New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-28
4 DEMOCRATIC TARIFF.

| The new Tariff bill is an anachrOnism. which
| would have appeared less absurd IL it had been
| offered at any time before the late elections
| Even 10 Democrats who had supposed their
leaders could be taught something by phe-
nOnenal defeat it is surprising. Prepared by
Democrats only and in secret, under the con-
slant direction Of the President. it betrays the
absence of the SOLDERING influence OF frank COM
parisOn Of opposing convictions. In parts 1t Is
clearly out of harmony with itself, where po-
ltical considerations since the recent election
seem TO have prompted departure from its the
cries, but in the main ii jusifes the claim thar
| the committee has gone straight on, as il the
| wishes Of the people deserved no attention.
Its most characteristic feature is the general
substitution of ad valOrem for specific duties,
This Is in contempt Of the judgment Of COM
petcnt economists, including some eminent
Democrats. and Secretary Manning. President
Clevclands first choice for the Treasury. who
strongly urged specific duties on the ground that
by them only could fraud be effectually checked.
But the extreme Free-Trade. theorists have al
ways been anxious for ad valorcm duties only.
as if because these are most easily evaded and
practically least cficacOus. The committee
could hardly have decided to open wide the
doors to fraud had it not been anxious to de-
prive American Industries of defence more COM
plctely than the people could discover from
mere comparison Of rates. Besides all its open
blows it wished to deliver stab In the dark.
1t should be Il fatal objection TO this bill that
unlike any other ever proposed by either party,
1t deliberately and Intentionally creates deficit
It's advocates say that the deficit will be about
$50, 900, which they intend TO make good
by later enactments, perhaps an income tax.
But there can be no certainty about the passage
of future measure, especially of such a char
acter. No other party has ventured 10 cut
down revenues beyond the needs Of Government
without providing i'm the same act for CORE
spending Increase from other sources. The re-
ductOn Of revenues will probably be found even
greater than the committee represents. The
additions to the free list alone, including wool,
iron ore, copper, lumber sulphurc acid, salt
and coal. with many other articles which Pro
lection only has enabled the country TO produce,
will take more than $lOOO0OOO from the GUS
toms receipts. Some Of these changes have
met opposition so strong that it seemed hardly
possible the committee would disregard 1t.
Wool-growcrs Of the South protested against
growers Of Ohio or Michigan but without
avail. Coal and iron miners Of Southern States
protested not willing to accept the destruction
of their Industries as the first choice fruit Of
thirty years struggle for Democracy, and sim
liar protests came from copper and lumber pro-
ducers. But with the committee Of Democrats q |
grain Of theory seems to have Outweighed Il ton |
of experience The change in these articles will |
aot merely take millions from the revenue but |
will deprive several hundred thousand Amcri- |
,an workers Of their power to purchase foreign |
domestic products.
The duties on manufactured products are re- /
duced apparently, rather more than 40 per |
cent in the aggregate But the proposed rctluc-
tons do not appear TO be governed by any in
telligent rule, and the change from specific
to ad valorem duties makes 1t task of some
days labor to determine even approximately
how far the reduction in some schedules ex-
tends In the wOOllens schedule more than half
the duty would be taken off. evidently. even II
the goods should be honestly invoced without
and the change to ad valorem
duties will make the practical effect still great
err. In the iron schedule the reduction on pig
from Sc y per ton TO 22h per cent, which means
at present prices 81 30 to 50 % per ton, must
shut UP many Eastern and Southern furnaces
Rails are reduced from $13 A per ton to % per
cent. which means Mt latest quotations about
81 10. and on most finished products the duties
IRE heavily cut. On glass the reduction Is over
one-lalf and on linens from 40 per cent up
ward. 1t IL an added injury to industry that
the duties on woollens, being deemed too high
as fixed In the bill, are to be further reduced
five points in five years OH sliding scale,
which would compel makers to fight all that
time against falling markets, II they should
venture to contend at ALL
In abolishing the duties on eggs and vege.
tables the committee not only throws awny
about 81 100000 revenue, but this change with
abolition or reduction OF duties on breadstuns
and other farm products is calculated TO In
crease the serious depression Of agriculture In.
Eastern and border States. Even the sugar
growers, though the Committee did not venture
10 repeal Mt once the bounty so often de-
nounced by Democrats rs a robbery are to
see 1t cut away by fractions In eight years, a
process eminently calculated to discourage any
INDUSTRY In short, nearly all classes must
share the blessings Of this Democratic change,
farmers and miners, wool-growers and weavers
cotton spinners, furnace men and lumber men.
1t Is not an American bill, but Is distinctivcly
for the benefit Of other countries and their ~