The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-05-28
THE TARIFF BILL.

Robert P. Porter contributes al
interesting article on the passage O.
a tariff bill to the New York MAJ
and Express, in which the Dingley
bill, with the senate amendments i:
briefly analysed. What is now want
ed, he says, is moderation and per
manency, and in dealing with the
present tariff situation he can see nc
necessity for the sacrifice of the pro.
tective principle while these are OBJ
tanned, He thinks that the condi-
tions are such as to demand that the
high tariff man should step down a
little, and the low tariff man should
step up little so that plane may be
reached upon which the two extremes
may meet and permanency securedand
the attacks of the free traders resist
ed. This would give the business
stability so much desired and prevent
a chance of the whole matter being
opened up again upon the least ex-
cuse.
There are many things now favor
able, he thinks, to permanent set
Element of the tariff and future
avoidance of the extreme changes
that have been destroying the bust
ness stability during the past few
years, chief of which is the absence
of a surplus. The Dingley bill in
some cases went higher than the Nc
kinley law, but on the whole differed
little from it. The measure as
amended by the senate finance COM
mittee, Is no higher than the Nc
Kinley lay, and as a whole rather
runs under it. In spite of the severe
criticism the Dingley bill and the
senate amendments have met, Mr..
Porter is of the opinion that the
tariff question was never so near a
permanent and satisfactory settle
~, mt as at the present time. Fully
half of the fourteen schedules. he
saws ar. no longer debatable ground,
assnmino =, lat the present law meets
the annrova1 n the party responsible
for it's existence.
The proposed tarih Jill, "lOiouV
the free list makes just s-eis uV
printed pages, and he fnas onaO
twenty eight Of these are devoteo ~
the schedules over which there has
been but little discussion. The whole
difference in the tariff question is
now mostly confined to the remaining
twenty pages devoted to six schedules.
These schedules embrace chemi-
Gals: wood and manufacture of; flax,
hemp, jute, and manufacture of;
wool and manufacture of.
The important point for the Repub-
licans, as he sets forth, is to redeem
the pledges that were made to the
the people. One of the most impor-
tant OF these is that regarding sugar.
With the proper protection of sugar
another great industry would be ad-
ded to our list, and the more than
1925, OOO,OO which is now sent abroad
for sugar would be kept at home, and
the nation benefited thereby. In
the growth of the beet sugar indus
try he estimates that the farmers
would receive over ST., 100000 annual
ly for the production of beets, and
that over S17,OOO,OOO annually would
be paid out in the factories for labor,
besides large amount for other
items. This is simply for the carry
ing on of the business For the pur-
pose of enabling it to be carried on
there would have to be large invest
ment in factories and in the building
of these and their equipment with
machinery fully 80 per cent of the
money invested would 60 to labor.
The encouragement of such an indus
try would be of vast Importance to
the country as Whole, and especial
ly so to the farmers and the pledge
should be fully carried out.
Many of the schedules of the bill
under consideration he finds to be lit
tie changed from what they are in the
present law, further than that the
duty is changed from ad valorem to
specific. The most important
changes are the taking of lumber,
wool and hides from the free list and
placing them upon the dutiable list,
and the many claims by the free
traders that this change will result in
a greatly decreased cost in all articles
manufactured therefrom has been
proven time and time again to be
without any foundation whatever.
There are always some points in a
tariff bill unsatisfactory to many, and
in country like ours, this must
needs be. 1t would be simply impos-
sible to satisfy all on every point
But what is wanted most is business
stability and that the bill under con-
sideration will give, and as whole it
is fairly good bill.