New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-08
THE HTLL OF SALE.

The latest Tariff bill is declared by "'The New
York Times TO be IAN itcmizcd bill of sale OF
the votes Of various Democratic Senator's the
framing of which must have been revolving
and exceedingly distastcfu to any honorable
Democrat" True. submission to blackmail is
usually revolving But the Democratic party
Welded 10 blackmailerS when it took the income
fax from the Populists 1t found the House bill
beaten by seventeen votes in the Senate, and
yielded to blackmaers again when 1t suffered
the trusts to dictate the sugar and whiskey
taxes. 1t found the Finance Committees bill
beaten by five votes. and then surrendered as
much protection as any Democratic Senator de-
manded. document Of the same nature was
drawn up at Appomattox, when the Confed-
crate Army surrendered TO General Grant. This
now bill embraces the articles Of capituation
Of the Democratic party Therein the party
confesscs that il has failed TO frame or pass
Democratic tariff The fall elections forced the
partial surrender TO POpulists, and the spring
elections have forced surrender TO Protection
lists The party abandons al valorcm duties
and now asserts that its latest bill Will not de-
privc any industry of needed protection. If So
it is a half-Popust half-Rcpublican bill-not
Democratic AT all.
When the details are examined. Republican
Senators will have no difficulty in proving that
the bill fails as n rule to give the protection
required As bill for protection it is blunder
ing and bad. Right we'll the country under
stands that a good Protective Tariff can only
be framed by Protectionists. and that bad
tariff of that sort. fixed up by Free Traders
submitting to blackmai may easily be worse
than measure for revenue only. II the Free
Traders are TO make a tariff at all, let them
make one of the kind they understand. III we
are TO have Protection at all, let il be good In
tclligcnt and adequate Protection. When De-
mocracy abandons the attempt to frame Dem
ocratic tariff. therefore, it throws up the sponge
for the voters know enough never to set homoe-
opathic doctors to make out all0pathic prescrip-
tons, or vice versa. Bad and laundering Fro
lection. mixed with Populist direct taxes. will
suit no party.
What NAV result in Congress is less clear.
The PopuliSts and the Democratic blackmallcrS
have there n share Of power which they never
had at the ballotboX. and the late elections in
dicate that in another Congress they may nave
none The trusts may be expected 10 night
hard for a bill which they have dictated, ana
out of the millions il will give them can afford
TO console many Democratic members for their
surrender Of Democratic principles. The agents
Of importers and Of foreign manufacturers
know that bad Protection gives them countless
opportunities to break down dcfences OF Amcri-
can industry, and that the duties proposed VIII
leave many home industries completely defence
less The Democratic partisans in Congress-
having been whipped out Of their attempt 10
pass a Democratic bill. will hide their surrender
TO trusts and blackmallers as far as they can
bv pretending to consider the pending measure
"bettcr than the Mckinley bill, at all events.
Those who have sense know that il Is nOt-fhat
duties which are just high enough not TO pro
tect are more burdcnsome and less beneficial
than protective duties. But further falschood
becomes a partisan necessity in order TO CLOAK
defeat and pallatc surrender
If the business world possessed an intelligent.
compact and non-partisan organization, 1t could
crush this bill and all tariff agitation within Il
fortnight Nine business men out Of ten now
realize that the present tariff would be immeas-
urably better for them than any general change,
unavoidably followed by years Of agitation;
that they prospered beyond all precedent under
the tariff as It stands, and have endured un-
precedented adversely ever since the threat of
change began to affect trade determined
tisan object of passing some bill good or bad,
but for the stoppagc Of all agitation until after
the next Congressional elections. would unqueS-
tionaby succeed. Is there not intelligence
enough and patriotism enough in business
circles to give such an effort the necessary
force? If not, shall have the Whiskey and
Sugar bill passed after some months of delay.
and immediate agitation for its repeal will fol-
nxs.il1 Of hn a
expressed at elections last fall and this spring,
has chosen a new Congress and President.
Three years Of change, agitation and uncer-
tainty will not help business. Defeat Of the
pending "itemzed bill Of sale" and postpone
ment of the whole question until after the fall
elections, will give everybody strong reason to
hope that the prosperity which the present
tariff brought may return and continue 1t Is
for business organizations to say which they
prefer.