The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-06-09
The Tariff Hill.

The tariff bill now being consid
cred by the Senate will be adopted
by the middle of June. There seems
to be no fear as to the action tn,
House will take when it again ha,
to pass on the bill and it will doubt
less become law within a yer,
short while after its passage by th'
Senate.
1t is probable that no tariff Law
ever proposed has received so nearly
universal condemnation as has the
present bill. It was to have beer
expected that it would receive thu
usual Republican opposition to ev
thing Democratic, but that Demo
Gratis should have so violently de
nounced it, was most remarkable
That the bill deserves condemnation
from some points of view, none car
deny; that it is not so bad as the
consensus of the press of the coun
try has made it, is equally certain
1t has been charged frequently and
persistently that it is framed solely
in the interest of the protected mo
nopolists, that the principle of tariff
reform has been lost sight of, that il
is more of Mckinley bin than &
revenue tariff bill.
After hearing the charge that thu
bill is essentially protective, it il
surprising to find that the average
rate of duty levied by this bill, il
only a fraction over one per cent
greater than that provided for in
the Wilson bill as it came from tbs
House. And yet those who wer,
most Jealous in defense of the Will
son bill, are now the loudest in theil
denunciation of the measure pro
posed by the Finance Committee.
To show that the bill is essential
ly tariff reform measure, it is only
necessary to state that the average
rate of duty of the amended Senate
bill is 1879 per cent. less than thu
average duty laid by the Mckinley
law, while the average rate proposed
in the Mills bill, which was passed
by Democratic House, in 1887 and
which was supposed to be an exem
plification of the principles of tariff
reform, was only 10 per cent. less
than the average rate of the McKin.
ley bill adopted by Republican pro
tectionists three years later
The increase in the average rate
of duty provided for in the Senate
bill, over the Wilson is largely the
result Of curtailing the long list oil
articles admitted free, which in this
one respect, at least, renders the bill
superior to that adopted by the
House, though the free list feature
has not been entirely eliminated.
The trainers of the bill claim that
in no case is the duty laid, protect
i've; that in every respect it is a rev
enue tariff bill. If this be true and
experience alone will show, there is
no ground upon which Democratic
opponents of the bill can stand to
kick. Certain it is, that if the Mills
bill was Democratic, the Senate bill
is more so and more deserving OF
Democratic support.
1t is not what everyone wants
No tariff law was ever framed that
met with favor from all classes. But
it is a good bill, long, very long
step in the direction of tariff reform
1t is bill upon which Democrats
have to make the fight next fall and
one which they can earnestly defend
Let Democratic opposition to i,
cease and give to those who arc
working to secure its passage, the
commentator which they should
receive and have every right to ex.
pect.-Gazette.