The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-05-26
THE KIsIBALL GRAPHIC
CLATE R. TINAN.
The Official Paper Of BruIe County,
The Tariff Question.


justment Of the tariff is not surprising
to a student of human nature. The
complexion Of congressman's political
belief is not guide to his honesty.
Nowadays, under the fosterings and
teachings of Republlcanism, it is the
congressman who can secure the largest
appropriations for his constituents, who
is most thoroughly in the swim. While
the eastern representative is fighting for
as big steal as possible out OF the pro-
tection bag his western colleague is
silenced with a few public buildings or
a $4,000 harbor for catfish. Four-hun-
dred amendments to the original Wilson
bill intoduced in the senate alone! Was
there ever more perfect illustration of
the insidious workings of tariff made
by and solely for few benefciaries. To
this extent has McKinleyism permeated
the whole body polite.
When tho last Democratic convention
declared Republican protection fraud,
aud declared that the government has
no constitutional power to impose tariff
duties except for the purpose of revenue,
AMI that such taxes should be limited to
the necessities CT the government eco
nomically administered, it struck pop
ular chord. Ha a bill covering these
features in the main been introduced in
place OF the make-shift Wilson bill
with its undemucratic Income tax. and
which is protective without affording
any protection, and for revenue without
obtaining the revenue congress could
not have withstood the pressure that
would have been brought to bear for its
passage.
Literary speaking, tariff for revenue
only is one in which uniform rate of
duty Is levied upon all imports. But
there is no reason why tariff NAV not
still be revenue tariff and admit free of
duty articles not made or produced in
this country-tea and coffee for instance
Such tariff might go a step farther and
and admit sugar free of duty. 1t is esti-
mated that were tea, coffee and sugar
placed on the free list and uniform
rate OF duty placed upon all other pro-
duets it would require tariff of about
DO per cent, so enormous have the ex-
penditures of the government now
become. This would not only be higher
tariff than the fOndest dreams of the most
ardent protectionist ten years ago, but
1t would afford protection to American
labor many times over the difference
between the labor cost in this and foreign
countries. 1t costs just six cents to
manufacture the average muslin shirt
which retails for 75c. to $l.OO. Does any
sane person believe that any foreigner
can compete with American machinery
and ingenuity? Compared with the
work he turnes out the American factory
hand is the cheapest labor in the world.
The average labor cost of manufactured
articles in this country is not one-tenth
the duty levied on them-the remainder
goes into the pockets of the manufactu-
rers. The suppositlon that the Mckinley
bill is based on the difference between
the cost of labor in this and foreign
countries is rot Of the worst kind. Were
this fact it wouldn't raise enough rev.
enue to run the government 30 days.
Republican protection is fraud be-
cause 1T is based upon the desires OF the
manufacturers and not the need of the
laboring man or the government. That
the Wilson bill is nc better does not alter
the fact. The scandalous work in the
senate only serves to show how thorough
ly the protective trusts haze gotten the
people by tie throat. A Democratic SEN
ator with rich manufacturer at his
elbow is not made of sterner stuff than
his Republican colleague.
1t is now proposed to place the tariff
question in the hands Of a permanent
tariff commission for regulation and
revisement from time to time. But we
do hot believe that such commission
would prove tc be any more infallible
than congress. The GRAPHIC believes
that the best solution of the matter
would follow the elimination from the
free list OF every article except tea. coffee
aud sugar and the levying of uniform
rate OF duty on all other imports suffi-
cient for the needs of the government
economically administered. When the
rate established was not sufficient it
could be raised by presidential enact
ment. and when more than sufficient it
could be lowered. You may call such II
tariff tariff for revenue only, a revenue
tariff or protective tariff. 1t is very
certain that it perfectly fills all three
requirements. Its protective features
would be ambly sufficient for American
labor, except perhaps the sugar industry
which is, outside of beet raising, almost
wholly confined to one state. and which
would effect less than six hundred people
all told it that state, and it would do
away forever with the class legislation,
corruption, bribery and general cussed-
ness of tariff moulded by and in the
Interest of Il few beneHciaries.