New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-13
future for McNlams outside that depraved OF,
garization if he enters it his people VIII ho'
follow him.
THE TARIFF HEARI NGS.


The best essays on political economy which
have been written for many a day are '"o
luminous reports of the tariff hearings l"r
rishcd by our Washington bureau. These re-
nor,s are unprctcntious, and do not attempt
fo ana,zc causes and effects in an academic
way: but they contain a faithful reploducVIo"
Of the statements of fact made by business
men respecting the course of prices ana inc
nrc.cnt industrial condition of the country
The witnesses arc not theorists bent elbher
,ncn iuStifying or cOntrovelfng campaign pau
forms and arguments. They are plain business
mon who know what are the facts respecting
tho ministries with which they are idcntied'
With one consent they have borne testimony
TO the general paralysis of business caused by
uncertainty respecting the tariff policy OF the
country. With few exceptions they unite III
declaring that confidence can be restored ana
prospcrity be rcgained if Congress will defer
tho revision of the tariff and speedily announce
its intentions.
On Monday representatives of the iron and
steel industries, in which 100000 men are
ordinarily employed, were heard. They gave
\ lucid account Of the dcporable condition OF
their trade. After thirty years OF mbroken
progress and prosperity mines have been clo'ed.
furnace, and mills have ceased operation. ana
tons If thousands of WOrkmcn have bccn
thrown out of employment The nam cause
Of tbi, industrial catastrophe has been the men
ace of radical changes in the tariff. If TINS
were removed. there would be general reVNh
of business, factories and mines would DC
opcratcd on full time and thousands oil ldie
hot
yorkmcn would be profitably employed. lhao
is the testimony of representatives. OF nearly
every other industry who have been questioned
nv the Committee on Ways and Means.
The Democratic members have attempted
without avail t. confuse these witnesses. lhey
have sought b. wiring from them admissions
that consumers were burdencd by Protection.
that fcrei.ncls could not pay duties when their
,l,,d, were shut out. and that with free raw
materials American manufacturers ought 10 be
satisfied with heavy reductions OF the tallii.
These practical business mon have not allowed
Themselves to be cntanged by Hypothetical
questions and rrcc-Tradc polcmcS. They have
known tho facts about their own business. ana
have stated them with ccaIncSS and precision.
They have contcnded that consumers have not
been burcned since prices have been lowered
bv competition that Foreigners have not been
shut ont since importatlonS have steadily IN
creased and were never greater than during
the wear following the passage Of the Mckinney
act. and that free raw materials, while they
would destroy many great industries, would not
compe n>ate manufacturers for the reductions
of duties and the disturbance and uncertainty
caused BY prolonged tariff agitation.
When Mr. Golden was advocating Free Trade
in England, fifty years ago. his great argument
was that prices would be chcapcnod, and that
thc working classes would be fully employed
at higher wages The tariff hearings are de-
u, ns-rating that both Of these objects have
hcon secured in the l'nitid States under Pro-
trcti,n Price, have been lowered decade after
decade i'm consequence of industrial compc'l-
ton. and all sorts and conditions of men have
been working AT the best wages paid anywhere
in the world. What. then. has the FREQ Trader
70 offer 70 the American people? Even II he
c.s,,d guaranteed further chcapcnng
Of Uice>. il would be no more
than has bon accomplished under Pro-
t.c;ipn: and of what advantage would the
reduction be- If the great body Of workers were
rnemplo,cd and unable Il buy n any price?
The revenue rcf,rmcr does not venture - as
sumo that wage, will lc higher or work more
constant than in 1892 tho last year of Re-
( publican pr sporty and hope. He cannot do
this when ihe mere menace of his activity has
thrown thousands Of workmen ont of employ
mcnt.