New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-09
TIE TARIFF BILL.

The emcrgcncc Of the Tariff bill from the
| secret closet Of Il subcommittee into the Senate
Finance Committee. To which it was referred
more than month ago is ground for congrat-
ulatiOn II terminates Il most scandalOuS ma
nipulation of markets. based Oh true or false
accounts of extraordinarily mutablc decisions
! in secret 1t opens TO the light Of day some
part at least, OF the bargaining, jobbcry and
| logrolling which. in connection with stock spec
ulation, have caused the long delay and the
amazing variety of decisions. The wisdom of
stubborn incredulity. which has been repeat
etlly advised, will now be appreciated by those
who have believed not wisely but too well. the
whispers from the secret cOmmittce-rOom.
They find that the bill reported is in many re-
spccts not at all what they had been led 10
expect It's slaughter of many manufacturing
industries is more deliberate and more COM
plete its inconsistent sectiOnalisms and favorit-
isms are more absurd and its surrender To GER
tain mOnOpolics is more abject than Democrats
had anticipated
1t was the Wilson bill when il came from the
House and was referred to the committee. II
has become the trust companies bill during
its underground journey OF month from The
clerks desk to the cOmmittce-room The Sugar
Trust the Whiskcy Trust, the Lead Trust ana
other combinations and organized monopolicS
have changed the character of the bill material
ly. Though they have not gained all they pro-
fess 10 want. they have gained what the Demo
cratic leaders in the Senate loudly assured the
country would never b. conceded The blunt
statement in caucus that pledges had been given
to the sugar rciincrS and the Whiskcy disiillcrS
before heavy contributions were secured in
1892 and that these pledges must be kept. told
a story which was all the more shameful be-
cause nobody seemed 10 recognize its shame
fulness. 1t is an old device of threatened mo
nopolics TO get all the advantages they can in
corporaed in bill. and then TO persist in oppo-
sition in the hope of getting still more. In this
case the sugar and whisky Senators may still
play the role Of Oliver Twist. but the bill has
been radically changed already.
1t is changed still more in it's shameless dis
regard of principles profcsscd by the party in
power Though ii would yield a larger revenue
than the bill as IT came from the House, ii is
even less entitled TO be called tariff for revc-
nue. because the principle that such duties
should be levied and the rates so adjusted
to return needed revenue with the least burden
to the people has scarcely been regarded in any
part of the bill. The proposed sugar duty, if
as much sugar should be consumed at an adj
vance Of n cent or more in price rs was con
sumcd during the last fiscal year, would yield
about $lO.0O0,O0O. The reported advance OF 20
cents in the tax whiskcy. if consumption at
the higher price should not decrease. would
yield about S200000OO but partly 70 The trust
and only an unknown part 10 the Government
The added duties Oh coal and iron ore and lead
would add nothing considerable 10 the revenue
and the manufacturing schedules are 50 altered.
duties being lowered in some schedules To- in
vtc larger importations, and raised in others 10
pacate few Senators. that it is even more
certain whether the proposed bill. exclusive Of
the sugar provision, would yield a customs rcvc-
nue. Of $12J 100000 than it was whether The
Wilson bill would yield that amount TO cX-
pcct the consumption 10 continue as large as il
was last year, with higher prices and industries
everywhere Frustrated by foreign competition.
is obviously unsafe. As il stands, the bill does
not appear by any means certain to raise rcvr-
nue. enough for the needs of the Government,
even with the income tax. which T. retained
There is much uncertainty * there has
been al any time about the action of the Senate
Finance Committee On the one hand there is
the reported disgust Of the President at the
changes made in secret conclavc. the strong op-
position Of Senators who do not want taxes for
the benefit OF trusts, the hostility Of Free Trad
crs TO duties on crude materials, and the grow
ing conviction Of business men that there can
be no improvement unless tariff revision Is en-
tircly stopped and the existing law suffered
to remain in force On the other hand, party
necessities in Western and Southern States
make it imperative that the Democrats should
pass some tariff bill, even If Il bad one and
The temper Of the majority in the House is dis
timely hostile 10 many Of the changes designed
TO satisfy trusts and the Senators from favored
localities. At times il looks as though tie Sen
ate committee might yet be compelled 10 re-
port the Wilson bill with little change and let |
the open Senate take the responsibility of alter
ing or defeating it.