The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-13

Two Of the earliest, boldest. and sincerest
champions OF tariff reform have recently
spoken. reminding Mr.. C~LEvELAND's Adj
ministration OF the task with which it was
charged by the Democracy at the Chicago
Convention and by the people at the cleo
ton last November. We note a great diff
ference in the tenor OF their respective
~utterances.
The Hon. HENRY WATTERsoN holds the
Democracy to its pledge. Mr.. WArTERsoN
the party pla@4d Hin. N . free trade plat
FORM" Every duty. says WATTERsoN. must
be for r~evenueSonly. That is im%pregnable
ground. II the platform on which Mr..
CLEVELAND wa elected is not q humbug
and a lie, the Government has no consti-
t~utional power to impose any tax for
any other purpose. direct or incidental.
except to produce revenue Coming down
to details. Mr.. WATTERsoN's programme
Is spirited. rs far as it goes. He re%pudiates
the proposed tariff bill OF the New York
Reform Club as not thorough enough. He
demands the abolition OF the sugar bounty.
which is a protectionist measure. He would
restore the sugar tax and thereby raise
S25. OO0. 900. He would raise S25. 600. 900 more
by a tax on coffee. and $25. 900. 900 more.
II needed. by n tax on tea. Then
he would put n revenue tariff" on
woollens. linen. cutlery. carpets. clothing.
and tools and household utensils of every
kind. This IL, perhaps. ,athe nearest ap-
proach TO a purely revenue tariff that any
conspicuous authority has yet recon-
mended. Is 1t thoroughgenough? That
depends upon the manner in which the
general principle asserted by Mr.. WAITER
o Is applied to those parts OF the schedule
concerning which his recommendations are
not very definite. With the sugar bounty
abolished, and no attention paid to the in
terests OF the American men. the tax
Oh sugar would be n purely revenue tax. So
would be the duties on coffee and on tea.
for coffee and tea arc not raised in this
country. and there can be no direct ques-
ton OF protection with regard to them.
But II Mr.. WATTERsON intends to limit his
strictly revenue tariff to the several classes
OF articles which he specifies. and to put all
other classes of imported articles on the
free list. there is an opening for m untold
amount Of Unconstitutional protection 20
CREEP intoh his bill. nhdto force contributions.
as Mr.. CLKyELAap so.well puts it. from
the earnings and. lncrnues Of the mass of
our citizeAs, tosSgell directly the secumu-
lstions of a favored few" This would be
downright disqualification for the Demo-
cratic party.
Col. MoRRIsoN's opinions. as expressed In
his interview with The SUNS correspondent
at New Orleans. are much more guarded
and far less ineligible than Col. WAITER
SONS. Col. MORRISON talks of tariff re-
FORM" but we find nowhere in his remarks
the phrase tariff for revenue only and
- to the unconstitutionality OF protection
In any form. that fundamental idea of the
present Democratic creed appears to
have acquired no Judgment in his
mind. He is perfectly safe in saying that II
repetition OF his experiment OF horizontal
reduction would be unwise. Unwise is a
very mild adjective. IN attempt to satisfy
the party's obligations by a horizontal re-
duction OF the MCKINLEY protective tariff
would be double distilled damphooling. 1t
would merely reduce revenue and preserve
protection. Col. MORRISON doee not tolerate
the idea OF an income tax. He tells the
Louisiana people that in order to provide
sufficient revenue for the needs OF the Gov
eminent. there must be a restoration OF
some tax on sugar: and he mystities us en-
tirely by adding. a little further on. When
II comes to q question of taking off the
bounty on sugar and OF imposing on that
article a duty instead. my knowledge Of the
subject leads me to the opinion that the
bounty piH remain" This would he pure
protectionism; MCKINLEY protectionism.
All who are earnest In their desire that
the promises Of the Chicago platform shall
be redeemed In good faith and with scrupu-
lous honesty. % that the Democracy has
full control OF the Government. will well
come any ideas that may be advanced by
tariff reformers so distinguished and expe-
ueaeed as are Col. W~ArrERsoS and Col. NOR