The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-29
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
THE WICKED IMPORTERS.

An esteemed contemporary, whose
recent conversion to McKinleyism is
marked by the customary violence of
the pervert, is smitten with righteous
Indignation at the wickedness Of the
New York importers, who actually
want to make money at their business.
Such a thing is, Of course, unknown in
either political or commercial circles
in this country and the idea that a
dealer in commodities should object to
the restriction Of his market and the
curtailing of his sales causes the Nc
Kinleyite to raise in holy horror those
pure hands that have never been
smi1 ched by the touch of paltry gain.
These wicked and altogether abomin-
able importers have had the audacity
to i1--'e a Lrote@. against the Dingley
bill on account Of it's excessive rates.
This document was considered by the
st. Paul chamber Of commerce, and it
has been congratulated on escaping
the meat snare" of approving it. Then
the importers are scarified because the
delay which they are said to be anxious
to promote will be so much much
in their pockets" They are now said to
be flooding the country with their
clartrap resolutions" with the low,
sordid purpose of increasing their gains,
or, rather, of preventing serious losses,
Now, compare for one instant the at
titude of these mercenary gentlemen
with the high-souled and disinterested
manufacturers who wrote the tariff
schedules in controversy. What was
the motive of these men? Can any
one suppose that self-interest had the
slightest connection with their views
or their actions? They have got UP a
tariff bill that is an enormity and an
abomination. The very men who are
now supporting it protested against
the Mckinley act of 1890 on account Of
its excessive rates, although these were
far below those of the -DingIey bill.
The purpose of this new tariff is writ
ten all over it's face, and not even the
solemn pretense of raising revenue by
a policy that was advertised in 1890 as
a reducer of revenue conceals the pro-
3ect that levies millions upon the con-
sumers of this country. Indeed, our
contemporary gives its own case away
utterly when it says, Every measure
of this character Ghe Dingley bilD in
proportion to its height reduces the
volume of this business Qmportations)'
Therefore 1t reduces revenue. But it
will help the meek and lowly syndicate
and the Woodworking trust
What the average man, without pre-
possessions. political or otherwise,
would like to know is what essential
virtue there is in the business Of manu-
featuring as compared with that of
trading. Why is the man who makes
a certain commodity a character so
sacred, patriotic and pure that he
can command legislation for his pecu-
MARY benefit with out a word Of re-
proach, while the man who buys and
sells the same commodity is to be de-
nounced as a william because he OBJ
jects when his business is threatened
and his profits reduced? Why, in one
word, should the United States cong
ress legislate for one industry and
against another? For years past the
American manufacturer has been a
charge upon the bounty of the people,
and has not been ashamed to ask for
ever increasing subsidies. In those
years the importer has built up a legi-
inmate business by legitimate methods,
without asking or receiving a dollar
of bonus. Yet, when the latter would
protect himself against aggressions of
the former that threaten his very ex-
1stence, he is held up to the scorn and
condemnation of the community The
commercial motive and the political
lmotive behind all this are plain enough.
The shame of it is that they should
be put forward, with a pretense of
tmpartiality, TO hide the sinister force
that is at work to undermine American
morality and American prosperity in