Huntsville gazette., 1893-10-14
THE TARIFF HEARINGS.
Testimony That Is Condemnatory of Tar.
if Reform.

Testimony That Is Condemnatory of Tar
if Reform.
The best essays on political economy
which have been written for many a
day are the luminous reports of the
tariff hearings furnished by our Wash
ington bureau. These reports are un-
pretentious, and do not attempt to
nnalyze causes and effects in an acade-
mic way; but they contain faithful
reproduction of the statements of fact
made by business men respecting the
course of prices and the present indus
trial condition of the country The
witnesses are not theorists bent either
upon justifying or controverting cam
paign platforms and arguments. They
are plain business men who know what
are the facts respecting the industries
with which they are identified 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 in declaring that
confidence can be restored and pros
perity be regained if congress will de-
ly announce its intentions.
Representatives of the iron and steel
industries, in which four hundred and
fifty thousand men are ordinarily en-
ployed, We're heard. They gave lucid
account of the deplora BILE condition of
their trade. After thirty years of un-
broken progress and prosperity mines
have been closed, furnaces and mills
have ceased operation, and tens of
thousands of workmeD have been
thrown out of employment. The main
cause of this industrial catastrophe has
been the menace of radical changes in
the tariff. If this were removed, there
would be general revival of business,
factories and mines would be operated
on full time and thousands of idle work
men would be proftably employed.
That is the testimony of representa-
tives of nearly every other industry
who have been questioned by the COM
mittee on ways and means
The democratic members have at
tempted without avail to confuse these
witnesses. They have sought to wiring
from them admissions that consumers
were burdened by protection, that for
eigners could not pay duties when their
goods were shut out. and that with
free raw materials American manu-
facturers ought to be satisfied with
heavy reductions of the tariff. These
practical business men have not al
lowed themselves to be entangled by
hypothetical questions and free-trade
polemics. They have known the facts
about their own business and have
stated them with elearness and preci-
sion. They have contended that con-
sumers have not been burdened since
prices have been lowered by competi-
ton; that foreigners have not been
shut out since importations have stead
lily increased and were never greater
than during the year following the pas
sage of the Mckinley act. and that free
raw materials, while they would de-
stroy many great industries, would not
| compensate manufacturers for the re-
| ductions 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 cheapened, and that the
working classes would be fully en-
ployed at higher wages. The tariff
hearings are demonstrating that both
of these objects have been secured in
| the United States under protection.
| Prices have been lowered decade after
| decade in consequence of industrial
| competition, and all sorts and condi-
tions of men have been working at the
best wages paid anywhere in the
| world. What. then, has the free-trader
to offer to the American people? Even
if he could guarantee further cheap
ening of prices, it would be no more
| than has been accomplished under pro-
| lection; and of what advantage would
| the reduction be if the great body o1
workers were unemployed and unable
to buy at any price? The revenue re-
| former does not venture to assume that
wages will be higher or work more
| constant than in 1892, the last year ot
| republican prosperity and hope. HI
cannot do this when the mere menace
of his activity has thrown thousands o.
workmen out of employ yment Y
| Tri