revenue,
= pay constant tribute to the favort
American producer"