The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-01
WILSON'S PRorECrIoNIsr TARIFF
SCHEME.
Ths wnsea Bn violates All the Principles
of the nemoorncv.


of the Democracy.
Nc- o. Psorff.nc. yorrna, Ipi,p.n4sni p.-oyd.
tits quite easy at FIRST reading 10 see what
the general nature Of the measure IL. and to
| grasp the essential principle running through
all Its varied and complicated schedules. That
| principle is tho familiar one OF protection to
home industry. through the imposition Of more
or less prohibitlve or hindering duties on the
importation OF competing foreign products.
In no schedule OF the proposed Democratic
tariff lie this principle conspicuously violated.
Consequently this bill is not ofthe kind ,chich
the Democrats icere put into potce,. 10 pass. At
the last national election It was supposed,
from the platform on which the Democrats
asked support. that thoy stood for the prlnci-
pie OF q revenue tariff as opposed to that OF
protective tariff on which tho Republicans
founded their claims to endorsement When
the votes we're all cast and counted. and IL was
found that the Democrats had won a
great Victory on their bold and sharply defined
tariff platform, It was further supposed that
tariffs for protection would be ended in this
country. and tariff established for revenue
only. The high tariff benefclaries lamonted.
and honest tarlfr reformers rejoiced accord.
ingly: except so far as the latter restrained
their pleasure by the fear that the Democrats
might, after all, lack the courage OF their al
legged convictions and fail In the end to per-
form the great mission Of reform which had
been plainly intrusted to them.
That fear Is noto justified on the erent The
Democrats have brought forward. and now
propose to try TO pass. not a rerenue td,iG. jud
protective tdriG. q tariff which differs from the
existing law. and from such laws as the Re-
publicans have declared desirable only in per-
centages. 1t is not the law which the Demo-
Gratis outlined in their platform. but just such
lao as in that platform they declared rds frdudt-
lent and unconstitutional; It is not the law
which the people Of the discontinued West
meant to help bring about, when they put the
Democrats In power last year. but Just such
law as they intended to rebuke and reject the
Republican party for having passed. In plain
words. the fundane entail and carefully pre-
served principle OF the Wilson bill Is not to
raise revenue from customs duties. but 10 oirs
certain Jdrored home industries an artificial. pro-
tected profit Tho sugar schedule illustrates
the real nature Of the bill as we'll las any. 1t
will be borne in mind that revenue tariff DIFF
fers from a protective tariff in this. that the
former taxes I'm ported products OF n kind not
raised In the homo country In order that the
tax on them may all go into the Treasury.
while the latter taxes i'm ported products whose
like Is produced in the home country. In order
that part Of the tax may 20 into tho pockets
OF the homo producers for their protection"
Now. In accordance with the revenue prin-
ciple. commodity like sugar. nearly all OF
which is imported. would be substantially
taxed. while products like cotton and woollen
goods. OF which there is large domestic pro-
ductlon. would be lightly taxed or left free
altogether. But the Wilson bill. instead OF
raising the duties on sugar or restoring them
where they had been removed. actually re-
duces them. At the same timo 1t leaves the
duties on cotton and woollen goods, iron and
steel products. and all manufactured articles
at handsome protective figures. There Is
nothing Of free trade or revenue tariff in this:
Il is protection through aud through.
1t is somewhat moro endurabe than the
form and degree OF protection we now
labor under: but it differs from tho Mckinley
publicans might have proposed without doing
violence to their tariff principles 1t is very
much such bill as thoy probably would have
proposed. II they had had the chance after last
years elections. in order to appease the evil
dent wrath OF the people over the Mckinley
enormty. But the people at that time do
clared that they did not want tho Republicans
to mako any more tariffs for them and In put
ting the tarifr-making power in the hands OF
the Democrats they certainly did not mean
that the latter should use it on tho rejected
Republican principles. That. however. is Just
what the Democrats havS done They have
prepared u tariff bill rhich is essentially RepuJ-
hCam and prOtectire in principle. nd,rhich differs
from the present Republican and prefecture lar
only ia details and percentages: and for this
weak and timid refusal OF the brave duty inn
posed upon them by the American people. they
are likely to be called sharply to account at
the next national election.