New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-26
A H4PD TIRiFF TO OJERTTRN.

Whoever visits the pyramids Of Egypt j.
filled with admiration and almost with awe for
the wisdom which reared structures solid
that neither forty centuries nor hordcS OF
>ayagcS sweeping over the land have been able
to destroy them. More than one such eternal
monument Of legislative wisdom has been
reared by tho Republican party. and II would
be among the proudc>t Of itS triumph' II IN IT.
essential principles the Mex incy tariff should
prove to lie another Already many prominent
Democrats Join with Mr.. Morrison in the adj
missi n that it will be extremely hard work 10
substitute for the Mckinley tariff any other
practicable scheme of raising adequate rcve-
nue. II could be done. they say. II the sugar
dute, could be restored. But every day makes
IL clearer that it will be a task OF almost in
caculablc difficulty 10 put back tax which
bore. more equally than almost any other ever
levied By the Government, upon the poor and
tho iich alike, nearly III proportion 10 their
number, and which. besides was rendered all
the more offensive by the fact that il greatly
aided 10 promote n graSping monopoly. Re-
publicans will not help to put back such tax.
and it would be strange if many Democrats
who oppose Protection should not refuse 10
ovcrturn it at such price.
But there is another difficulty which some
OF the more sagacous Democrats are just be-
ginning to perceive The influence Of threat
encd change of tariff begins TO be felt in many
manufactures and trades. Already it sets thou
sand, of men 10 consider soberly whether they
want any such tariff aS the party they supported
is likely to frame Thus there has been grow
ing complaint for some weeks that new orders
for wOocn goods are not coming in according
to expectations In quite a number Of in
stances owners Of mills have given notice that
they will stop for time when the orders on
which they are now at work have been filed
and will receive no more until the future is
clearer Many others have admitted that they
do not like to take orders which may involve
them in a loss. For if they should set their
mills at work within the next two Or three
months on orders based on present duties and
the present cost Of materials, the tariff might
be changed long before tho goods were de-
livcrcd - tho final consumers, and changes in
tho markets might bankrupt those who had
ordered largely, or foreign supplies of material
might be admitted so chcaply that competitors,
beginning months later, could turn ont as salts
factory goods at lower cost or finished goods
llOn HlpHL COI' III ~ IdTptlI dS 10
destroy the demand for their products. The
importer cannot tell what he wants to order any
mere than the domestic merchant The clCthcr
only knows that if he contracts for Il large
quantity OF goods at present prices some change
of duties may ruin him. So it happens that
domestic manufacturers and importers alike are
complaining bitterly OF the evils Of unccrt1inty
But the same difficulty is felt in greater or less
measure by many other branches ol manu-
facturc and tia1e. Since nobody can tell what
the tariff is going 81 be, but consumers Of all
sorts have in mind the idea that it may be re-
duccd on goods they consume, contracts or pur-
chascs for future delivery begin 10 run short.
The greatest Eastern steel rail mill failed, no
doubt in part because purchases Of rails have
been comparatively small. But what railroad
cares 10 order rails now to be delivered several
months hence when by that time foreign rails
may be admitted at a low duty? The stagnant
demand for many other products of iron and
steel. for many grades Of cotton & oods which
could be largely imported at low rates Of duty.
and for other products of manufacture in con-
siderable number begins TO be felt by works
which Cmrloy many thou. and people
This uncertainty strS up employers and en-
ployed, i'll each of many branches of manu-
facurc, 70 appeal most earnestly TO members
of Congress not t. dc.troy their business These
appeals are likely in time to take the form OF
warnings. Scores of members will learn for
the first time that they have in their districts
important industries which have been created
or greatly expanded by the new tariff and that
they cannot get along in politics without the
votes OF men employed therein. When a Con-
gress composed largely If members so situated
comes 10 decide what particular duties it will
take of or cut down, the difficulty of framing