Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-12-28

spirit of unfTiendliness. we nave 1eit
hat it was our drtv ard not our privilege to
make the tariff schedules. Those who concede
the right Of benefcfaries TO fix their 5ouniies
must NECESSARILY commit to them the 1ra1, ,,a.
are secured to them. committee Or Congress
thus becomes merely the amanuensls OF the
protected interests. 1t has been SHOWN SO clear
~ ana SO often in the debates OF this mousse tnat
nearly every important schedule Oh existing law
was made in its very words and figures by
rcpresen atives of the Interests 1t was framed 70
project that it is unnecessary IN our report 70
present the record proof of this fact but it may
not be amiss to cite further evidence to sh 1a
open and avowed method of framing protect
i've tariffs. When the Senate substitutes
tor the bill passed By this House in the Fittleth
Congress-which substitute real basis OF the
existing law--was being prepared. Senator
Hoar, of Massac Oh usetts, appeared before the
Senate subcommittee and used this Ian
Subcommittee for formal hearing on
our Massachusetts industries, | thought the
best way was to carefully prepare table of all
sev e IN in all, and ask Brother Aldrieh to go
over them with NE and ascertain what the peo-
pie wanted in each case. and if there, were
already done exactly what the petitioners
desired, or had not in1exibly passed upon the
question could have a hearing before you but
ind in every instance the acton Of the com
entirely satisfactory to- the interests represent
with the exception 5 Of q s2e an ande s pa
Mr.. Aldrich."
No stronger Indictment of the whole protect
i've system could be made than that which is I'M
consciously carried out in these words ola Unit
ed States senator that laws which impose taxes
on the great mass of people must be written in
language so technical that the most Intelligent
citizen cannot fully understand them. and that
the rates of taxation should be dictated by
the selfshness and greed OF those who
are to receive the taxes: We have believed that
the first step toward reform of the tariff should
be release of taxes On the materials OF indus
try. There can be no substantial and beneficial
reduction upon the necessary clothing and
other comforts of the American people, nor any
substantial and beneficial enlargement of the
fields of American labor, so long as we tax ma
terials and processes of production,
Every tax upon the producer falls with i'll
creased force on the consumer. Every tax on
the producer in this country is a protec-
ton to his competitors in all other countries,
and so narrows his market as to limit
the number and lessen the wages of those
to whom he can give employment.
Every cheapening in the cost and enlargement OF
the supply of his raw materials, while primarily
inuring to tho benefit of the manufacturer him
self. passes under free competition Immediately.
1t may be said thatWe are not justified in MAX
ing so large reduction in revenue at a time
when government receipts and expenditures can
no longer be balanced and when some new
sources OF temporary revenue must be
dutiable list and, to leave some duties higher
than we desired because Of the present necessity
temporary shrinkage ofrevenue should deter us
We could the Instructions given By the
American people when this Congress
was put into power. Our own experience and
that OF other countries has shown that de-
crease of tariff duties Immediately operates in
such an enlargement of commerce Of produc-
ton and consumption, as to pldly ma Ike up any
apparent loss Of revenue threatened by those re-
ductions. .J-
A most important change in the bill proposed
from tho DrnSeut law will be found in the
eral substitution OF ad vaorem for specific du-
ties. This must always be Characteristic of the
articles. especially when ;. they, include
the plain necessaries of life. 1t is the
purpose of the present bill to repeal in
toto Section of the tariff act of October l. 1890,
commonly, but most enormously, called its
reciprocity provision. That act placed sugar,
moasses coffee, tea and hides on the free List,
isfed that the government Of any other coun-
try producing such articles imposed duties
upon the agricultural or other products of the
United States which he might deem reciprocal
" unequal and unreasonable, to suspend the
provision under which these articles were adj
mitted into this country free. This section has
brought no appreciable advantage to American
exporters, is not in intention or effect provis-
ion for reciprocity, but tor retaliation.
Upon larger sizes of plate glass, where the
duties were even higher, we have made reduc-
ton Of about one third.
In the iron and steel schedules beginning
with tree ore and duty of 81 - per cent. OIL pig
erably below those of the existing law, gradu-
ated according to the degree of manufacture,
which should bring benefit to the consumer
without calling for any halt In the imperial
progress of that great industry of our country.
The duty upon steel rails has been put ut
25 per cent, which, according to the reports
of Our department of labor, quite compensateS
for all differences in the cost OF production in
this country and abroad. There seems to be an
authentic report that the pool of American rail
ma kers which, under the shelter Of the present
q
American consumer far beyond the cost Of pro-
d.lction and legitimate profits has been reor-
gani2ed to continue the regulation OF their
prices above the proper market rates. AS all
shippers. and especially ocean shippers. are
vitality interested in cheapening the cost Of
transportation. rates of duty upon steel rails
should be adjusted so as to protect them from
monopoly prices and monopoly ,combina-
tons. Upon tin plate the duty has been
it will bring into the treasury and the diifel
ence between this duty and that upon the block
plate has been lessencd with q view to dIscour-
age what may not unjustly be called the IN
dustry OF making American tin plate by the
mere dipping III this country OF the mp ofted
block plate
ferred 10 wipe out at 4 single legislative stroke
the existing bounty system We believe 1t to be
contrary to the spirit Of our institutions
and conceive Of no circumstances
under which we should have adyerted OR APP
proved its introduction into our laws. We
have found it existing there as we find 1t vir-
tariff. and dealing with it, in this more open
and offensive form. as we have dealt with other
schedules where large property interests are at
stake, we have reported a provision Tor its re-
peal by such states shall gradually obliterate
it from our laws, while permitting those who
have invested large means under the eXpecta-
ton of its continuance over the reasonable time
in which they may prepare to take their stand
with the other industries of the country.
Duties on imported tobacco leaf suitable for
cigar wrappers, which were enormously ad-
vanced by the act of 1890, have been placed at
such ugures as after careful Investigation were
deemed likely to produce most revenues to the
treasury: but this object has not alone decided
the rates. Their amount is SO high that no do
nestle producer need claim that there is not
abundant protection and to spare for his prod
net. Of other of the staple agricultural prod
ucts. including meats and provisions, we are
such large exporters and must continue to be
such large exporters that any duties upon them
are useless for protection and fr,itess for reve-
nue. and generally can only be imposad for the
purpose or deluding the farmers into the belief
that they are receiving some consideration and
benefit under the tariff, although the prices Of
their products are fixed in the worlds mar
ket in competition with like products
produced by the cheapest labor in the
world. For the producers Of our great
export staples which. having fully supplied the
home market must overflow and seek larger
hose a1S no nr1y ,+fao Of