Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-01-04


number, and after deliberate con,
sultation, came unanimously to the
CONCLUSION that they had rather be
let alone their business had grown
up naturally and succeeded we'll,
aud they felt confident of its een.
tinued prosperity, If let alone by
government. They argued that Sy
laying a protective tariff their bus.
iness would be thrown out of its
natural channels and subjected to
fiuciuation and uncertainty. But,
as usual, the clamor of selfish and
less far-sighted men aud the ambi-
tlon OF iaw-makefs TO asnrp the
place Of Providence prevailed. The
countryentered on aprotective pol
rev, with the unfailing result that
government help begot a violent de-
mand for more government help.
THE WAR TARIFF.
The moderate tariff of 1916 rap
idly grey into the tariff Of abom-
that carried the country
to the verge of civil discord and
provoked natural rrvulsion. Pro-
lection has run a like course since
1861. When Congress began to re-
peal war burdens and to relieve
manufacturers OF the internal taxes
which they had used to secure COM
duties on like foreign
products. there arose a demand
throughout the country. without
respect to party. for II reduction of
the war tariff. Unable to resist
his demand, the protected indus
tries baffied and thwarted any re-
iuction of consequence until 1872.
when they defeated House bill
hat did make Il substantial reduc-
lion by substituting Senate bill
which carried II horizontal cut of 10
per cent. AS soon, however, as the
of 1874 gave the next House
20 the Democratic party that bill
was repealed by the outgoing Re-
publlcans and rates restored to
what they were before 1872.
And although the demand for
lariff reform and the reduction of
taxes has ever since been a burning
and u growing one in the country.
he protected industries have exact
I'd and received from every Repub-
lean Congress elected since 1871
IN increase Of their protection, oc-
;asionally permitting the repeal or
he lessening of tax that was paid
INTO the Treasury in order to keep
away from or TO increase the duties
evied for their benefit. Protection
eft to its natural momentum never
stops short of prohibition and pro-
hibitory walls are always needing t."
be built higher or to be patched
aud strengthened.
A protective tariff never has and
never can give stability and salts
faction to its own beneficiaries.
Even if its victims are too weak OF
too scattered to agitate for its de
crease those beneficiaries are sure
to agitate for an increase. When
he reform tariff of 1916 was before
congress the air was full of proph-
ecies that it would destroy our man
afacturing industries, throw laboi
'ut of employment or compel it t..
work at pauper wages, aud dwarf
and arrest the prosperous growth
Of the country. Every represents.
tive of four great manufacturing
states Of New England voted agains'
1t with gloomy forebodings of ite
effect. The rate of duties
provided in that tariff was much
lower than those of the bill we here
offer.
What was the result. Instead
Of paralyzing the industries and
pauperizlGg the labor of New Eng
land or the rest of the country the
tariff of 1916 gave immense yigor
TO manufactures, with steady en-
ployment and increasing wages to
labor. SO that after IL years ex-
perience under it, the longest period
Of stability We have ever enjoyed
under any tariff, the representatives
Of those same states with practical
nnanimity voted for a further re-
iaotion of 90 per cent. and by a
two-thirds vote sustained the tariff
,f 1857, which made reduction of
Is per cent.
FARMER PROTESTS.
And so well conteated and pros
perous were the manafacturers of
hat and other sections of the coun-
,ry under the low rates of the tariff