The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-05
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THE TARIFF SITUATION.

his little book could hardly be i'm
proved upon, sees it overhauled, re-
modelled, deformed, until he does not
recognize the bill. The principle of
protection which guided Mr.. Ding
ley in his work has been reversed and
in the senate by another,
or rather by no principle. Senator
Aldrich, rep, chairman of the ways
and means committee, interprets re-
publicanism differently from Mr..
Dingley. Then, the senate is more
an everybody's body than is the
house. The, upper branch of con-
gress is subject to nobody's dictation;
it knows no Reed, no boss, no gag
rule. In hat body we see every
member standing up for the interests
of his respective state, regardless of
party pledges or party ties.
And so goes on the work of tariff
building, until the principles which
did underlie the original bill are lost
to view, engulfed in the sea of no.
principle. The schedules which the
senate committee considered too
high, and Mr.. Aldrich nearly split
his party in twain by saying so, have
been in many cases raised, in few in
stances lowered, until the bill as it
stands carries the highest protection
ever offered the American people,
and the Cannon amendment promis-
es to add immensely to it, by placing
a large bounty upon agricultural ex-
ports.
A bounty upon agricultural ex-
ports is a queer suggestion to come
from a western senator-especially
from so strong a bimetallist as is Mr..
Cannon. There is a vein of humor
in the suggestion, to be better ap-
preciated if the amendment were not
so seriously considered by the SEN
ate. What does the measure mean?
Forty per cent. of America is made
up of farmers. A bounty of 20 per
cent. upon agricultural exports Che
senate amendment approximates that
fgure) is ostensibly meant to raise
their value 20 Fer cent. And this is
seriously considered by men who on
ly last fall told us that it is impossi-
bic to legislate value into anything.
notably silver!
Then when we consider the mil,
lions of money necessary to meet
this bounty, which is supposed to &C
to the farmer, but which past exper.
fence proves will go in some part tc
the middle-man, we see a new flood.
gate open for the dissemination Of
of the nations treasure; more reven
ne will be needed to meet the de.
mands of an export bounty.
But who pays this bounty? Evi
IDENTIFY the people; the o
dutiable goods of whom the farmers
themselves number 40 per cent. Anc
it is a guess whether they will re
ceive more than 40 per cent. in re
turn. While trusts and combines ar,
enriched, encouraged and rendered
more powerful by this tariff bill, thu
farmer is given a rare opportunity t'
"tax himself rich," by drawing from
one pocket to fill the other.
The feature of the proceeding
which excites popular admiration
is the effort by the nations leader
to initiate prices, to enhance values
without increasing the volume o
money by which prices are measured
Suppose the tariff law should rails,
prices 10 per cent. How car
people pay those increased prices
having only a given quantity o
money with which to buy? Or, lie
the volume of money be represented
by 100; then the price of commodi
ties will be represented by 100. Blu
should a tariff law be enacted intend
ing to make the price of commodi
ties 10 instead of 100, how coult
the people buy commodities at III
having only 100 in money? Tht
result will be shorter sales of com
modities until prices have agar
tumbled to a point within the reaci
of the money volume.
The futility of a tariff movement
to restore permanent prosperity, be-
ing unaided by needed revision o.
our financial laws, will soon bt
proved to the satisfaction of every
body.