The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-06

THE TARIFF As AN ISSUE.
Those who desire that the Democrats
shall make opposition to a protective tariff
the leading issue in the future should I'M
derstand that the situation has changed
since that party carried the country, as
IL alleged. on a platform containing &
declaration for "a tariff for revenue only"
TIE country has had a good deal OF ex-
perience since 1892. 1t has seen the attempt
to pass a revenue tariff fail, and it has
seen the half-revenue and half-protective
tariff Of the Democratic Senate which
President Cleveland would not sign plunge
the country from a general condition Of in
dustrial activity to one of general depres-
sion, which continued until the passage OF
the Dingley tariff brought. with a Repub-
lican administration, the highest and most
general prosperity a nation ever knew. The
average people of the country. those who
till the farms. work in factories and are
connected in a thousand ways with the
business and industry OF the country, re-
member these experiences with a half
revenue tariff and a protective tariff. They
understand that the command of the Amer
lean market for American producers has
given the highest industrial activity the
modern world has witnessed. They know
that the American people are prosperous
when the remainder of the world is not.
and most of them know that that pros
perity is because the American producer
controls the largest and best market in the
world. Moreover. they know that, having
once tried the giving up of American mar
kets to obtain advantage, with disaster as
the result, they will not repeat the mistake.
When the people who remember read the
names of the men who are announced by
the Tariff Reform League, which is the
alias of the free trade organization, as the
authors of anti-protection tracts. they will
find the old free-trade doctrinaires and a
few new ones whose names are not con-
nected actively with the great industrial in
terests Of the country.
The average people of the Northern States
are fairly well informed regarding the tariff
issue. The last time they spoke their views
directly was in the congressional elections
of 1894. 1t was an emphatic verdict. The
average people are so well informed re-
garding the tariff that they will not be de-
ceived by such shallow pretenses as that
the duty on meats has anything to do with
the present high prices. They know that
tse United States is the producer of more
meat for expectation than nearly all other
countries. and they know enough of the
products of other countries 10 know that
there is no country in the world that would
or could ship meats in any quantity to the
United States if there were no duty on
cattle. hogs. sheep and meats. They know
that Canada, which must feed stock six
months In the year, and which cannot raise
corn. could not furnish enough animals or
meat to affect the price. They know that
South American meat would not sell in the
United States. If they do not know now
they will know that the prices of the great
staples produced in this country are about
the same in Europe as here. They know
confined to articles which the tariff does
not affect. with the single exception of
sugar. The mass of the people with fair in
telligence will know before the campaign
is over that the great trusts are powerful
because of the rebates of railroads and
other practices in restraint of trade.
1t is evident from the expressions of lead.
ing Republicans that they see the i'm
p~ortance OF tariff revision upon a protective
basis. Many duties must be modified and
some must be dropped. The attention OF
the country having been called to the fact
that the duty paid upon Cuban sugars is
, over 100 per cent. and on all grades an aver.
age of 76 per cent. it will demand a re.
: duction of such a duty TO an average of less
than 80 per cent. upon the principle that al
| industry which cannot grow with a 80 pei
cent. protection should go to the wall unless
the higher duty is. necessary TO secure reve-
nue.. Irritating ard useless taxes, such a:
tha on hides. should be abolished. II
short. the tariff can be revised by protec.
: tionists so as to retain the home markets
and at the same time prevent combination,
to employ its schedules to demand extor
: tomato prices.