The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-07-30
Published by authority of the MaryH!ha
Democratic Editors Assoc atom

ENORMOUS BURDENS OF The
DINGLEY LAW.
Published by authority of the MaryiiA
Democratic Editors Assoc atom
There has been so much written in ar
Unfair spirit in a certain class OF pal'EIs
claiming to be Democratic within the
past few years solely with view OF con-
fusing the minds OF Democra;:c voters
regarding the distinctive tariff principles
OF the two leading political parties. that
# becomes necessary as preliminary to
an exposition OF the real enormity OF the
tariff law Just written upon the ssatute
books by the Republican party TO go
back TO first principles TO some extent
and make an honest comparison. OF the
distinctive and antason:st!c principles OF
the two parties. The presen. ars::c.e VIII
he devoted to that purpose.
BEFORE TIE WAR.
Prior to the civil war the Democratic
policv on the tariff had become
thoroughly embodied in the phrase tar
if for revenue, with incidental pTo,eC
ton" The Walker tariff bill OF 1910
drawn by Robert ]. Walker. Secretary
OF the Treasury, was then accepted anu
is still relied upon by Democrats as an
embodiment and eNempllhcailon OF chal
principle. 1t levied duties oniy hlsn
enough to raise the necessary revenues.
but these duties were 50 d;strlou'ed up
on articles produced by American iaool
* to give to the labor employed i'll
American industry an equitable diStrlbu-
tion ~ the protection necessarily lnci-
dent to the raising OF the Federal feve-
nue. bu. no more The Wing party
the then party OF protectlon--had also
welded reluctant but final concurrence
in This principle Alter the compromise
tariff act OF 1882 introduced by Ny
CLAW. 4he Wings, following their dlstin-
o,,ished leader, had yielded to the sturdy
determination Of The American peop!.e'
as eyinced by the Souril Carolina multi
fcat;on act. no. TO submit 10 the exercise
OF the taxing power ior other than reyc-
nue purposes. So that, as stated By MI
Blaine in his book. t = many years PRIOR
10 the war the tariff was not politica!!
;ssue, all interests and both political
parties submitting 10 tariff 1or revenue
with incidental protection IS c.eEpl:h-
ed by the Walker tariff.
WAR TARIFFS on REVENUE BASIS.
But during the civil war the revenue
necessities OF the Government became
so great that the tariff had 20 be put up
to the very highest revenue point, and III
addition to that an excise tax known as
the internal revenue tax had to be I'm,
posed Although the war tariffs carried
a very large incident OF protection TO
American industries, they were TO all III
tents and purposes revenue tariffs. prac-
tically applying the principles OF the
tt,a
revenue. After the war was over and
the diminishing revenue necessities and
resulting Treasury SURPRISES began 10
point to I reduction OF tariff taxation,
the two conflicting policies which to-day
divide the two political parties sprang
into existence The protected interests
with their appetites skarpened by the
large incidental protection which the
war taxes had brought them fought Wig
orously against giving any OF 1t up.
They succeeded in controlling the Re-
publican party. then dominant. and the
result was the Inauguration OF the pro-
lection policy upon a more aggressive
and insolent bass than had been dream
ed of in the previous political history OF
the country.
THE NEW PROTECTIVE IDEA.
In order 10 have proper understand
ing OF these conflicting policies it IS nee
essary to bear in mind that tie war tar
if being at the highest revenue point. i.
G., the point intermediate between the
prohibitory point and the point OF no
duty, or free trade, the resultant revenue
could be diminished in two ways. First,
by lowering the rates OF duty in the dl-
rection OF the point OF no duty, or Tree
trade; second, by raising the rates OF
duty in the direction OF the prohlbltlve
point. The Democratic party. true to its
antebellunl principles, which had then
found general acceptance, proposed to
reduce the redundant revenues by going
back in the direction OF the Walker rates
OF duty, while tine Republican party
and insolence OF the rich manufacturers
leges, espoused the contrary policy OF Ell
iecting the necessary diminution OF the
revenues by increasing the duties in the
direction OF the prohibfive point, an
Enaugurated the doctrine which has been
appropriately denomina:e1 protection
run mad.
EXPoUNDED By MAI. MCKINLEY.
Although this idea OF diminishing the
revenues by raising the duties in the di-
rection OF the prohibtive point is I'M
questionabiy the essential principle Q! tho
new protective idea. as eNempilted by
the Republican party, thcy were never
bold enough to openly proclaim 1t II
their platform until the year 1893, whel
William Mckinley. as chairman OF tht
resolutions committee OF the natlona
convention. unequ:yocaily wrote 1t into
the national platform OF that year in tht
following words:
The Republican party would cffec
all needed reduction OF the national revc
nue. by repeating the tax on tobacco, etc
and by such revision OF the tar
if laws as will tend to check imports o
such articles as are produced by on
people.
Major Mckinley subsequently. a
leader OF his party in the House. embod
led this principle in the tariff law OF ISo
which bore his name, thereby TO som
extent rcvoking the policy OF reducin;
duties which had been temporarily lore
ed upon his party by the influence o
President Arthur's tariff commission il
the law OF 1883 The practical result
was shown in the fact that, though tn
average OF duties was largely increase,
dIl dtOllS liz INK, ii3k 'SSG4st'ii- - S'4N''
to the Government was very cons:dera
bly, diminished. and, under the excessive
rates OF the Mckinley law, the deficit il
the revenues, which has since caused s.
much trouble, first appeared
CoNFLICTIEG PRINCIPLES DEFINED.
Thus have the antagonistic principles
OF the two political parties become clear
ly and sharply defined. They may b
stated as follows:
The Republican party maintains tia
under the power to regulate commerce,
and the general welfare clause OF tht
Federal Constitution Congress has The
right to exercise the taxing power ioI
the purpose OF excluding partially Of
wholly impo1ations OF the product, o
foreign industry, i'll order to foster anC
protect our domestic manufacturers
Holding this view they claim the righ
to so adjust tariff schedules as to CHECK