Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-03-25
INSTABILITY.
protection and Business Uncerta,utv-a,
Illustration of Its Truth.

irotectlon and Business Uncertaiptv-a
Illustration of Its Truth.
one who has not studied the suh;oot
can hardly realize the difficulties in tbe
way OF transacting business in the
United states contingent on the com
phcatlons and obscurities which have
characterized II tariff policy for the
last quarter of a century, and many of
which have been Intentionally created
with a view Of indirectly RESTRICTING
lorelgn commerce, or, what is the same
thing, obtaining higher taxes, to a
greater degree than public opinion
would have sanctioned if attemntnd II.
rectly.
Consider the situation of the British
and American business man under tba
hscal policy of their respective conn.
tries The former goes to his business
OF any description every morning with.
out a thought that anything of dis.
is likely to come to his indus.
trial or commercial interests from por.
llamentary Legislation, for the tax svs.
'N"' piiudiu-tH DeSt IN the
worlds SO simple and so well adaptcd
10 every fiscal exigency that any radi.
cal modification of it is hardly within
the bounds of possibility. To every
American business man. on the othn,.
hand, the session of the federal con.
gress mas become a period of apprehen-
sion OF the enactment of laws affect.
ing his interests, and only those fa.
mlllar with the situation can have anv
correct idea OF the number of persons
who annually gather at Washington.
Inc the amount of money expended to
sifect or defeat changes in ma.
tlonal fiscal legislation. A cues.
tion which may here suggest if.
self is: Why not, then, accept the
present tariff, and why not advocate a
policy that will involve further contin.
led n radical disturbances? A sniff.
answer to it is that the existing
arm is in a condition of unstable eoui,
as every tariff necessarily must,
That is founded, as is now the case. on
he claims of private interest rather
han on considerations of public welfare,
ND that the element of stability cannot
possibly inhere in it if the government
to remain free and democratic,
what an illustration of the truth Of
ms Is to be found in the fact that since
ne enactment of the Mckinley tariff.
r within the last two years, there have
cen LOG, 1926 cases of dispute between
Merchants and treasury officials, accom-.
anled by formal protest or appeals re.
the construction or mean;no
I the law Or the evidence Of fraudl Il
true that very many of these are set.
ed by a single court decision: Int
very one OF them nevertheless renre-
snts worry, the employment Of legal,
ounsel, a large expenditure Of time
nd money on the part of the merchant. !
nder the tariff in force in 1891. a com, !
Iittee of the United States senate re.
orted that "the calendar of cnstoms f,
tits in the district courts of New York
grown SO large that there Is M
prospect of ~disposinr Of :
lem in this generation" Such a state >
things, which is equivalent to = de.
a of justice to the merchants. does !
IT exist in any other commercial chm Q
y, and its continuance in the United
ates is an outrage and a reflection on o.
civilization. David A. Wells n y
.bruary Forum.