New-York tribune., 1899-09-23
THE TARIFF AND RETENT f..


This Republic would he ungratcfu and unjust
II the good work done in adjusting the revenue
10 the public needs We're not often remembered
and honOred. When the Dngley act was
passed the country was told that it could
produce nothing hut deficit; that according to
all laws of free trade economics II must fall
$40,OOOO0O short of producing the customs rev
enue needed Those who said these things take
care now never to notice that the act is steadily
producing more than the revenue then needed
from customs. 1t was intended TO yield about
5000 600 or S16,7O0000 a month. In the
first half of September II has yielded at the rate
of over S19,SOO,0O0 a month.
This Is nothing new. In August customs re-
cepts were S2O,546,697 In July. though re
markaby light, they were still little more
than the expected monthly average reaching
S16971, ,454, and have been larger in every
month since last November, with allowance for
the shortness Of February. In the nine months
ending with August receipts were Sl64JS9,9N'.
and September promises to make the average
for ten months about S1S4l0OOO monthly. near
| " S2.OO0,00O more than was required. 1t VIII
be answered that this Is because OF the general
| prosperity which produces large importations OF
| dutiahle goods. Exactly, and the law was in
| tended TO produce that prosperity and thus has
! secured the revenue needed, and little more
If the sole question were whether Republican
| statesmen guessed right in 1891 and Democrats
! involved themselves In humiliation by guessing
wrong as usual the matter would not be of the
highest Importance Even on that basis the
country finds it more profitable to intrust its
affairs TO those who can Judge correctly than to
those whose history is made up of blunderS.
But the question involved is one Of principle.
! The theory on which the Democratic party and
its Free Trade allies have acted for fifty years
is that protective duties defeat themselves and
can add nothing 10 the prosperity or the country,
| while cutting off needed revenue. The Repub-
can belief is that protective duties 50 power
fully stimulate domestic prosperity that the pco-
| pie buy and consume much more or foreign as
well as domestic products than they can when
| prostrated by Democratic tarifs. The test OF
| the last five years has been az conclusive as any
can be- The Democratic tariff Of low duties cut
down tho customs revenue to about Sl44o0o.oW
in the calendar year 1896, because business was
so prostratcd that settlements through clearing
houses were only sol, ,17jOo0oOO. The Repub-
lican tariff Of protective duties has raised the
customs revenue TO the rate or S22oooooO0
yearly because business has so prospcred that
settlements through clearing houses nave neell
at the rate Of 03500oo 100000.
The theorlst who calls the tariff self-dcfeat-
ing has to face the fact that even In 1896, with
great prostratOn. imports Of wool in seven
months were 101 100000 pounds. and this year
with great prosperity only j00"O00 pounds
that imports of woollens then were S25.S0O,0 600
and this year only SS400oo0: that imports of
, iron products were then Sl3,0M,oOO. and this
year only S77O0 Oeo: that imports of glass and
earthenware and gloves were then Sll 10000
and this year have been only Ss,sO,0m, and
that imports Of soda salts were then $500, 000
and this year have been Sl9OoOOO in sever
months What protection the tariff meant
t to give IT gives, and Industries meet a vastly
q ] Increased home demand. with much reduced