Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-06
TUESDAY. ...........APRlL 3, lS9
BUSINESS AND TARIFF.

Never was there a mercer ngnt upon
"a measure before Congress than that
being made upon the Dingley tarin bill
and II is an interesting fact that the
principal and fiercest assaults come from
the contingent that during the last cam
paign left the Democratic party and
formed en- alliance on the financial aues-
tion-saye the mark--with. the Republican
party. The New York Journal OF Com
merce is ore Of the recognized leaders OF
This contingent. and hardly day passes
that il does not return to the charge 10
expose the iniquities of the bill ana ar
raign its erstwhile allies for their out
raseous treachery to those it Cthe Jour
nab represents.
In las issue Of Saturday. our New
York commercial contemporary says
that the tariff never seemed more of a
political question than ii is to-day;
that the Dingley bill carries rates Of
duty high beyond all precedent or ne
cessity. ard that under cover Of the de-
mand for more revenue TO pay the legacy
OF exaggerated expenses of government
Inherited from the Harrison regime, pro
visions absolutely destructive of any pos
sjbiity OF revenue have been inserted in
tie bill
Truer words never were spoken. The
more closely the bill is analysed the
more apparent becomes it's thoroughly
partisan character. 1t Is fun OF pro-
visions that will never bring one dollar
of revenue TO the government, but VIII
take thousands upon thousands of dol
lars out of the pockets OF the people
especially the poorer people, and put
them into the pockets OF certain interests
20 which Mckinley, Hanna x co. owe
Campaign debt of gratitude. Some OF the
duties. by being absolutely prohibitory'
will not only prove non-revenue pro-
ducing. buf will as is designed, force the
people TO buy at exorbitant prices arti-
Giles much inferior to the foreign goods
included under these duties. In other
words, there are features of the bill that
will encourage fragrant rascahty in man
ufacturing
Nevertheless, the Journal Of Commerce
is not without hope that this run-mad
tarin policy will result in good in the
end Basing its observations upon the
protest against the Dingley .hdll, made
by the New York Chamber Of Commerce
and other business organizations, our
contemporary says that an advance has
been made touching the tariff question
such as business men have been hoping
for and longing for these many years
That question. continues the Journal has
been brought to the bar of commercial
opinion, uncolored 10y party sentiment.
and without the specious disguise OF poll
teal necessity. 1t has for the first time
20 stand on its own merits and be ex-
amined. first, as TO its relation TO reve-
nue. and, second. AS 10 its bearing on
the future of industry"
The Journal then declares that the
experience Of the last two, years has dis
PEELED a good many Illusions which people
entertained In regard to the working of
n low tariff system, and in conclusion,
says:
mo very large body of voters Is de-
ceived by the audacious pretext that re-
duced customs duties were the cause OF
the hard times, and the proportion is still
smaller who are ready to accept the
fanaticaf assurance that n return 20 a
system OF high duties is all that is need
ed for the restoration OF prosperity. There
IS very real danger thai under such a |
measure as the Dingey bill we may
neither have more revenue nor better |
business The ordinary man Is beginning TO !
perceive that as clearly as the expert, |
and the protest OF businessmen against |
this contemplated act OF legislative folly |
fs thus very lkSly TO be echoed with a |
quite unexpected degree Of vigor."
Unless our New York contemporary is |
mistaken as 20 the business feeling re-
rarding the tarin. and unless il is over
in respect OF the reaction IT |
suggests is ahead of US. truly Republican |
madness may in the long run prove not
altogether an unmixed evil. II matters
work out along the lines the Journal
seems to anticipate. we may hope for
one OF the greatest boons that could be
bestowed upon the country. That boon
In a revenue measure framed upon bust
ness principles and which would stand
a sunicient length OF time 10 permit of
its being tested
- I