New-York tribune., 1896-11-29
ryE ,DTyGLEY COMPROMISE BILL.

Wrong is done To Mr. Dngley. and to the party
no nas so efficiently represented in the Ways
and Means Committee. when the Dingley Dill
&c snoken of as a remedy devised and chosen by
the Republicans to settle the tariff question hy
It's forms that bill was limited iii operation and
was to have effect only until IA Republican or
o,Sa a Democratic measure could be matured
after the Presidential election Not one OF the
Democrots in the present Congress was Wiling
IN accent il even as Il temporary compromise.
and now the situation has been entirely changed
by a new decision of the people. More than
seven million Americans have voted for william
Mckinley believing that he could be trusted TO
carry out the assurances given day after day III
his wise and manly speeches. Some Journals
nrotestcd because he constantly urged the neces-
sitv of tariff revision and they called it fatal
mistake. bu, the people voted for him. 1t IS
right 10 infer that they wanted. not an eXpnr-
gated edition of Mckinley. not the sort or NC
Kinlcy the Free-Trade Journals would nave
manufactured but Mckinley as he was and IS.
In any case the man who so frankly exhibited
himself and his convictions is the man who VIII
be President. and with Republican congress
can take up the tariff problem within about four
months. The Dlngley bill was plank to bridge
over this difficult and doubtful year. but no Re
publican would propose it now as sufficient
remedy.
l. * even n question whether ii would yield
the revenue required. In the last year Of Presl-
dent Harrison the Mckinley duties yielded not
81 OnOOO more than the expenses In the last
fiscal wear the present tariff yielded $29,SOO,OOO
from duties on sugar, which was formerly free.
but cut off $I2O75OOO from other duties 50
that i, Welded in all $42.275,OOO less than the
customs revenue in 1929. The Dingley bill
xvouId add GO Der cent of the Mckinley duties
on wool and wOollens hut on imports equal to
those of 1893 this would yield less than the pres
ent txeyenue on imports Of woOllens greatly slim
Mated by ad valorem duties. Ii would add gu
per cent of the old duty on lumber. which would
be not more than $1.5OO.OO0. All the remaining
duties (wO0ens lumber and sugar excepted
yielded last year S103. 100000, and the increase
OF IL per cent OH these would add not more than
$15.5aD0OO to make up deficit of over $4,000
ZOO ~,
-. This is not the worst. Except in the woollcns
and lumber schedules. where old duties would
he partially restored, the bill was framed to se-
cure Democratic support ip the presen, Senate,
and would continue all the offensive discriln-
nations which have made the present Demo
cratic tariff so objectionable. In a great num-
Der of cases that measure reduced or took of
duties for purely sectional bipartisan reason,
and by raising all alike the Dingley bill would
prolong every such offensive :favCritism. and
where duties have been taken OF entircly fCr
such reasons would still leave the articles free
Of duty IL would perpetuaie many changes
which were made In sheer. blind ignorance. put.
ting different products of the same Industry ut
terly out Of line with each other. 1t would moi
merely continue. but increase most Odiously al
the special favors granted in the Act Of 1894, ex'
cept those granted to the sugar and whiskey In
ierests These were so many and so gross that
even "rhe New-York Times" denounced the bin
as packed with favors granted to mOnopoles
In order to secure the votes Of certain Demo
cratic Senator's; and Mr.. Cleveland 'scorned il
too thoroughly 10 sign it. Bnt in every instance