The Forrest City times., 1897-09-24
MYSTERIES OF THE TARIFF.
Repubiican Law a Fearful ana Won.
 derfui Thing.

derfui Tbfng.
 An organ of protection which would enact a prohibitory tariff and yet col lect revenues therefrom sufficient to pay the pension account has discovered a new sensation in it's precious Dingiey bill. Section 22 is the puzzler and the dazzler this time. Secretary Gage has turned section 22 inside out cxamired il to the point of neuralgia, and handed it along to that famous trick artist. Att torney-General McKenna. with the re- ques; that he exercise upon it all his skill at prestidigitation.
 It is hoped that after the attorney general has made few passes Tn the air and waved his magic wand, an anx- ious world may know what section 22 means. At present it is several shades darker than the Eleusinian mysteries.
 "Tn all previous laws the section corre- spending to section 22 of the r.ew law. after providing for the ten per cent. discriminate ing duty on goods imported in vessels not flying the United States flag. provided that this discriminating duty shall not apply to goods, wares or merchandise which shall be imported in vessels not of the United States entitled at the time of such im- portation by treaty or act of congress to b4 entered In ports of the United States on the payment of the same duties as shall then be payable on goods. etc. imported in vessels of the United States The new law omts acts of congress and substitutes convention so as to make 1t read not ex- empt by treaty or convention
 Tt Is in pursuance of an act of congress (section 4.22S that presidents in the past have by proclamation exempted the vessels of many countries from this discriminating duty. The question now before the at- torney-general is whether the omission of the word act of congress does not repeal section APPS. If it does, 1t will strike . tremendous blow at all foreign lines now exempt by presidential proclamation and confine the exemption strictly to the vessels of countries with which we have treaties granting such exemptions" The list of these countries includes such first-class powers as Germany and Austria, but does not include France and England and the British colonies. One of these colonies, it will be remem- bered, is likely to be seriously affected by another Dingley mystery. namely. the clause which is supposed to discrim- mate against goods coming through Canada. The clause has raised tre- mendous hullabaloo in the New Eng land states, which have found that the competition of the Canadian Pacific with United States transcontinental lines is good thing for them. and on this point also the assistance of Me- kenna, the great unrayeler, has been l invoked The very framers Of the tariff pill profess ignorance of the origin of the clause which is said to have been sneaked in by some few persons who had influence with the senate commit- tee on finance.
 'Tis fearful and wonderful piece of l legislation, to be sure, but after all there is nothing so remarkable about it as the profound logic of that same organ of protection, which proposes to have the foreigners pay our pensions through the instrumentality of tar 1 if. The American consumer of the for l eigner's goods would like more light upon this abstruse ubject.-Chicago Journal