The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-13
The True Story of the Tin Plato Lie.

There are those whose memory wanders
back five years to the last great occasion
on which the modest and truthful editor
of the Netp York Euening Post grappled
with the tariff question, and filled the air
with prophecy, assertion, and denunciation.
APoLLYoN then assumed the visible form
of American tin plate. Has anybody for
gotten the pathetic exhibition of inarticu-
late a made by GoDKIN when the tin
plate schedules of the Mckinley tariff were
first published2 When GoDKIN finally got
his wind, which was early in the spring of
1892, he began the most uncompromising
and persistent assault upon the duties on
tin plate ever made upon a single item in a
protective tariff.
Anybody who chooses to examine the
files of the Evening Post from May, 1892,
to January of the following year will dis
cover few issues Of that newspaper in
which the tin plate schedules in the Nc
Kinley tariff were not denounced edito-
rally as ridiculous and wicked almost be-
yond the power of language to express;
and, Furthermore, as peculiarly and typi-
cally illustrative of the general infamy of
all protective tariff legislation. The I'M
varying theme of GoDKIN was this: Tin
plate nerer had been in any profitable de-
gree an american product, and it ,cas not
and neuer could be such. GoDKIN spent
months in explaining to his readers that a
heavy duty on tin plate meant merely the
enrichment of a few bankrupt manufacture
ers by putting into their pockets millions
of dollars collected as a tax, pure and
simple, from the people.
All this was proclaimed and reiterated in
both the editorial and the news columns of
the Erentng Post with every degree and va
riety of emphasis and ingenious literary
expedient. 1.-THE Tin Plate Liar" 1.-The
Tin Plate Ghost" History of a Tin
Nine" were the facetious headings of
some editorial articles. The character of
the campaign against American tin plate
in the news reports may be gathered from
numerous items referring to the mysterious
burning of many of the tin plate factories,
and asserting that there was no prospect
that they would ever be rebuilt.
In fact, the entire attack upon the Nc
Kinley tariff centred on tin plate. Upon
correspondents who suggested that with a
little patience and encouragement the
manufacture of tin plate might be success
fully established here, the courteous GOD.
KIN showered his ~favorite brands of black.
guardism. American tin plate was, in the
nature OF things, a myth and the man who
declared otherwise was crazy or dishonest.
So said GoDKIN.
Now, out of mere human sympathy at
seeing so sweet a spirit again disturbed by
tariff problems, and incidentally for the
purpose of directing public attention to facts
which are, perhaps, not wholly appreciated
by the general public, we venture to refer
to some small data showing the precise
effect upon the American tin plate industry
of these same schedules over which Cop.
KIN wept and howled and prophesied for
months. Subjolned Is a summary of an
official report made to a Democratic Secre,
tary OF the Treasury in October, 1896, by
a special agent of the Treasury Depart.
ment. 1t is in the shape of a comparative
statement OF the manufacture of CONNER.
cial tin and terne plates In this country
during the five fiscal years beginning with
II