The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-05-26
AS A TARIFF EXPERT.

tiouS way, in its Democratic narrow,
hess, not TO say ignorance, asserted
the other day that Mckinley was but
a tyro on the tariff question. and some
other such like rot 1t is safe 10 say
that no man OF this generation has
given so much study to that question
IN all its phases. When he was made
chairman of the ways and means com
mittee, not only Speaker Reed but the
entire Republican h alse conceded him
| the ablest man on the floor on that
| question. He was appointed to that
position because he had become the
| capable expert in the house on the
tariff question, and was the only Re
| publican who had served with Mr..
Reed on that committee through two
previous congresses. Mr.. Burrows. of
Michigan, had served with Mr.. Kelley
in fighting the Mills bill of 1889. but he
had not been a member of the commit
tee in the previous congress. when the
fight was against the Morrison bill.
while Mckinley, with Speaker Reed.
had fought through all these cam
paigns. MeSSrS. Bayne, Dingley. Nc
Kenna, Payne, La Toilette, and Gear.
the other Republican members of the
committee in 1890. were all new to its
work Upon Mr.. Mckinley, with all
Mr.. Burrows who had served before
only once, necessarily fell the bulk of
the labor.
The bill submitted by Mr.. Mckinley
TO the committee, the bill afterward re-
ported by the committee to the house
on April is, the bill as it passed the
house May 21, after only a month aud
five days; the bill reported by the SEN
ate committee June Is, the bill sent
TO the conference committee Sept. 15
and the bill as it finally passed Sept.
80, have been compared. item by item.
OF La provisions in the act finally
passed, 945 were in the bill as origin
ally submitted to the house committee
by Mckinley. In subsequent sessions
of that committee forty-three OF the
provisions finally adopted were added,
doubtless in part at the desire of Mr..
Mckinley himself. Only thirteen were
afterward added in the house. There
remains Of the final act only 40 pro-
visions, OF which seyenty-three We're
added by the senate committee. and
sixty-seyen were either added in the
senate or were the result of compro-
misses between the senate and the
house in conference committee.
1t will be suggested that this reckon
ing credits to Mckinley all the provi-
sions retained from the previous tariff.
That is true, and there were 30 such
provisions fixing rates of duty, either
in form or in practical effect, substan-
tally the same as those Of the tariff
of 1883, though it may be noticed that
a considerable number of these were
by Mckinley, so altered as to impose
equivalent specific instead Of former ad
valorem duties. The distinct changes
in rates from the previous tariff were
Gal, of which 456 are found, as they
were finally adopted in the bill origin
ally offered by Mr.. Mckinley, and thir-
ty-six more were added before the bill
left his committee. Only thirteen were
added in the house, sixty-nine by the |
senate committee, and sixty-seven in |
the senate or conference committee. |
house was 10 raise duties above those |
by the committee. The SEN
ate committee raised duties higher than 1
those of the house in twenty three |
cases, restored the lower duties of the
old law in four, and in thirty-eight sub
lowered duties below those
Of the house. In only thirteen cases
did the senate or conference committee
raise rates, while in fifty-four cases the
senate committee urged rates lower
than those Of the house, so that rates
between the two were finally adopted.
This statement shows that more than
of all the changes made by
he act Of 1890 were in the original bill
by Mr. Mckinley. and that
s92 ont Of 641, or 76-S per cent. were
placed in the bill before it ever left his
committee. The differences between
he senate and the house resulted in
hirty-six advances Of rates. in forty
wo reductions from the rates proposed
" the house, of which thirty-eight
we're reductions from the previous
ariff, and in fifty-four compromises in
Which the senate contended for lower
ates than the house. There Is thus
,iven abundant evidence Of the great
are taken 70 get at the right kind Of
luty in each case, and ample credit is
lue 10 all the able men in both houses |
Who contributed TO make the measure
success: but It cannot be c0ntended I
y anybody that Major Mckinley did
lot do his share OF the work. OF the
hsnges originally proposed by him
which were finally adopted. 197 re-
uced rates from those previously In :
orce. while 90 raised rates to afford
more perfect protection; 81 OF these
we're in the agricultural class, 81 In
Metals, 30 in wool and woolens. and -
n cottons- The senate's efforts for
1wer duties were mainly in chemicals,
s items; pottery and glassware, IA
TENS; in metals Is items, and IN the
gricultural schedule, - items.
---
as TIE FARMER SEES II.