Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-31
The New Tariff Law.

american Wool and Cotton Reporter)
1t is frequently said of the American
people that they are too impatient. This
=, no doubt, in the main, a just criticism.
The present, however is a time when, il
ever they should make an attempt to
check this failing We have Just enact
ed new tariff law, and the conditions
under which 1t goes into operation are
such as preclude any surprise. If at the
start IL does not produce just the results
which are hoped for. In one particular
ana very important one at that, il will
unquestionably accomplish. in fact has
already begun to accomplish, Il most
gratifying result: we look for an imme-
date return to a settled condition OBJ
tanning thereby what has been wanting
for a great many months. namely. a
starting point from which TO arrange flu
tGre lines of business
Whether or not these lines will be quite
as heavy at the beginning as might be
wished, Is of course a matter of great
Importance. and it is just here that the
exercise of patience may be called for
a new tariff law is like a great ship: IL
takes some time to get it fairly under
way. Such, however. is the impatience
of the American people that they fail to
make adequate allowance for this fact
From one congressional election to an
other is about all the time they care to
allow tariff measure in which to dem
onstrate its efficiency. This is of course
an absurd limitation. General business
10 lol luoItHs, prior TO cNanSe IN the
tariff, reduced to artificial conditions. and
the results which flow from these condi-
tons nave to be recovered from before
the new measure can be said to have a
far show. The recovery is in the nature
of the case slow, but this fact has little
influence with the mass of the people. If
a law has not, within two years of its
enactment afforded many indications of
its efficacy. the Impotence of the country
begins to manifest itself in no uncertaiI,
manner. This spirit has been witnessed
a number of times in recent years and
the effect has been disastrous upon blIsi-
ness enterprises. We venture to p1t in
plea for the law which has Just gone into
operation, and urge thai it NAV be ae
corded fairer trial than similar meas
ures have received in this country of late
years. In fourteen years we can CONT
four tariff laws. which would give an ay-
erage length to each of three and one
half years. This is certainly stale of
affairs which would be tolerated in no
other country on earth.
"A new tariff is pretty sure to be accom-
panied by circumstances which thouah
growing out of it, are not a Dart of its
legitimate effect. Such. for instance wac
the excessive advance in prices when the
law of 1880 went into effect. Goods wera
marked up beyond all reason under the
pretence OF making them conform to the
necessities of the Mckinley law. whereas
that measure called for no such figures
The zeal of spectators Is quite likely III
impair the public regard for = t,rifr
measure at the start. but such tlinu.
work their own cure If allowed time I,
Is claimed by some that the imporfs IN
certain lines OF goods during the last fa,.,
months have been large enough 10 snnn,,,
the needs Of TINS country for two years