The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-07-30
rHEwILsoN LAW A MODEL MEASURE.
ENORMOUS BURDENS OF THE
DlNGlEY LAW.

Published by authority of the Maryland
Democratic Editors Assocation.)
There has been so much written in an
unfair spirit in a certain class of papers
claiming to be Democratic within the
past few years solely with view OF con-
iusing the minds OF Democratic voters
regarding the distinctive tariff principles
OF the two leading political parties, that
II becomes necessary as preliminary to
an exposition OF the real enormity of the
tariff law just written upon the statute
books by the Republican party to go
back to first principles to some extent
and make an honest comparison of the
distinctive and antagonistic principles OF
the two parties. The present article will
be devoted to that purpose.
BEFORE THE WAR.
Prior to the civil war the Democratic
oohcy on the tariff had become
thoroughly embodied in the phrase tar
If for revenue. with incidental protec-
tion." The Walker tariff bill OF 1916,
drawn by Robert ]. Walker Secretary
OF the Treasury, was then accepted and
is still relied upon by Democrats as an
embodiment and exemplihcation of that
principle. 1t levied duties only high
enough to raise the necessary revenues,
but these duties were so distributed up
on articles produced by American labor
as to give to the labor employed in
American industry an equitable distribu
ton Of the protection necessarily Incl
dent to the raising OF the Federal reve-
nue., but no more. The Wing party
the then party OF protection-had also
Welded a reluctant but final concurrence
in this principle. After the compromise
tariff act of 1892, introduced by Mr..
CLAY, the Wings, following their distin
guished leader, had yielded to the sturdy
determination OF the American people,
as evinced by the South Carolina multi
fcation act mot to submit to the exercise
of the taxing power for other than reve-
nue. purposes. So that, as stated by Mr..
Blaine in his book, { many years prior
to the war the tariff was not political
issue, all interests and both political
parties submitting to tariff for revenue,
with incidental protection as exempllh-
ed by the Walker tariff.
WAR TARIFFS ON REVENUE BASIS.
But during the civil war the revenue
necessities of the Government became
so great that the tariff had to be put up
to the very highest revenue point, and in
addition to that an excise tax known as
the internal revenue tax" had to be i'm
posed. Although the war tariffs carried
very large incident OF protection to
American industries, they were to all IN
tents and purposes revenue tariffs, prac-
tcally applying the principles OF the
Walker tariff to the necessities OF war
revenue. After the war was over and
the diminishing revenue necessities and
resulting Treasury SURPRISES began to
point to reduction of tariff taxation,
the two conflicting policies which to-day
divide the two political parties sprang
into existence The protected interests
with their appetites sharpened by the
large incidental protection which the
war taxes had brought them fought Wig
orously against giving any OF it up.
They succeeded in controlling the Re
publican party, then dominant, and the
result was the Inauguration OF the pro-
lection policy upon more aggressive
and insolent basis than had been dream
I'd OF IN the previous political history OF
fhe country,
THE NEW PROTECTIVE IDEA.
In order to have a proper understand.
lg OF these conflicting policies it is nee
Esary to bear in mind that tie war tar
beng at the highest revenue point, i.
the point intermediate between the
rom5tory point and the point of no
uty, or Tree trade, the resultant revenue
ouid be diminished in two ways. First,
lowering the rates OF duty in the dl-
feton oil the point OF no duty, or free
aae; second by raising the rates OF
NY IN the direction OF the prohibtive
INT Inc Democratic party true to its
eoeIlum principles, which had then
Inu general acceptance, proposed to
luCe the redundant revenues by going
IN IN the direction OF the Walker rates
quty, while the Republican party,
SHlhg It's inspiration from the greed
msoIence OF the rich main acturers,
~ were willing to pay for their privi-
vs eSPouSed the contrary policy OF ef-
ing me necessary diminution OF the
enues by increasing the duties in the
zion OF the prohibitive point, and
ugurated the doctrine which has been
6p'opriias,ely denominated protection
AAFouNDED BY MAI. MCKINLEY.
although this idea OF diminishing the
Saues by raising the duties in the d.
ION SGn o. the prohibitive point is I'M
A. sNonaoiy the essential principle OF the
protective idea, as exernplifed by
republican party, they were never
r enough eihoaeh to openly proclaim it in
;i platform I, until the year 1888, when
ol ,I.;, mckinley, as chairman of the
nvsn o.GlS committee OF the national
n..;, unequiyocally wrote it into
a Ss-ona Platform Of that year in the
me Inc Republican party would effect
"a bv 1 " REDUCTION Of the national reve-
'epeaiing the tax on tobacco, etc.
aws ana by such revision OF the tar
n srt q Will tend to check imports Of
b6le "''ees as are produced by our
ie9 1O =, Mckinley subsequently, as
this ~. ms party in the. House, embod-
Ich hpoainclple in the tariff law of 1906
en-. 10y, ms name, thereby to some
ies s sIS!IaKing the policy OF reducing
s " %'ncn had been temporarily fore
t;d dsn 'll, .'s-'y by The Influence Of
j. - ~ ri : b 80 omission in
AAE1;Ssaiss shipping. 4SSl ,,u result ~.
sAois ss0apc. Rgn inc
pw enue
: tera-