Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-05-07
MANIPULATING fIt FIGURES


Rspn, .sr.n Organs Doct@ng EActs =
suit Their Own Puxposes.
We noted recently severnl instances
81 the confusing effect Of cKinley
worship on the mathematical cnlti es.
In tho case Of the New York 1xlbune|
the Same effect appears. coupled it'll
an atrophy of that moral sense wAichs
sbhors untruth or the semblance oftt
Rebuking Gen. Clarkson TOR HAVING
said that Mckinley is the champion Of
i'm extreme, ultra high protective tarin,
1t says that sit is an astonishing blum
der for republican to speak of that act
(1S90) as one Of extreme protection.
II then proceeds to show, In its own
peculiar way. that all former repubii-
can tariffs were higher. It says that
the Mckinley act produced duties
from 1925 that averaged 21.66 per
cent, while the act OF 1883, during its
arst three years, averaged 30.5S per
cent, and the average under the law in
force from 1869 to 1871 was 41.94 per
cent.
Waving the slight inaccuracies in
these percentages, which appear on ex-
animation of the treasury reports-for
no prudent person will accept the fig
ures given by these arithmetical bung-
lers and tricksters without inyestiga-
tion-the trick that the Tribune is
capable of descending to to score q
point lies in its taking the average OF
the percentages of duty computed on
all the imports, whether they are duti-
able or on the free list. This is very
=, L. ,<o% TN ~
duties on imports that pay no duty, in
order to cast discredit on former repub-
lean tariffs and make a better showing
for what it termed, when first enacted,
'the best and bravest tariff ever enact
ed" The difference between this and
the showing made by calculating the
rate on the goods on which taxes were
laid shows that Clnrkson was right, and
the Tribune is not only wrong, but is
tasty convicted of stupid evasion.
The real question is what was the
average rate or taxes paid on the duti-
able goods imported. Taking the same
tables for the same period we find that
the average for the years 1S69-71 was
46.0s per cent, for 1886 44.34 per cent.
and for 1924 (McKinley's) it was 49.12
per cent. What it would have been had
it lasted longer its rate of progression
gives some indication. The average
was 1911 per cent. in 1892, 1888 per
cent. in 1898, and 50.O6 in its last
year. This change came from the grad
ual change of policy as the republican
party grew more and more radical.
The first tariffs were laid for revenue
as well as protective purpose. They
covered articles not produced here as
well as those that were. Hence in 1862
Il the imports paying no taxes were
only about per cent. of all. BY the
time the era of McKinleyism had ar
rived the party had reached the policy
Of putting on the free list everything
not produced here, and taxing highly
every thing like that which was. This
made the free imports, chiefly sugar,
tea and coffee, in the Mckinley period,
Sc per cent. of all.
Here we have the solution Of that
steady decrease that cut the customs
revenues from $226, $40 ,037 in 1890, be-
fore McKinley's act went into effect, to
$129, 1858, se2 in it's last year. Putting
revenue producers, such as raw sugar,
on the free list depleted the revenue,
while the inordinate taxation of COM
peting goods decreased their consump-
ton and consequent Importation, and
thus reduced revenue. It is this policy
that it is proposed to restore If a ma
iority Of the voters are silly enough to
consent. But what shall be thought OF
| a paper and candidate of that paper,
when such methods are used to bolster
| up his candidacy and his cause.-St,
Paul Globe.