The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-06-27
ONE TEST OF THE TARIFF.
Industrial Depression the Result of Dem-
 ocratic Legislation.


 call attention to the workings of the
 bill of sale" now in force. Because the rates are by no means so low as they wished, md as to many products were so palpably dictated by copbina- tions and trusts that the New York Times denounced the bill as "packcd with duties that are practically in lquitous favors sold to various monopo- lies in return for the votes of senators controlled by these monopolics," the free traders only sing the praises of monopoly duties when they claim that the tariff works well in that respect, or does not prostratc home industries. Their logic, if good for anything, would demand similar protection for all industries and similar favors for all monopolies. But the Times now claims credit for the new tariff on the ground that the iron industry is not pros- tratcd, and exports exceed imports of iron and steel and manufactures there of. In the same breath it says that the new duties on products of iron and steel will probably be found on the whole as high as in the first year un- der the Mckinley tariff. If the reason ing is worth anything, why was simi- lar protection denied to othIr indus tries? Why should not all industries enjoy as great favors?
 But the facts are not correctly stated. Figures for nine months of the fiscal year arc given, but the new duties were in force only seven of those months, and only since October l on tinplatcs, of which imports were near y half all imports of iron products in value. The true statement is that inn ports of tinplates in the six months un- der new duties have been PTS, OO0, 900 pounds, against I95, ,0O0,000 pounds in the same months of t:le previous year, and the value S6,723, ,2Oi, against S5,- ll9,3 and the duty at new rates about &, 342, 900, against s4,2S7, 500 at old rates, or less than 50 per cent, against nearly so per cent. at the old rates As the duty on tinplates in the fiscal year 1893 was S0,3S9, ,266, against S4, ,G75, ,403 on all other products of iron, it is evident that great reduction in rate will be found on iron products as whole.
 The manufacture of tinplates in this country is child of the republican tar if. No industry ever has been or can be more indisputably brought into be- ing by legislation than this same man. ufacture. which the Times persistent ly declared had no existence until it had come to supply about a sixth of the entire consumption of the country. If foreign imports are now and here after diminished because this industry, when once established by high duties long enough continued to give it a chance of development, has become able to stand with lower duties, that lican tariff which called it into exist enae.
 .Nor is it fair statement to say that exports of iron and steel products ex- ceed imports For the current fiscal year the value of domestic exports is given as S23, ,564, ,79l, but this includes machinery worth $l1, ,209, ,42s, of which much the greater part was sent across the Canadian and Mexican borders and to other American countries. and only St,456, 075 to all others, besides sewing machines, printing presses, scales and balances and firearms, which are in no proper sense products of iron and steel, when the question is as to the progress of that industry. Separating these items from exports and imports also, the products of iron imported were in value S15, ,s75, 29l in the nine months ending with March, while the prod. ucts of iron exported were in value $l0, ,O45, ,G65.
 This is the record, moreover, for a time of extraordinary prostration in this country, when wages were so low that all manufacturers knew they could not be held at that point; when coke was sold at 90 cents, against S1.35 now; when ore was sold at scarcely more than the cost of shipment from Lake Superior, whereas now the wages of iron miners and lake freights have been advanced. In a word, the coun- try was able to produce for short time at less cost than it ever can while present conditions of labor and trans portation exist, and not even the most daring free trader will venture to as- sert that he wishes to sec such wages and such prices perpetuated as were recorded during the first quarter of this year. The condition of the in- dustry when it was fighting for bare existence no American patriot will wish to have so prolonged that it must under those conditions survive or perish. But even at the low prices here exports of iron and products of iron were nearly S6,O0O,o0O less than imports If the tariff of ''pcrfdy and dishonor" has sufficiently protected this industry to enable it to pay fair wages to American workers the fact will be shown. But, if so, the ex- pericnce will go to prove that tariff packed with iniquitous favors sold to various monopblies" is all that democ- racy can offer in place of honest re- publican protection.--N. Y. Tribune,
 
 Facts for Campaign Liars.