The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-28

just as itslooks like it would at distance.
1 used to be of the firm conviction that the
consumer paid all the tax. could prove 1t.
The importer paid the duty and added the
same to the wholesale price and the tailor
who purchased the goods paid II back to
the importer, and when he made a suit OF
clothes he charged Ii all UP and collected
it from his customer. Now this demonstra-
ton could not be denied or answered; the
bills and invoices showed exactly who had
to pay the duty and 1T always; apparently,
fell upon the consumer. In 1894, after the
passage of the Wilson bill, an enthusiastic
tariff reformer in the customs service in
New York supplied Democratic campaign
speakers with large number OF samples of
cloth, clipped at the customs house from
pieces imported, with cards attached upon
which was shown the cost Of the goods un-
der the Mckinley law, the tariff under the
same and the amount of reduction in the
tariff under the Wilson law. / remember
that it showed a reduction of from IS to $40
on a suit of clothes, and | used to dwell
upon that saving with much emphasis.
$50 far as my argument was concerned.
it was unanswerable. could see no flaw in
il myself and had Ii not been for little
personal experience, / might have been still
1895 or 1896 / went into the store of my
tailor, Mr.. Becker, and requested suit of
clothes similar to one he had previously
made for me, when, to my surprise, he
asked the same price for It, l Immediately
charged upon him with my theoretical tar
iff-reform demonstration, when he opened
hibited to me the fact that the European
manufacturers had appropriated all the re-
duction we had made on wOfsteds. by rails
ing the price on their goods the amount we
had reduced the tariff, and then began to
think perhaps there was some truth in the
argument that the foreigner and not the
consumer sometimes paid the tax.
There are many important matters to be
considered in connection with a revision
of the t8riff. There is no dispute that be-
cause of the superior ability of our people
to invent and operate labor-saving machin-
cry, we have been able to enlarge our pro-
auctions and increase our exports until we
have become strong competitors with the
Europeans in all the great markets of the
world While this is true and that a further
enlargement of our trade Is an object to be
kept in constant view, We must not over
look the fact that our own market is the
best in the world and that II is essential to
its prese, walton that the higher standard of
living which obtains with us must be MAIN
tanned. Any generalization of the home
market IL likely to do more harm than the
loss of foreign trade in some countries. We
shall enjoy prosperity so long as the great
body of our work people are employed at
good wages, because then we have the
production.
"The great improvements in the process
of manufacture within recent years have
ment every thing moves with clock-like
precision and In this there is the greatest
economy. The cost of production has been
those Of superior ability in management are
able to ,leep up in the contest. With mil
lions of dollars invested in such plants and
hundreds of thousands Of operatives at
work in them and dependent upon their con-
tinued operation for support. the least dis
turbance may have most disastrous ef-
feet. l think / state fact, that all fair
minded persons will admit. when say that
we have reached a period when we must
cease to make a political football Of our
great industries. The people of all parties
and in all sections of the country are in
terested In putting an end to this agitation.
The fear. the dread, the doubt. the hesita-
ton that accompanies every revision of the
tariff is enough of itself to demoralize trade
and bring on depression IL not disaster.
The margin of profits is too small and the
field of competition too severe to be dis
turbed by this unnecessary agitation. and
If we are to keep up our market at home
and be able to dispose of our surplus abroad
we must cease this internecine war. i ad-
NIT that tariff schedules should and must.
from time to time. be revised. but the re-
vision ought to be in the interest, rather
than in The punishment Of our industries.
Now, what has been the result of this
political warfare over the question of a
reformation of the tariff? Every campaign,
when it has been made an issue. the manu-
facturers, becoming alarmed at the extreme
demands of the reformers, have organized
and gone into the contest and when success
full, have demanded the full limit of their
conscience, and this will ever be the case
of such contests. II the reformers are sue
cessful everything Is at standstill for a
year or more because of the fact that manu-
facturers must obtain their materials a
year or more In advance of the time their
product goes upon the market.
Another thing, and say ii with as ex-
allied an opinion of the abilities of the gen.
tlemen who have been engaged in the work
of preparing the schedules of measures. as
any one may have. that members Of Con-
gress are not sufficiently versed In all the
intricacies of the various processes in the
different industries, to be able to perform
this work without calling I'm experts and
relying largely upon their statements. Sc
that we have had laws framed first by the
manufacturers and then by the importers
each resorting to every scheme TO get an
advantage.
How can we put an end to this mode OF
revision? We can do so by providing for q
permanent commission whose duty II shall
| be to devote their whole time to the stud,
| and investigation of the subject and upor
| whose recommendation Congress shall act
Let this commission represent all interests
| and all shades OF opinion so that full and
| complete showing may be made before any
| action Is taken. If any rate of duty is found
| to be in the interest OF trust or a monopo-
| died and no other industry will be dis
| turbed. This is the only way we can take
| this subject out of politics. and take Ii out
| we must IL We are to continue In the strug
| gle for the control Of the worlds commerce
COMBINATIONS.
| Great corporations are not only Lawful
but are the natural growth of an evolution
| in production and trade that has been In
| progress in this and other countries fol
more than a quarter Of a century. In oul
large cites the small merchant has beer
driven out by the large department store