The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-25

law was the eliminating atrocity OF Re
publican recklessness in legislation;
reasonable that l hazard nothing IN as
serting that conservative and fair-mlnded
Republicans everywhere regretted tns
party exigencies which seemed to demand
Its passage. 1t was the very personif-
cation of protectionism run mad.
The depression or disturbance in busl-
ness which necessarily accompanies any
general tariff revision was, of course, to
be regretted but | call the attention OF
the country to the fact, not generally
understood, that no matter Wh1ch poll
tical party had won in 1892 there Wouid
have been a tariff revision-neceSsarlly
and inevitably so-because the Mckinney
law had broken down, had collapsed, ana
had proved utterly inadequate to meet
the necessities of the Government ana
to furnish it's required revenues. Inc
McWinley tariff duties had been placed
their effect, and the necessary revenues
were not Forthcoming, and upon the ad-
vent of the present national admlnlstra-
ton to power we were confronted with
a virtually bankrupt treasury, and the
deficit was daily increasing.
During the last year of President Har-
rison's administration the Treasury was
constantly embarrassed. as every finan-
cier well knows; to use phrase OF the
street, it was Shining" along from day
to day because of the utter failure of
the Mckinley law to produce the esti-
mated revenues, emphazing the fact Inat
the law was not only vicious and selfish
in its designs and results. but was, was more
over, a miserable exhibition of incompet-
GU s'f''e A CONTRAST.
When a Democratic ADMINISTRATOR,
after four years rule, retired in March,
1889, it left to it's Republican successors
an ample surplus and reasonably pros
porous country: but wnen that Demo
cratic Administration returned to power
again in 1898 it found that the ship OF
State had almost been stranded or scut-
tied through Republican misrule, its
0Nx1,, hon atyr fAf
pated, its credit injured, its flag dis
honored, it's good name sulied, and drift
ing rapidly towards the rocks of an i'm
pending panic.
Never did a political party assume
the responsibilities of Government under
greater embarrassments than dld the
Democratic party in March, 1893. Under
such unfavorable and adverse circum-
stances, with a slender majority IN the
Senate, with an unwieldy majority IN
the House, with timidity to contend
with on one hand and radicalism on the
other, with a country impatient Tor
prompt action. with somewhat divided
be wondered at that the measure of re
vision which was finally passed by the
Democratic majority, and which IS now
submitted to the judgment of the coun-
try. does not in all respects meet the
puoii9 THE NEW TARIFF.
Without retracting a single word which
1 uttered in the Senate in criticism OF
the measure while engaged in the effort
to perfect it., and render it more ac
ceptable, now that it has been passed,
and permitted by the President to be-
come a law, it must be considered as
Whole-treated largely as party meas
ure-and contrasted with the Mckinley
law, whose place it assumes on the stat
OF its Strictly tariff features, it may
truthfully be urged that It is a vast I'M
porvement over the mckinley law ana ana
will clearly demonstrate its superiority
as time rolls on and the business inter
ests of the country shall adjust them
selves to it's provisions.
full measure of tariff reform which many
of us desired, and the country. antici-
pated, but nevertheless 1t is safe-mod-
erate-reaSonable.
It is better than the Mckinley tariff
because it will not create deflciency
in the revenue of the Government
and dangerous surplus. 1t will not re-
ouire an issue of Government DonoS TO
bolster up its failure of revenue, ana 10
prevent business depression. 1t recog-
doctrine of free raw materials. and in
response to an overwhelming public sen
timent has appropriately P provelaeo ele dit iHr
1t has largely increased the free llst IN
other directions. 1t has, reduced the
duty on coal and iron nearly oo per cent.
The general average reduction from
the Mckinley rates is nearly 50 1-3 per
cent The reductions are not deemed
unreasonable, extreme, nor unJusIllaple.
They are so fair and moderate that no
manufacturer in the country has any
excuse whatever for reducing the wages
of his employees. If manufacturers as
sumo to do it they must furnish some
other reason or pretence than the present
moderat new tariff law.
WILL BENEFIT ALL.
1t may be safely asserted that the new
law will not cripple nor embarrass a
single industry in the land, nor throw
out of employment single workingman,
nor unduly stimulate over-productlon on
| the one hand nor exorbitant importations
on the other; it will not be prohibltory
in its effect nor excessively compeu-
tive, but with some important raw
materials made free and others freer,
with a general moderate reduction along
the whole line. business conditions Will
surely improve, our citizens Will pc re-
| lieved from unnecessary taxation, pros
nerity will dawn upon us once more, and
the general conservative tariff revision
of 1894 will become more and more ac-
ceptable to the people me areeiy Iace Snopea rea
duces the taxes upon the necessaries OF
| life. upon the implements of husbandry,
and the wearing apparel OF me Ine citizea' zen
an additional tax upon liquors to the
amount of twenty million of dollars.
If the new bill errs at all 1t is IN the
direction of safety and moderation, and
not because it is too radical; and While
ardent Democrats may critlclse It's con
servatism it does not lie in the mouths
W SS~ANAN----N
any such grounds.
The bill porperly strikes a blow at pa
| ternalism by tbrogating the vicious sys-
| TEN of bounties to producers OF sugar
| provided for in the Mckinley law. The
| true American doctrines is that every
| mans business should stand alone, un-
aided by Governmental favoritism eX-
| tended or bounties paid from common
| treasury. The elimination of sugar boun-
| ties saves to the American people nearly
| fifteen million of dollars annually.
If it be said that the new law in a
single respect is unduly favorable to
one particular trust" my answer is
| that the old law favored dozen trusts
more complete, and perfect answer TO
Republican criticism is that the very
| tariff duty complained of was reduced
more than one-half from what was con-
| tanned in the Mckinley law.
| GIVE IT A TRIAL.
! I bespeak for this new law (unsatis-
| factory though 1t may be to me in some
respects because of the objections which
| / urged in the Senate which it is not
now advisable or necessary to reiterate),
| the patient consideration of fair trial
| to which, in common fairness, it is en-
| titled.
| The country should understand that
| another general or extensive tariff re-
| vision is not contemplated by the Demo-
! cratic party now or in the near future.
This determination, however, does not
| preclude the desirability of redeeming,
| by the passage or separate bllls, what
| form or otherwise for free raw materials,
| or the reimbursement of any Objectionable
| sugar schedule Beyond this it is not
| wise to go much further at this time, un-
| less the unforeseen necessities of the
| Treasury or the changed conditions of
! the country shall warrant or imperative
This IS believed to be the true path to
I 49, ~ 10. ee,