Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-12-23
WILSON TARIFF BILL.
The Majority of the Committee on
Ways and Means
Submits It's Report to the House-Tho His
tory of Tariff Legislation Reviewed
Why Duties Were Reduced
Alleged That the Consumer
VIII be Benefited.


committee yesterday.
1t states that it has been decided that the
power of taxation has no lawful or constitu.
tisS"i exercise except for providing revenue for
the support OF the government
The bill on which tho committee has expended
much patient and anxious labor is not offered
as n complete response to the mandate of the
American people. 1t no more processes to be
purged of all protection than TO be free of all
error in its complex and manifold details. We
believe that reduction of duties will not injure
but givo more abundant life TO all our great
manufacturing industries, however much they
may dread the change.
glance at the tariff legislation of our own
country ought 10 satisfy every intelligent stu
dent that protection has always shown its falls
ity as u system OF economy by its absolute fail
ure to insure healthy and stable prosperity to
manufactures.
Although the demand for tariff reform and
for reduction of taxes has ever since 1872 been
agrowing one in this country, the protected in
dustries have exacted and received from every
republican congress elected since 1874 an in
ere 'se of their protection, occasionally permit
ting the repeal or lessening of u tax that was
paid into the treasury in order to keep away
from or to increase duties levied for their bene-
fit A protective tariff never has and never can
give stability and satisfaction to its own bene.
ficiaries. The history of American industry
shows that during no other period has there
been Il more healthy and rapid development OF
our manufacturing industry than during the
fifteen years Of low tariff from 1916 to 1881, nor
more healthy and harmonious growth of agri-
culture and all the other great industries of the
country
No chapter in our political experience carries
with 1t u more salutary lesson than this, and
none could appeal more strongly to the law
makers 10 establish a just and rational system
of public revenues neither exhaustng agricul-
ture by constant blood letting, nor keeping
manufacturers ALTERNATING bnt rhillS nd
fevers by artificial pampering. In this direction
alone lies stability, concord of sections and of
great industries.
We represent the people who are the many rs
well the protected interests who are the
few, and while we have dealt with the latter in
no spirit of unfriendliness wo have felt that it
was our duty and not their privilege TO make
the tariff schedules. Every tax on the producer
in this country is Il protection To his competi-
tors in all other countries, and so narrows his
market TO limit the number and lessen the
wages of those TO whom he can give employ
ment.
1t is narroW and short-sightad view that
supposes that n removal of the tariff duties on
necessares of industry will infict any real loss
upon those who produce them in our own coun-
try. The enlargement Of markets for our prod
ucts in other countries, the increase in the in
ternul commerce and in the carrying trade of
our own country will insure growing home
market for all these things that will quickly
| OuNSlrlp anything tney COulu nave unNer the
| protective system 1t could never have been in
| tended that constitution which establishes
| perfect freedom of internal trade among sta ties
| should countenance laws that hold one section
of the union, however remote, tributary 10 other
! sections for the supplies OF those necessary ma.
| ter!als whose location is ordained by natural
| law and not by human choice.
| The tariff on wool has disastrously hampered
| orr map-Iacturing industry and made cr1e and
| relentless war upon The health. the comfort and
| the productive energy of the American people.
| We have put und-essed lumber on the free
| list This may serve TO cheaper and improve
| the dwelling houses of some of our people, but
| il is justified If 1t shall accomplish nothing
| more than to aelay the rapid destruction OF
| American forests. We have also placed hemp
and fax unhack!ed on the free list for the rea.
| sons that we NAV give TO the American work.
| ingman untaXed material to work with and thut
| we may give the finished product. as far as pos
| sible, to the consumer with but single tax, and
| that moderate one, instead of medley and
| cumulation OF taxes gathered during the pro
| cess Of production In addition TO these so
| called raw materials we have released from tar
| III duties certain important articles and manu-
| factures which we have shown our capacity &c
| produce cheaper than any other country, such
| as pig copper and the more important agricul
| tural implements
| Any article Of manufacture which can sustain
the competition OF like foreign articles in other
| markets can defy such competition in the home
market, and is not protected by the duty, bu
| by its own intrinsic superior cheapness and
quality. The only effect of q duty on suet
| articles is 10 enable those who make them tC
charge higher prices to the citizens of their owI
| country than they charge to foreigners and this
has been VIGOROUSLY the case with both copper
| and many agricultural implements In adjust
ing duties upon what may be called the finished
products we have lried to impose such rates as
Will not destroy or distress any of our home in
l GCStriCS the hand the other
them an oppressive monopoly of the home mar
kct For this rule we have the recognized au
thorlty both of well known AMI leading tariff
reformers and OF those who in days past were
considered protectionists
| In the earthenware schedule we have mad,
| substantial reductions, still leaving rates a:
high as were deemed necessary in the wa
| tariff In common window glass, where clos
| combinations have kept up the prices to con
sumers under scale OF duties averaging NOR
| than lOo per cent, we have made reduction o
| about onc-half
Upon the larger sizes of plate glass, wher
| the duties were even higher, we have made
reduction Of about one.third. In the iron an,
steel schedule beginning with free ore and
| duty of 22ss per cent. on pig iron we have re
| ported scale of duties considerably beloy
those of tho existing law graduated accordn
| to the dcSrce OF manufacture, which shoul
bring benefit 10 the consumer without calln
fer any halt IN the imperial progress of tha
| great industry III our country. Ine uuty upO
steel rails has been put at % per cent. which
according 10 the reports OF our department Q
labor, quite compensates for all difference 4
the cost of production in this country an
| abroad
Upon tin plate the duty has been guaged wit
reference to the revenue II will bring into tn
treasury and tho difference between this dut
and that upon the black plate has been lessene
with u view 10 discourage what may not unjus
ly be called the bogus industry of maxim
American tin plate by the mere dipping in thi
country OF the imported black plnie.
! In the sugar schedule We should have pr,
ferrcd TO wipe out at single executive stro''
the existing bounty system We believe it to b
contrary 10 the spirit OF our institutions an
can conceive OF no circumstances under whic
} we should have advocated or approved its IL
PRODUCTION into our laws. We have found it o,
isting there as we lind 1t virtually existing 1
every other schedule OF the tariff ana dealin
with 1t in the more open and offensive forms, q
we have dealt with other schedules where larg
/ property interests, are At stake, We have II
ported provision for its repeal fy such stage
as shall gradually obliterate 1t from our law
, while permitting those who have invested larg
means under the expectatio OF its continl