The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-27


the representatives. Of those same states
with practical unanimity. voted for fur
ther reduction Of 20 per cent and. by a
1857. which made reduction OF = per cent
And 50 well contented and prosperous
were the manufacturers Of that and other
sections Of the country. under the low rate
OF tariff OF 1851. slnt when the MorriI bill
OF 1851 took the first backward step there
was g Se1eral protest against H. The Hon
the house. 'rhe manufacturer asks no adj
ditioral protection. He has learned. among
TO q rt1in5us competition from foreign
sources. is an excessive protection which
stimulates Ike ruinous ard irresponsible
competition At horne" Congressional
Globe 1s59-CG. PAGE 1867. CIr. Sherrlar OF
Ohio said: when Mr. Stanton SAYS the
manufacturers are urging and pressing the
bill. he says what he must certainly know
is not correct; the manufacturers have
asked over and over again 70 be let alone"
Mr.. Morrill, himself has since said that the
tariff Of 1851 was not asked for. and was
but colby welcomed by manufacturers
Congressional Globe 1890, page $500
Senator r. VI. T. Hunter OF Virginia, then
chairman Of the finance committee. then
said: Have any OF the manufacturers
come here to complain or ask for new
duties Is il not notorious that If we
were TO leave to them, the manufacturers
facturers Of hardware. textile fabrics etc.
there would be a large majority against
wOOlcn manufacture dates its revival from
the tariff Of 1857, which altered the duties
on wool2'
Sanitary Lesson.
The history OF American industry shows
thst during no other period has there been
q more healthy and rapid development Of
our manufacturing industry than during
the fifteen years OF low tariff from 1876 to
1851. nor q more healthy and harmonious
growth Of agriculture and all other in
dustries Of the country. No chapter in our
political experience carries with IL a more
salutary lesson than this. and none could
appeal more strongly To lawmakers 10
establish a Just and rational system of
public revenue. neither exhausting agricul-
ture by constant biood-lettinE. nor keep
Ing .ua1ufact1rers alternating between
chnls arI fevers by artificial pampering.
We have already said that public dis
cussiOn may disclose errors Of minor de-
tail IN the snedulos Of the bill. To escape
such errors would require thorough and
min&tc knowledge O. ali the divisions. sub
divisions, complex and manifola mazes and
involCtions OF our chemical. textile. metal
ana ctle-' industries; that no committee OF
congress no matter how extended the
range OF their personal knowledge. or how
laborious cn1 painstGiEing their efforts.
could Cver hope to possess We have not
forgotten that we represent the people who
are many. as well as the protected in
have dealt with the latter in no spirit Of
unfrendInCeS. we have felt that il was
our dutN INC not their privilege TO make
tne riaht q 0eleficiaries TO fix their own
- unue5 must necessarily commit 70 them
me RAINING ma wording Of laws by which
q osc bountics are secured To them. a
e1ll -u1ttFe OF congress thus becomes mere
lv the anna nuenSis Of t. a protected inter-
Csts IL has been shown so clearly and so
often IN the debetes of this house that
nearly every important schedule Of the ex-
1stinS law was made in its very words and
figures by represen tative-s of the interests
y was framed TO protect, that 1t is IN
record proof OF this fact, but it may not
be amtss 10 cite further evidence to show
that this is not only the necessary rule,
ing protective tariffs.
An Unconscious Indictment.
When the senate substitute for the bin
passed by this house in the Fiftieth con-
sress. which substitute is a real basis of
the existing law. was being prepared, Sen
ator Hoar Of Massachusetts appeared be-
fore the senate subcommittee and used
this language: Instead of coming before
your subcommittee for a formal hearing
on our Massachusetts industries I thought
the best way was TO carefully prepare a
table OF all the various industries per
haps some sixty seventy in all. ask
Brother Aldrich TO 90 over them with me
and ascertain what the people wanted in
where the committee had not already done
exactly what the petitioner desired, or had
could have a hearing before It. but / find
IN every instance the action of the COM
q T.. III
pe- IS entirely satisfactory to the interests
] represent with the exception Of one 4or
Two, and the papers in regard to these
cases ! have handed to Mr.. Aldrich."
No stronger Indictment of the whole pro-
tective system could be made than that
which Is unconsciOllslv carried in these
words OF United States senator, that
laws which impose taxes the great
masses Of the people must be written in
telligent citizen cannot fully understand
mem ana that 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 to-
ward reform Of the tariff should be a
release Of taxes on the materials of in
dustry. There can be no substantial and
beneficial reduction upon the necessary
clothing and other comforts of the Ameri-
can people nor any substantial and bene-
fcial enlargement of the field of Ameri-
can labor SO long as we tax materials
and processes Of production. Every tax
upon the producer falls with increased
force on the consumer Every tax on the
his competitors in all other countries. and
50 narrcws his market TO limit the num-
beT and lessen the wages Of those to whom
he can give employment.
Some of the Changes.
Upon the larger sizes of plate glass.
where the duties were even higher we
have made a reduction of about one-third.
IN the iron and steel schedule. beginning
ith free ore and a duty Of 2115 per cent.
On pig iron. we have reported a scale of
duties considerably below those of the ex-
istl1s law, graduated according to the de-
Gree Of manufacture which should bring
benefit 10 consumers without calling for
any halt in the imperial progress OF that
great industry in our country The duty
upon steel rails has been put at % per
cent, which. accoring to the reports of
our department Of labor, quite conpensates
for all differences in the cost of produc-
uOn IN this country and abroad There
seems 70 be an authentic report that the
pool OF American rail-makers which under
tne shelter Of the present duty of S3A
per ton, has kept up prices to the American
consumer far beyond the cost of produc-
tion and legitimate profits. has been reor-
gained 10 continue the regulation of their
prices above the proper market rates AS
al shippers, and especially American shin
pers, are vitality interested in cheapening
the cost OF transportation, rates of duty
upon steel rails should be adjusted 50 as
monopoly combinations.
Upon TIN plate the duty has been gauged
WITH reference to the revenue what II
VIII bring into the treasury and the differ
ence between this duty and that upon the
black plate has been lessened with a view
caiied the bogus industry of making
american tin plate. by the mere dipping
IN ms country Of the imported black plate
The Sugar Schedule.
In the sugar schedule. we should have
preferred TO wipe out the existing bounty
Eystem- We believe 1t 10 be contrary to
the spirit Of our Institutions. and can con-
ceive Of no circumstances under which we
have provided it's Introduction into our
laws. We have found 10 existing there as