Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-01-06
THE WILSON GILL;.
a Carefully and ConsclusiouSiy Drafted
DonuNauk

n CaretullY ana ConHcteniVHN'J
Document.
The tariff bill reportd by the COM
mlttee on ways and mans Is In one
sense a moderate measue; In another
sense a radical measuN Compared
with the tariffs under witch we lived
and prospered for man years before
the civil war, 1t leaves S still with a
very high degree of proection. Com
pared with the tariffs otcountries like
France and Germany, Ii which there
has been of late years sodistinct a re-
yival of protection, 1t is Sso a strongly
protectionist measure. Cmpared with
the completely n~on-protetive tariff OF
England, Its duties are moderately
high. But compared witt the Mckin-
ley tariff act, 1t Is, In oe respect at
least, a radical measure. It drops the
policy OF indiscrimiuate potection. 1t
rests upon the principle tat, after all,
there are some things whici the country
is capable of producing, ht which 1t
will nevertheless permit to be freely
imported. So far as the geat a OF
manufactured commodites is con-
cerned, the changes In dut are not In
cisive; but the free admission OF some
important raw materials marks n radi-
cal change In policy.
Far and away the most Important OF
these changes is that By which raw
wool is to be admitted rec OF duty.
For thirty years we have zen inapos-
Ing heavy duties on AM and every
quality Of wool, and we have been
promised by domestic wol-growers,
or at least by their spokespen In poll
tics, that they would be abe to supply
all tie wool Of every qually that the
country wanted. They rave never
done 80; in fact, conditions Of soil and
climate make it Impossible that they
should do 50. They furnish us with an
abundant and sufficiently eheap supply
Of wool of medium quality But they
are not able TO produce the woods In
any quantity, and they do not find it
worth while to produce rery coarse
wool at all. Under these circumstances
the bill wisely puts wool upon the free
list, and so gives the American people
the benefit of the fine qualify of Aus
tralian wool and Of the extreme cheap
ness of the coars wool Of Russia and
East India.
The free admission OF wool is the
most important political change in the
bill. For many years the duty on
wool has been made to do service In
states like Ohio and Michigan as bring
ing to the farmer his share Of the bene-
fits OF protection. 1t recaired the
courage OF President Clevellnd TO face
the situation boldly, and to declare for
free wool even though ONO was a
doubtful state. This he did in his
message, now passed into history, Of
December, 1887, when he tooi that UNI
f~inching attitude on the tariff ques-
ton which has brought his party to
the position In which it now Is II
there Is any n part of heir pro-
Rramme to which the democrats are
committed It Is the free admission OF
wool; and this part Of the hill may be
expected to reach the stage Of enact
ment If any part of itdoes. Once made,
the change unquestionably will be
found a beneficial one, The great
massof the wool-growers willfnd them
selves injured to no appreciate degree,
the manufacturers will have heir ma
terial cheaper, and the consumers will
have better and cheaper clothes.
So far as manufacturers are con-
cerned, most Of the changesar are from
duties that were prohlbitory to duties
that will be somewhat less prohibitory.
Such is the case with most silk goods,
cotton goods, glassware aud china
ware. On woolens there Is amore I'M
portant change. They are admitted at
the simple duty Of 40 per cent, which
Is to be reduced n per cent. each year
for five years, until finally the duty
on them reaches the definite rate of 85
per cent. This change is the counter
part of the free admission Of wool,
which entailed a complete removal of
the present high and complicated
duties on wooden goods, and the sub
stitution of a simple and comparatively
moderate ad valorem duty. In almost
any other country duties of IS and 40
per cent, coupled with free raw ma
terial. would be thought to give more
adequate protection. We are
confident that they will be found to
give all the protection that the WOODEN
industry of the United States now
needs, and that they will cheaper
goods to the mass Of the consumers
without seriously endangering the
prosperity of the manufacturers
On the whole, the bill is carefully
end conscientiously drafted. il faces
the situation boldly, applies the knife
sharply to some excrescence ON pro-
tective growth, and redeems In u sub
stantial way the promises under which
the democratic party came into power.
Yet 1t makes no such radical or far
reaching changes as will disturb the
great mass Of the manufacturing in
dustries. The country can easily ac-
commodate itself to such changes. and
within few months after its enact.
ment, few will advocate u return to the
existing order Of things. -Harper's