Iron County register., 1897-09-16
TARIFF MYSTERIES.


i RenMblican Law n Fearful and yvom-
aer9ul Thing.
An ergan of protection which would
enact . prohibitory tariff and yet col
lect revenues therefrom sufficient to
pay the pension account has discovered
a new sensation in its precious Dingiey
bill. Section % il the pnzzier and the
dazzler this time. Secretary Gage has
turned section % inside out, examined
il to the poiHt of neuralgia, and handed
1t along to that famous trick artist. At
| torney General McKenna, with the re-
j quest that he exercise uPOn il all his
skill at prestidSgitatioBI
It il hoped that after the attorney
general has made a few passes in the
air and waved his magic wand. an anx-
ious world may Anow what section %
means. At present it is several shades
darker than the E1eusinian mysteries.
I'm all previous laws the section coTre-
spending 10 section q OF the new law. amer
providing for the ten per cent. discrimfnat-
ing duty on goods imported in vessels not
Aging the United States flag. provided that
this discriminating duty shall not apply TO
goods. wares. or merchandise which shall
b@ imported In vessels not of the United
States entitled at the time of such tHS-
portation by treaty or act OF congress 10 be
entered in ports of the United States on tho
payment OF the same duties as SHAH then
be payable on goods, ETC.. imported In
vessels of the United States. The new Law
euaits acts of congress and substitutes
convention. so as to make it read net ex-
empk by treaty or convention.
''Ie Is in pursuance OF an act OF congress
EsecttOn 4,22Sl that presidents in the past
have by proclamation exempted G1S 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 4.22S. If 1t does, 1t win strike q
tremendous blow at all foreign lines now
exempt by presidential proclamation and
conflns the exemption strictilE 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 a 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 Nc
Kenna, the great unraveler, has been
invoked. The very trainers of the tariff
bill profess ignorance of the origin of
the clause which is said to have been
sneaktd in by some few persons who
had influence with the senate commit
tee on finance.
'Tis fearful and wonderful piece of
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
iff. The American consumer of the for
eigner's goods would like more light
upon this abstruse subject.-Chieago
Journal.