The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-03-27
FoREsTALLING THE STORM.

No paper in the United States more
fully realizes the fallacies of it's anti
election promises, Of good times follow
ing the installation of the republican
marty into power, than does the Oregon
ian, and it is already paving the way
for an excuse to its readers for having
so mislead them before the national
election last November, and in this
effort it tells some truths that cannot
be controverte6. 1t realizes that tariff
legislation and the retention of the
gold standard will not result in the
fulfillment of the promises made prior
to the November election, and realiz-
ing this, it confesses the truth of the
statements often made by the demo
cratic press, that any change liable to
be made in the tariff by republican
congress would increase the burdens
of consumers generally, and would
benefit only the manufacturers.
The tariff bill that will be passed by
congress has been framed and will re-
ceive only slight notifications before
it becomes law. When it is enacted,
it will not give the relief expected is
thus confessed by the Oregonian in the
following statement:
"The Dingley bill, when it shall be-
come law, will disappoint public ex-
pectation in the matter of both revenue
and protection, and it will not imme-
dia tely bring to the country the pros
perity promised by its trainers. 1t is
wise to understand this in advance.
"Mr. Dingley does not make allow
ance enough for the reduction of impor-
tations under an increased tariff. He
estimates that the new duties would
yield $112, 100000 more revenue on the
basis of present importations, but
thinks that this will be reduced to
S75,OO0,000 by reduction of imports.
This allowance is too small. Mr..
Dingley under estimates the importa-
tions in advance of the passage OF the
bill. Dealers in sugar and wool, the
articles from which most revenue is
expected, will bring into the country
such quantities of goods before the
Dingley bill can be passed, that they
will need to import no more for one or
two years, and the government will
get no duty for that time"
This is a frank admission that the
new law will have very little of merit
in it. Very little more revenue will
be produced, but the price of all pro-
tected articles will be advanced
through the shutting out of foreign
competition, and the consumer alone
must suffer. This, however, is more
fully confessed in the following closing
words in the Oregonian's editorial:
while the effect of the new duties
upon revenue, wages and price of raw
materials will be delayed, price of
finished goods will rise at once. Con-
sumers will pay more for all they need,
without getting higher wages or better
prices for products of the soil. and the
increase will go, not to the treasury.
but to protected. trusts and corpora
tions, during the first year OF two of
the life of the laws.n
This the Oregonian realizes will be
the effect of the new tariff law, and it
also realizes it will bring forth a storm
of Indignation from those who looked
forward to prosperity under the new
administration, and it takes time by
the forelock by its timely warning be-
fore the storm shall come.