The herald., 1894-01-23
TIE rWo TARIFF DOCTRINES.

Tdh TWO IAuAFf DOSIhANhos
A San Francisco Republican paper has
devoted an article, we were going to say,
but really an essay, upon the late tariff
speech delivered by Bourke Cochran.
It starts out with the assumption that
the speech is not a modified tariff speech,
consistent with the Wilson bill, but
justification of the doctrine of free trade
in its most radical form. Having made
this out to its entire satisfaction, it then
proceeds to assert unequivocally that
Mr.. Cockran's views, and not the
principles of the Wilson bill, constitute
the real doctrine of the Democratic
party.
This style of debate can impose on
nobody. 1t is equivalent to saying that
the Democratic doctrine is opposed to
tariff in every shape. and that the Gus
tom house would have no place in the
revenue institutions of our country if
that party had its way. Such claim lie
simply absurd. There has been tariff
in force ever since this government be-
gan, and under the long rule OF the
Democratic party, from the time of
Jefferson down to that of Buchanan, in
terspersed with two or three Wing
terms, tariff WAS maintained and du-
ties collected for revenues to sustain the
government.
The true Democratic doctrine is tariff
for revenue with incidental protection to
labor; and any administration that
would attempt to force the principle of
free trade upon the country would find
itself without the Democratic party be-
hind it. The expenses of our govern
ment have grown into enormous proper
tions, and in order to meet them there
is no difficulty in arranging tariff that
willgive ample protection to all indus
tries justly entitled to protection.
We were told by the champions of the
Mckinley bill, in season and out OF
season, that if that measure were
passed the country would at once be
put upon the upgrade of prosperity I;
that labor would be enabled to get
steady employment, and that wages
would be maintained at a high stand
ard. What are the facts? Never be-
fore in the history OF the country has
there been such dearth of work to be
had; never before has there been
greater stringency of money
never before has there been
such widespread and intense SUI
for;n0 a poop0st tho DaooIa ryho Jaoa1A
on their work to live. For the past six
months every city in the union has been
overrun with unemployed, and it has
taxed the ingenuity of the people and
the officials everywhere to create chart
table employment for the destitute so as
to enable them to tide over the hard
times. The promise held out by the
high tariff party has not even in the re-
hottest sense been fulfilled. To be sure,
it has enabled some of it's benefciaries
to become monopolists aud to reap
enormous profits from the people. But
even this ia not the worst result of the
Mckinley bill. 1t had the natural effect
of making our home market the only
market for our manufacturers, and en-
sbled the monopolists to keep the sup
ply equal only to the restricted demand
of our home market. This restriction
shut up our factories one-third or one
half the year, 30 that the wage-earners
were compelled to lie idle when the fac
tories we're closed down.
The Democratic doctrine, on the other
hand, contemplstes opening to our
manufacturers the whole world as q
smsrket, and thus insure constant en-
ployment the year round to the opera
tivee. By placing raw material on the
free list We could afford to sell our goods
as cheaply in foreign markets as any
of the other manufacturing countries.
This is the sensible method of solving
the problem of relieving American
labor. Nothing can be more certain than
that the policy of an exclusive tariff
would lead ultimately to non-inter-
course as far as possible between for
eign countries and the United States.
In retaliation for exclusion they would
devise means of getting along without
our productions. Great Britain, France
and Germany have extensive colonial
territories in which they can raise every
product which we have to sell them.
Itshoul6 not be forgotten that when,
during the war of the rebellion, cotton
could not be had to keep the mills OF
Lancashire running. that industry was
successfully introduced in India, and
Great Britain is now comparatively in.
dependent of us for that staple. Nor
should we overlook the fact that the
price OF American wheat is now gov
erned by the price at which it can be
purchased in India. Therefore it must
be apparent to the least observant mind
that tariff policy OF exclusion invites
retaliation which would take away
from us the best markets OF the world.
This retaliation is already felt by our
farmers; but it is not felt nearly 30
severely as it would be in few years if
the Mckinley monstrosity were to con-
| tinue in force.
/