New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-10
THE GOOD TINES GONE.
HIGH WAGES AND AMPLE PROFITS
THINGS OF THE PAST.
BUSINESS WILL REVIVE SOMEWHAT. But on a
DIFFERENT PLANE-IF THE COUNTRY
LIKES IT. IT CAN SAY so
NnrIrzaInP @
From The Weekly Tribune)


NOVEMBER
(From The Weekly Tribune)
The new Tariff bill mas become law NO
similar bill was ever before enacted under so
many trials and trbulations TO the party winch
passed IT, II Is now m1re than one year since
the Democratic leaders. IN extra session as
sembied proclaimed with great enthusiasm afniu
the sound Of trumpets and waving of banners
that they would show the country how TO enact
tariff law drawn on the lines of tariff for reve-
nue. ONLY To hear them talk one would nave
sunposed that such a bill could have been pre-
pared and presented complete almost any morn
ing before breakfast Its prepa -ation and passage
were to be the work Of few days or weeks at
most But the party leaders did not agree among
themselves to the kind OF Dill wnch 'hey
proposed TO pass. Hardly two OF them were IN
accord upon any single provision
1.-THE New-York, Sun" advocated from the start
a measure which could have been drawn IN
few moments and which would have been purely
n revenue measure. That Journal proposed that
q duty Of IS per cent should be levied on foreign
goods Of every kind which should hereafter be
shipped into the United States Such bill would
have abolished the free list entirely. 1t would
also have done away with all schedules Indeed
such law would have been easy Of enforce
d
am inclined to think that such law as the one
proposed by The Sun would have been prefer
able 70 the Wilson bill. and perhaps nearly as
good as the Senate. bill which has Just become
law.
Such law would hare raised all the revenue
required and would have been exactly In accord
with the platform Of the Democratic party why,
then, could not "The Sun induce Congress 10
adopt its plan? The reason is obvious. Such
law would have given Incidental protection TO
q number Of industries even more complete than
did the Wilson bill. and as fully in some in
stances as does the Senate bill The Republicans
could not have supported such measure be-
cause they believe in protective duties in general,
and they are in favor OF free list, on which
should be placed all articles Of necessity which
cannot be produced in the United States. Repub-
licans also favor discriminating duties. They
would In many cases place the duty higher than
IS per cent whenever necessary TO build up
home Industry In some INSTANCES rate OF duty
less than IS per cent would answer the same pur-
pose and In such cases they would levy lower
duty The free-trade Democrats would not have
supported such a measure. because they desire
a lower rate than IS Per cent whenever such
rate is high enough 10 protect an industry IN the
United States. Should IS per cent be nigh
enough to give the manufacturers OF this country
an advantage over foreign producers. the free
traders would refuse 10 have the duty that HIGH
and would insist upon duty much lower They
believe in discriminating duties but they dis
criminate against OUR producers and in
favor Of foreign producers.
For these reason, "The Sun" was not able 70
secure support for the kind Of a tariff measure
It has been urging ever since the election Of Mr.
Cleveland The frtc traders are in the majority
both In he
in the Senate. Few in both houses Of Con-
gress believe In incidental protection 80 7
While tho free traders proclaimed in their plat
form that duties should be levied for the pur
poses Of revenue only yet they passed through
the lower house a bill which would have pro-
duced deficit
When Congress met the Democratic party
seemed nearly unanimous In reference TO two or
three principles. Nearly all OF them claimed
that they were In favor Of what .hey called free
raw material" and Of discouraging trusts and
preventing combinations; end they professed TO
be q unit against giving American manufac-
turers any 6cvar.age over manufacturers Of the
Old World in the markets Of the United States
Yet the Wst n bill wa drawn in many instances
in open defiance Of these admitted principles
Thep put wool on the free list seeming TO have
special prejudice against the whole woollen in
dustry: but the cotton schedules they left full Of
protection. They reduced the rate on foreign
hay potatoes and onions. but left high pro-
tective duty on the rice Of the South.
However Il must be admitted the Wilson bill
was more nearly in accord with free-trade notions
han any Tariff bill which has been prepared in
te United States Tor the last forty years. By
adopting the rules. for which they had abused
Mr. Reed SO soundv and so continuously, the
Deinesrats forced the passage Of their measure
throuH the lower house It was sent 10 the
Senate. and then the fun began
The Duocrats In the Senate were utterly
able to aeee upon tina: measure. 1t soon became
apparent hat the Wilson bill could never be-
come law The country is familiar with the
>higgng, the unning to ard fro. the compromise
and the yiedi.g of one point to one Senator and
another point another Senator. The Senate
amended the wilson bill IN over six hundred par
ticuars. 40 much go that Mr.. Wilson not only
refused to recognize the measure but he was I'M
able even to discover IN the lineaments Of the
product any resemblance to the child OF his
former efforts Tn. Senate bill struck out the
ad valorem duties p a large number Of in
stances and returned % specific duties That of
itself terrible blow TO the Tee-trade
theorists In the House The Senate also put
coal and iror on the dutable list and placed the
duty high enough purposly TO give those indus
tries protection. They also raised the rates or
the Wilson bill On a vast number Of other articles
and in many instances raised the duties high
enough to make them protective.
This Is true A majority Of Democratic Sena-
tors indeed, a large jority, we're in favor OF
q bill as radical as the Wilson bill. But the ma
jority in the Senate small that these
Senator's werer compelled to Yield their private
Judgments in order to pass any tariff bill at
all. think there is no instance In the. history
OF the Government where a revenue measure has
been so entirely changed as was,the Wilson bill
after 1t reached the higher branch Of Congress.
Then followed the usual methh OF adjusting
differences. The House promptly rejected the
amendments Of the Senate and asked for