New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-12
PROTECTION OF THE TREASURY.

Chairman Dngley has not yet explalneu' anu
q IA nroper that he has not the method ny
which he proposes to prevent heavy importa-
,,ons If goods in anticipation of duties. But some
journals which speak for importers have peeh
1;scuss,ny the matter with much interest. ana
have SGT ND the claim that what they call
rotrooctive duty would not be held valid by the
courts. The Tribune has at no time suggested
snch n measure, or supposed the committee
would attempt, by an act taking effect July L,
for evamnle TO make the rates Of duty therein
contained PAYABLE on goods imported in March
mr. Anril On the contrary. 1t was suggested that
a short simple act which a Congress prepared
70 sunnort the Administration should be ready
TO pass within week, might provide that the
duties fixed by an act to be passed hereafter
should take effect on all goods placed in ware
house. or imported directly for consumption
after the approval Of such preliminary act, and
that bonds should be given for payment OF such
duties upon the withdrawal Of goods from GUS
tom houses or warehouses.
There can be no question of the power of Con.
gress to change the duties, to give ample notice
flat il is going to change them, and to require
that from the date of such notice importers snail
bind themselves to pay the duties hereafter 10 De
fixed II limitation as to any class OF duties
seems necessary, it can be provided by single
clause. The phrase retroactive" would not IN
the least apply TO an act requiring from the date
of It's approval the payment of duties to be fixed
in the future. Nor Is ii step without precedent,
since other nations have pursued the same pol
icy, as the importers are well aware. In fact, 1t
really seems that government can hardly be
called civilized, In these days, which has not
learned to prevent importatiOns Of supplies OF
goods for months or years ahead while 1t Is en-
Gagged In deciding upon the precise rate to be
imposed.
But If the Indebtedness OF such measure
seems to any a serious objection, it is unQues-
tIonaby within the power Of Congress to provide
by m enactment which would require neither
study nor honest debate that after its approval
the duties imposed by certain sections of the Nc.
Kinley act shall be and remain in force until the
proposed new tariff takes effect. Everybody
knows that the new Congress was expressly
chosen by the people to restore the protective
principle embodied in the act Of 1890. and while
some parts Of that act are no longer needed, and
others will doubtless be modified, 1t would be
no hardship to any interest TO be obliged to pay
for three or four months the duties which were
paid for four years. The sugar schedule, for in
stance, would be omitted because 1t would too
greatly reduce the revenue to make raw sugar
free, and perhaps it would not be a serious detr-
ment II the iron and steel and the cotton sched-
ules should be left to stand as they are for a
short time without the changes which will
doubtless be made But in some other schedules
the unlimited importation Of goods for three
months under the present law would be so alb
surd, so injurious to the Treasury, and so un-
Just and disastrous to home industries that
Senator or Representative would 90 far TO mark
himself as an enemy to Protection If he should
refuse temporarily to revive Mckinley duties
for the prevention Of such mischief.
For this reason II does not seem easy to be-
lieve that the genuine prorectionists in either
house would oppose such a measure. The free
Traders please themselves with the idea that the