The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-20
TARIFF BILLPRESENTED
The Measure Now Before tho Lower
House of Congress.
PROTECTIVE TARIFF AssAILgD.
protection, 1t Is Stated, Throws business
3 Out of Natural ChannoiH Into Artificial
- CbanneI,. and makes the Tariff the
Football of Politics.

The report states that the American peo-
y pie after a thorough trial have decided
!, that the existing tariff Is wrong In prnci-
pie and grievously unjust in operation.
The people have decided that the power
of taxation has no lawful or constitu-
!. tional exercise except for providing sup.
81 port for the government
2*H For more than thirty years we have
levied the largest part of our federal taxes
1n violation Of this vital truth until we
have reached in the existing tariff a sys-
TEN of class taxation which history can.
not parallel.
SO many private enterprises have been
taken into partnership with the govern
ment, so many private interests now share
in the prerogative of taxing 10000, 900 peo.
pie, that any attempt to dissolve this il
legal union Is necessarily encountered by
an opposition that rallies behind it the in
tolerance of monopoly, the power of con
centrated wealth. the inertia of fixed hab.
Its and the honest errors of a generation
of false teaching.
Continuing, the report states that the
bill is not offered ns n complete response
to the mandate of the people 1t no more
processes To be purgsd OF all protection
than to be free of all error in its complete
details. 1t is recognized that great inter
duty cf congress to imperll In dealing
with the tariff question it must be re-
memberod that temperate reform is safest,
as it has the principal Of growth.
Protection Did Not Protect.
Protection. it is stated, has absolutely
failed to protect. 1t throws business out
of its natural channels into artificial chan
nels, where there must always be nuctua-
tions and uncertainties. 10 makes the
tariff system the football of party politics,
and the liability Of large business inter
ests are at stake at every popular election.
In the early days Of the republic the
manufacturers were the strongest oppo-
nents of u high tariff, knowing that their
business was prospering along natural
/ lines and should not be disturbed. The
first high tariff of 1915 was enacted, how
ever, and this provoked a natural reyul-
sion.
!. Protection has run q Ike course since
the war. After the war there arose a
.trony demand for low tariff, but the
Totectionists thwarted any reduction of
consequence until 1872, when they sue.
ceedcd in enacting law reducing duties
about 10 per cent, as a substitute for Il bill
making much greater reductious.
The report discusses at length tho sue
cassful efforts of the bencfciares uf the
high tariff to defeat reduced taxation,
and compares the present load ontrry
against any reductions with the prelic.
tions of general disaster to follow the low
riff act of 1916 This act revived instead
paralyzed industry, and was such a
cess that II further reduction was do
landed and granted by congress
Protest Against the War Tariff.
There was general protest against the
tariff OF 1851 Senator Sherman and
laSleading Republicans Of that time
are quoted as protesting In the name of
the manufacturers that the tarll DC not
raised
In framing the schedules the committee
did not consider It the privilege of the
protected interests to frame the rates,
These interests have been dealt with in no
spirit of unfriendliness however.
Nearly every schedule in the existing
law was male in its very figure and fig
ures by the representatives of the interests
benefited. Senstor iioar is quoted to show
that every interest had submitted to 1t
the rates proposed before they were adop-
ted, and changed by them at will
The various schedules are taken mp and
discussed To show that the reductions
contemplated do not mean the ruin Of the
industry affected
Veduction in thu iron and steel schedules
Is compensated for by free iron
The % per cent, duty on steel rails is,
according to tho statisics Of the labor
department. ample protection against
foreign rails, and will in no way lessen
tbs advance of thEt great industry, while
the lower duty is a reminder 10 the steel
rail pool that 1t cannot secure more than
reasonable price for its products
The cut in the tin plate duty was to
break up the bogus system of dipping
sheets into tin and calling it tin plate
4 making
This committee preferred wiping out the
sugar bounty al once, but 1t was thought
best to give the interests involved reason.
ablo time to prepare 10 stand alone, and
hence the proviso for its gradual abolition.
Why Agricultural Duties Are Abolished,
The tobacco schedule was framed to pro.
dnce revenue only, and the duties on
agricultural products were abolishsd, AS
they aided no one and only served to fool
ths farmer. The latter is substantially
ssncfited by reductions of duties on wear
[fag apparel, cotton bHgging and agricul-
nral implements.
~ Prices of wool have greatly declined un,
Ador high tariff, and the wool growers
: ,eili be given wider market by reason of
the fact that with free wool tho manufso-
tufers will consume more wool and less
shoddy. The heavy cut In carpets Was
made because American manufacturers
are already competing In the markets of
the world.
The estimated average reduction of duty
10 from 1911 per cent, in the Mckinley
law to 80 per cent. The reduction illop-
erate to enlarge commeree and bring III u
constantly incraasinu pypuiIa The rhuupa
from specific TO ad valorem duties and tho
reasons therefor are discussed al length.
The existing tariff on iron ora and btu.
minons coal is discussed and it is stated
that 1t could never have been intended by
the trainers of the constitution that sec.
tions OF the country very near to other
countries having these products should he
compelled to buy in sections of our coun-
Try very remote and held tributary to
! them.
Coal Legislation fo- Containers.
~ with all their resources and wealth the
iron and coal mine owners will only he
n stirred to exc: else more of their own eff
forts to soupsts with the world. This
legislation is for the millions Of oonsum.
ers.
IA No doubt Is felt, however. that the iron
and coal producers will bs able to exist.
gF"ith all the improved machinery aud
great stores of easily accessible deposits al
#their command.
Il 1t is stated that the purpose Of the bill Is
IA e appeal in. toto the reciprocity features
seAE4ssaaAs4as-a--A-.aslasz
Highest of all in Leavenine Po