New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-02


Sneaker Reeds conduct of affairs in The
House deserves large share Of credit for The
swift passage OF a sound tariff bill His selec-
ton of members of the Ways and Means Com
mittee was careful. deliberately designed TO
meet Just the emergency which came, and has
proved cmnenty iudicous. His refusal to APP
point other committees was we'll calculated to
compel action along The simple lines marked
out hy a due regard for the public welfare, and
has had powerful influence With twenty
one political opponents refusing TO record them
selves against the change of tariff and five
Democrats and one Populist supporting it, the
Dingley bill goes TO the Senate and 10 the
country as something more than the deliberate
expression of the will of Republican Repre-
scntatves
Criticism is always easy. and there has never
been q tariff bill passed by either House, it Is
safe to say. which its leading supporters would
not have liked to alter in some particular. But
Chairman Dingley and his associates Of the
committee are Justly entitled 10 the credit of
framing more careful and thorough protective
measure than any yet enacted and it is no dis
arrangement Of the men in charge seven years
ago. President Mckinley included TO say that
the new bill Is on the whole better than the one
which went from the House in that year. The
times have advanced, and men with them The
modes of industry have changed, and the House
has known how TO meet that change.
II IS commonly said that the proposed duties
are too high. As TO some of them the criticism
NAV he sustained by the judgment of the Sen
ate But there is always this TO be said, that
a duty which goes beyond the point Of giving
control of the markets TO American producers
USUALLY does no harm. Competition among
home producers quickly drives down the price.
Put duty which falls only a shade short OF
that is the worst that can be imposed. 1t taxes
American consumers almost up 10 the limit Of
beneficial productlveness. and yet does not yield
ANYTHING The duty on lin plates for many
years might as well have been omitted. and
vet Il taxed American producers largely 1t
was slightly too low. taxed TO the extent Of
millions every year the consumers OF tin plates,
and did no good whatever. slightly higher
duty put more than fifty thousand Americans
at work at new branch of industry. and trans
fcrrcd the control Of that industry from Great
Britain TO this country
The idea that this tariff will yield more rev
enue than is necessary has for authority the
same men who were sure that the Wilson tariff
would not yield a deficit. Their opinions are
not of much value. nor Is any other estimate
which does not take into full account the de-
crease Of imports which higher duties will pro-
duce As this is largely predetermined. while
The increase of imports OF sugar and many
other articles which will depend upon the gen
eral prosperity is likely 10 expand, 1t seems not
unreasonable TO estimate that an excess OF
revenue, such as the House committee esti-
mates about $20O0OOO0 or more, may be
realized But even this will require reasonably
prompt action by the Senate; If there should
be long delay the chances are that the Dingey
bill will not yield more revenue than the Gov
eminent requires