The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-05-22
AN lNFAMous cLAusE
Proteotion Fanaficism in TariR Leg
ialntion.

islatiOn.
There is nothing in the records of
American legislation which as a piece
Of stupid and ruthless tyranny equals
the retroactive clause of The tariff bill
just parsed in the lower branch of con-
gross The face of legal opinion as well
as Of popular Judgment has always been
sternIy set against ex post facto laws
as opposed not only to public interest,
but to the essential spirit of our insti-
tutions. Yet the tariff n3ongers have
not forborne to include such a clause in
the bill, in itself the most extreme in
its high protection abuses ever pro
posed in congress, to make it's burden
still more Onerous Fanaticism could go
no further in party madness.
Whether this retroactive feature of
he tariff would. in case of its becoming
Jaw, stand the ordeal Of the courts is
oubtful. No precisely similar case has
over been brought before the supreme
bench, or. indeed any other of our aw
tribunals. so far as we can learn. That
It's spirit does not accord with that sup
posed to be dominant in our political
system is clear at half a glance. This,
far more than any technical or super
fcial agreement with the established
course of things, if such an apparent
concord existed, as is not the ase
would control the final decision. But
In the meantime, during the tendency
of the question, retroactive jurisdiction
will do more to unsettle and agitate the
business of the country than would even
the final results of the tariff itself. I'm
certainty is the prime factor of business
convhlsion, especially in those branches
of business which deal with articles of a
perishable nature, or such as are sub
iect to rapid f%uctuation of price. In
these days, too, of immense production
and of steamship and cable as CONNER
.cial factors, prices fuctuate far more
rapidly than il the more easy-going
days of old.
An illustration of the working Of the
retroactive clause may be ~instanced in
the case of the fruit commission mer-
chants of New York city. Nearly all
fruit arriving at this port is consigned,
and the American merchant has to
d ldlRS az ~ "a SNAA~ VI
his cargoes. Under the provision that
only goods purchased and shipped prior
to April 1 of this year will be free of
'bhe new excessive tariff, in case it be-
comes a law, foreign fruit when it be-
gins to arrive will be met by eXactions
positively ruinous in its competition
with the native fruit. Thetrade of hun
dreds of merchants will be destroyed.
While the case of fruit importation, ow-
ing to perishable quality and liability
to quick price fluctuations, perhaps is
an extreme example, many other prod
ucts will share in part a similar draw
back. All consigned goods-and these
constitute a very important portion of
the volume of commercial business
will be specially liable. Importations
purchased absolutely belong to the
more stable priced articles as a rule,
and the excessive hardship in any in
dividual Isl would be less. But here
ALSO can be readily perceived the bur
den, which will tax business and cramp
the operations of the merchant; for it
is held that the difference between the
new duties and those of the Wilson tar
Tiff would constitute a lien against all
goods. The republican party came into
power with clamorous braggadocio as
''the advance agency of prosperity" A
more monstrous travesty on its claim
can scarcely be fancied than this tariff,
which arouses d~etestatior in the minds
of the more intelligent members of its
own political family, and further in
vokes an agency which would scarcely
be tolcrable even in a despotic govern
ment of the Europeofto-day The victim
is made subject to all the terrors oil
prompt execution even before his trial
has been decided. Mr.. Mckinley, while
in the house, in one of his speeches or
tariff agitation, deplored the evil which
any change in schedules infallibly
brought about. He laid stress on the
Importance, where these changes were
necessary, of fixing such a date fol-
their effect as would allow gradual pro.
vision for the new condition created
The mad army which tramps in his
footsteps have proceeded in this retro
active clause of their new bill to negate
most contemptuously the old dictum Of
their standard-bearer.-N. Y. Journal