The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-08-06
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. August 2. 1897.

Special CORRESPONDENCE:
There is genuine rejoicing among publ
men at the Capitol that the Dingley TART
bill is now the law of the land and tina
the special session of congress has closed
All true Americans In high and low place.
have cause for giving thanks to the loya
servants of the people In the halls of con
gress who stood solldly and steadfastly a
their posts throughout the trying ordeal o.
the four and half months, and contribut
ed by their actions and their votes to thu
cause of protection, thus aiding In the worl
for which congress was called In extraordi
nary session, the passage of the bill which
shall give to American industries new
life, and to the treasury of the United
States adequate revenues to meet the ex'
penditures of the government. The oppo
sition to this patriotic and necessary course
faded before the earnestness and persist
ence of the republican senators and repre-
sentatives who bent every effort to the
single end of placing upon the statute books
the new protective tariff law.
That prosperity will speedily come un-
der the operations of the Dingley law Is
the confident expectation of all Obsei wing
men who are not blinded to the failures
of the Wilson German law, which has
now happily taken its place among the
dark chapters of the history of the Ameri-
can nation. The delay of a month or six
weeks In the work of passing the new
law means brief delay in the realiza-
ton of all the benefits which the American
people have right to expect from this
beneficent legislation. While the demo-
cratic and populist opposition talked on
against the Dingley bill the importers were
busy. This body of observing business
men gave prompt evidence Of the fact that
they knew the passage of the new republic
can tariff law meant the closing of the ports
of the United States to the importation Of
competing products; they gave early evil
dence of their belief that under the benefi-
cent influence of restored protection the
American mill, the mine and the farm will
soon again be engaged in producing those
articles which enter into the common wants
of the American people, and that the i'm
portations of like articles from abroad will
be checked. The sctivlty of the importers
gave the lie to the doctrine Of the free trad
ers that protective tariffs are not protective
of the American market; the busy looms
and FORCES In European fields during the
past six months fully answered the free
trade doctrine that the American consumer
pays all the tariff duties. The foreign fab
ricator of wares was busy getting into the
American market n illions of dollars worth
of goods under the low duties of the abso-
Lutte free trade policy of the democratic
tariff act. The fact will not be lost upon
the people that IL the consumers pay all
customs duties the foreign manufacturers
would have had little concern about the
question as to the time the Dingley tariff
act was to become law. The foreigners
knew that when the protective barrier was
placed before the American markets, goods
sent into this country must be sold at re-
duced prices In order to pay the customs
duties and successfully compete with like
goods manufactured or produced by Ameri-
can labor.
The votes of the republican senators and
were cast solidly for the
republican protective tariff act. Within an
hour after the measure passed congress the
name of William Mckinley, president, had
been affixed to the law, and the great strug-
gle for the restoration of protection was
over. 1t was a glorious day and will be
long remembered In the history of Ameri-
can legislation. Glorious is that chapter in
American history to he which recounts that
the author of the Mckinley tariff, which
gave to the nation and its happy people two
years Of prosperity unexampled in the an
nails of time, also gave to the Dingley tariff,
which promises restoration of that pros
perity, its finishing touch-thus giving to
the action of congress that effectiveness
which shall be an inspiration to the Ameri-
can people IN the fields, in the mines, and
in the factories, which shall result in new
life to Industries which have been long
PROSTATE under the blight of free trade.
That the new tariff is not perfect its
authors admit. But it will produce ade-
quate revenue and protect our industries
under normal conditions. Among its chief
glories-and one which was acknowledged
even by some of those who did not favor it,
and who doubt that 1t will meet the ex-
pectations of its friends-is that 1t Is not
sectional bill. 1t protects the people in all
parts of the country, and to the producers
of materials which enter into the manufac.
ture it gives protection, as well as to the
producers of the finished product. 1t is a
matter of regret among leading protection
lists in congress that the conference COM
mittee struck off the duty on raw cotton.
That duty would have been an important
entering wedge In the old free trade sections
of the south, and 1t would have proved
most beneficial to the southern people.
But 1t should be remembered by those
southern men who voted for and urged the
A. Al.