The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-12-31
TRUTHS HALF TOLD.
MISCHIEF IN FIGURES WITHOUT
ACCOMPANYING FACTS.
Literal Figures Do Not Give the Kea'
sons Why the Revenues Under the
Mckinley Law Fell OH During the
Years 1898 and 1894.
Fairness in Facts.

the ven during the years > ana
1894. while it contains the literal ng-
r ignores facts which should not be
lost sight of ut the present time:
There are two facts in connection win
the deficit which ought to be considered
by those who are opposing a genera
tariff reconstruction, and that Is mat lhe
deficit assumed large proportions uhd"r
the Mckinley act, and that 1t has grown
steadily smaller under the Wilson ACT
The fiscal years of 1898 and 1874, during
both of which the Mckinley act was IN
full force, showed deficits of Sl,iob,I't
and S72,32J. rs. respectively. The de-
felt for the year 1890. ten months 81
which were under the Wilson act. was
S~46.55S.9O9, and for 1896 WAS S2N.oiS,-
GIL. This improvement would seem to
indicate that with ordinarily good times
the Wilson tariff would yield nearly ii
not quite all the revenue needed. The
fall in the deficit from S72.325.4iS, in
1893, TO S~2S.J1S.6I1, in 1896. and that.
too. during a period of great business ana
industrial depression is a fact that ought
to % taken into account by our tarlii
doctors.
The reasons why the revenues under
the Mckinley law fell off during 1898
and 1894. particularly during the latter
year, were that imports fell Off. and
imports fell off because the country
understood that there would be a radi-
cal reduction of duties Us o O as the
Democratic President and Congress
had time in which to devise a tariff
law. The result was that merchants
imported only those goods which they
could dispose Of before the law could
be changed and SO reduce the duties as
to cause Il great loss in whatever goods
were on the market or had been enter
ed for consumption before the Demo-
cratic tariff went into effect. When
the Mckinley law was in full force the
value of dutiablc merchandise import
ed and the duties collected were as fol-
avs.
Imports. Duties.
Year ending
June 80 .'92. $35J.526.7 III $174. 12i.21O
Year ending
June 30. '93. 4~O0,2S2.5l9 199,1i3.G7S
The importation of dutiablc goods
began to decline i'll January. after the
election, ana became very positive in
June. when il was known that the tar
if would be radically changed and ,lu-
ties reduced. The value of dutiablp
goods imported during the fiscal year
which ended June so, 1894. was only
S251 .G4J, 103, and the duties collected
thereon amounted to Sl29,:JJS.S So. Had
the importation of duliable goods been
as large during the fiscal year which
ended June 30. 1891. as during the fiscal
year which ended Il year earlier. when
the country was under the full tide Of
Republican prosperity, S7O.0GO.O00
more of revenue would have been col
lected under the Mckinley law. and
there would have been no deficit.
Most of the provisions Of the German
act went into operation in August ana
September. 1874. Awaiting the enact
ment of the law with lower duties. ten
Of millions of dollars worth of goods
were in warehouses. The largest bust
ness ever done in the custom house
was during a few days after that law
went into effect. The value of dutiablc
goods imported during the fiscal year
which ended June 80, 1899. was S354.-
2T1 800, and the duties collected were
S119.4JO,O0N. That is. upon an importa-
ton nearly $l00.000.0 900 larger during
the fiscal year 1S94-'9J. only S2O.OOOOOO
more of duties were collected. If. upon
an importation of merchandise of S35i-
100000. the Mckinley duties had been
imposed, SIP, 100000 of revenue would
have been collected, or So. 00O.O OO more
than under the German act. The value
of dutiable merchandise imported dur
ing the fiscal year which ended June
80, 1896. was .S409.967. POI. on which
S1J9,5lG,21J of duties were collected.
yet there was a deficit Of SOS, 600, 1000.
Under the Mckinley law an importa-
ton of S409,O00.000 of dutiablc goods
would have yielded S203, 100000 of rev.
enue, affording a surplus of $40, .OOO.
Since Jun" 80. 1886, the importation of
dutiable goods has fallen off decidedly.
and the deficit each month averages
S6.000,000 or more. The falling off in
duties is due to the falling off in the
volume of imports. rs it was during the
period when it was known that the
Mckinley duties would be reduced and
the industries of the whole country
were paralyZed by the fear of lecislo.
ton in the direction of free trade.
Unless the purpose is to deceive. all
the facts III matters like this should be
given. If it is the purpose to mislcod
such statements as those above quoted
could scarcely be bettered. If made
in ignorance, which is more probable.
1t shows that the man who remains TO-
day the victim of the exploded free
trad heresy cannot deal fairly with
fn ctS -InlinnnrnIi I...u.-I